Fitting (just fitting) 4 new 17" tyres - quotes even above £100? New business Opp?

[moonloops]

Was writing my last post put when a lot of others appeared.

I'm not on my own it seems.

You need a faster typewriter

 

[Edd1968]

Why 'awful'.....?

Working as a mechanic for a main dealer isn't all its cracked up to be, especially up here where there's such snobbery about not being 'time-served' as I wasn't.
I was employed on the BMW side as a motorcycle technician (bikes being also my thing) but was soon on cars not by choice. Maybe it was BMW. Maybe it was that I'm a sassenach in Scotland. I also saw lots of 'naughty' things going on that helped empty customers wallets - which I shall not be going into here.
But it's nice to have the know how and be able to tackle most Jobs on my cars at home now.

 

[bob6600]

Also tyre places used to make more money before cheaper tyre sellers (Camskill etc) came along. They would make profit on the tyre and hence didn't mind doing the odd tyre swap cheaply. I have seen it go up from £8-£10 a tyre here to the cheapest being £15 and some places refusing to do them full stop.

 

[thebiglad]

I buy my tyres through www.123pneus.com (international business also operating in UK) so the last ones I bought were 2 x Khumo P71's, 225/45/17 at 66 euros (about £56) a piece, then booked a fitting place via their website. Fitting cost 15€ (about £13) per wheel inc new valve, balancing and disposal of old tyres.

Very pleasant transaction and car felt great.

 

[exvolvoman]

For steelies maybe. Diamond cut alloys would be damaged and cost more money to fix. Then, what about the balancing?

Managed to fit tyres okay onto painted alloys using bar for alloy wheels without damage, but maybe diamond cut would be damaged...
I agree about balancing, my local tyre co. charged £20 for 4 wheels.
I suppose it depends on whether you like doing this sort of thing yourself...I do

 

[kianok]

Managed to fit tyres okay onto painted alloys using bar for alloy wheels without damage, but maybe diamond cut would be damaged...
I agree about balancing, my local tyre co. charged £20 for 4 wheels.
I suppose it depends on whether you like doing this sort of thing yourself...I do

I’d rather pay someone with the right kit than d!ck about for what it costs to be honest.

 

[Petrol Pete]

I like to shop around locally for tyres, book the car in , remove the wheels myself and give the wheels a damn good clean once off removing all of the stuck on weights and sticky stuff . Then just turn up with them in the back of the other car.

They are (normally) pleasantly surprised to not have to use a tyre bay and to not actually do any real work , Plus you don't have to wait for a bay to be free as they have (normally) edged their bets and are overbooked.

An added bonus is I can take my time having a good clean around the brake calliper's wheel arches etc AND I can torque the wheel nuts properly.

Not everyone's cup of tea I know, but its not something that has to be done weekly so its no great hardship for me.

 

[Edd1968]

I like to shop around locally for tyres, book the car in , remove the wheels myself and give the wheels a damn good clean once off removing all of the stuck on weights and sticky stuff . Then just turn up with them in the back of the other car.

They are (normally) pleasantly surprised to not have to use a tyre bay and to not actually do any real work , Plus you don't have to wait for a bay to be free as they have (normally) edged their bets and are overbooked.

An added bonus is I can take my time having a good clean around the brake calliper's wheel arches etc AND I can torque the wheel nuts properly.

Not everyone's cup of tea I know, but its not something that has to be done weekly so its no great hardship for me.

. . This has always been my way of doing it also.
Ive had many a company vehicle been given back to me after having new tyres fitted, with damage to the rims.
Not with the ones I've paid my hard earned cash for!

 

[Petrol Pete]

^^^ I first started doing this with my motorcycles after riding away from a tyre fitting one day (years ago) only to discover that the 'mechanic' while re fitting my rear wheel had somehow managed to get both brake pads on ONE side of the brake caliper .

The same applied with being able to have a good clean and inspection of all the exposed bits on the bike. But it was safety driven , and I know hoe to use a torque wrench.

 

[Edd1968]

^^^ I first started doing this with my motorcycles after riding away from a tyre fitting one day (years ago) only to discover that the 'mechanic' while re fitting my rear wheel had somehow managed to get both brake pads on ONE side of the brake caliper .

The same applied with being able to have a good clean and inspection of all the exposed bits on the bike. But it was safety driven , and I know hoe to use a torque wrench.

That's just plain incompetence!
I'd never let anyone else near my Ducatis!

 

[400ixl]

Never yet failed to find a local indy who can get the tyres I want and fit them for less than the online places want when you include local fitting. Supports local business in a better way than just fitting.

Its the online sites which have driven up the fitting only prices. The local fitters used to do a small amount of this and as such saw it more as a bit on the side. Now it is a significant part of their income and they need to maximise it to make ends meet. Also add in the additional disposal costs for the old tyres which local councils keep increasing.

 

[ferg f]

My local MB dealer fits my tyres for £10 a corner, I supply, they fit.

They have only once managed to get close to the price I can get (for the identical tyre) and they supplied and fitted on that occaision but all the rest have been I supply.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Why make life so difficult to try and save the price of a round of drinks?

I just go to my tyre guy, he asks me what kind of driving I do and he suggests some tyres, I say 'how much'? and he knocks a couple of quid off. I know sweet FA about tyres and he knows loads, why wouldn't I listen to his advice?

I can then forget about them for quite a long time until I need new ones again, rinse and repeat. I don't want to waste hours comparing different tyres when they all do, largely, the same job.

It's just meddling.

 

[stephenmercedes]

This thread bemuses me. In 40 odd years of buying tires, I have never paid separately for fitting. Yes, I know it's not 'free' but built into the price of the tire, but when I do a price comparison, all the tire places I research quote for the tire which includes 'free' fitting. Maybe it's a Northern Ireland thing, but I've genuinely never come across anyone here that sells tires, and then charges for fitting?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

This thread bemuses me. In 40 odd years of buying tires, I have never paid separately for fitting. Yes, I know it's not 'free' but built into the price of the tire, but when I do a price comparison, all the tire places I research quote for the tire which includes 'free' fitting. Maybe it's a Northern Ireland thing, but I've genuinely never come across anyone here that sells tires, and then charges for fitting?

It’s only really if you buy from someone else, and not the fitter. The most common scenario is buy online, and fit locally.

 

[stephenmercedes]

It’s only really if you buy from someone else, and not the fitter. The most common scenario is buy online, and fit locally.

I guess it is an NI thing then, as the price of shipping tires to here as an individual would be prohibitive, engendering the culture of just getting them from a 'local' tire retailer. (Though 'black circle' online do offer fitment centers here...)

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I guess it is an NI thing then, as the price of shipping tires to here as an individual would be prohibitive, engendering the culture of just getting them from a 'local' tire retailer. (Though 'black circle' online do offer fitment centers here...)

I think many of the the mail order style outfits ship from continental Europe, but perhaps there are other reasons in NI.

 

[stephenmercedes]

...but perhaps there are other reasons in NI.

mmm... you could be right LOL

 

[markjay]

mmm... you could be right LOL

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Wow. This has the potnetial of disrupting air travel for weeks if set alight.....

 

[Deleted member 6183]

mmm... you could be right LOL

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Penny for the Guy?