We all tend to resort to something of a lower value when the budget seems tight, despite its condition. Everything applies to it, and buying tyres for your car is pretty much the same.
While there are apparent advantages to buying part-worn tyres, it is still a debate whether buying them is worth it or not. To learn more about this, here are the things you should consider before purchasing part-worn tyres.
Buy part-worn tyres Manchester
Part-worn Tyres Guidelines in the UK
It is not new to us that buying low-cost things is beneficial, mainly because they do not eat up our budget, which avoids a tightened budget that leaves no room for possible allotments.
Now, you may have heard about secondhand tyres, and if you are considering buying them but are unsure about the legality of purchasing them, you may have to know more about them below.
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UK Law about Part-worn Tyres
Probably one of the main concerns you have is whether the UK Law authorises their sale or not.
To answer that, it is not illegal to buy and sell part-worn tyres in the UK. However, sellers must abide according to the authorities’ regulations.
As per TyreSafe, 5.5 million secondhand tyres are sold in the UK yearly. We can infer that secondhand tyres are present in a big market with this significant number.
That being said, given that part-worn tyres seem to have a big market, sellers should definitely act in accordance with the regulations set that is:
- The seller should market tyres in good condition.
- There should be no bulges in the tyre’s sidewall.
- There should be no significant cuts in the tread.
- There should be no visible structural carcass or cords.
- There should be no less than 2 millimetres of tread across their width and circumference, compared to the new 8mm tread depth.
- Every tyre must have a precise and permanent mark that says ‘part-worn‘ written in upper case letters at least 4mm in the sidewalls.
With the clear guidelines provided by the authorities and buying from those sellers who do not abide by these guidelines are most likely selling tyres that will cause danger to the user.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying Secondhand Tyres
Now that we have learned that it is not illegal to buy and sell part-worn tyres in the UK, as long as they abide by the guidelines, it is time to identify the benefits and drawbacks of purchasing secondhand tyres.
Knowing the pros and cons of patronising part-worn tyres may help you decide soundly based on the objective truth, not only by driving your own opinion. With this, here are the advantages and disadvantages of buying secondhand tyres:
Advantages:
1. Cost-effective
Of course, the primary goal of buying part-worn is to cut the costs instead of purchasing brand new ones that are probably high by 45% of the price.
In acquiring secondhand tyres, you can buy a tyre from a renowned brand with the cost of purchasing a brand new tyre but from a manufacturer that is not well-known.
Read: Essential Car Checks Before Long Journey
2. Emergency Tyre Substitute
One of the good opportunities to buy secondhand tyres is that they make a good emergency tyre substitute as they cost cheaper than buying a brand-new tyre substitute.
3. Secondhand Jackpot
Most of the secondhand tyres being sold in the UK came from its supplier in Germany, in which a country with much stricter guidelines, requiring every secondary tyre to be 3 mm in depth.
You may have hit the jackpot of buying secondhand when you purchased an almost brand new tyre.
Disadvantages:
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Uncertain about safety
Despite the advantages presented above, it is no question that the users might put themselves at uncertain risk because they have no idea about the history of the tyre before making it into the market once again.
The biggest question for buying secondhand tyres is that if the original user did not utilise these tyres and decided to let them go, what could be the reason why it is beneficial for you to buy them.
All the more, safety must be the top priority, and one should never compromise it to be cost-efficient.
Guide to Tyre Tread Depths
Since secondhand tyres have gained popularity across the UK, it is essential to let people know about the safety depth one should adhere to before purchasing a part-worn tyre.
Since safety is one of the issues here, taking a look at the tread depth allows the user to determine whether the tyre is still good for a drive or not.
- 8mm tread means that your tyre is 0% worn and is in excellent condition.
- 7mm tread means that your tyre is roughly 15% worn and in very good condition.
- 6mm tread means that your tyre is approximately 30% worn and in good condition.
- 5mm tread means that your tyre is about 45-50% worn and in okay condition.
- 4mm tread means that your tyre is around 65% worn and in acceptable condition.
- 3mm tread means that your tyre is getting ready to retire and is 80% worn.
- 2mm tread means that your tyre is almost 95% worn and is already alarming.
- 1.6mm tread has reached its legal limit, and it is a sign that you have no reason to use it. In this case, you will have to replace it immediately.
- Under 1.6mm tread tyres are now considered illegal to use. Using these tyres may subject you to a £2,500 fine and 3 points on your licence since driving with these kinds of tyres may be a sign that you are driving along a dangerous path.
Final Verdict
Though using secondhand tyres is cost-effective and budget-friendly, you can never really compromise safety since once a part-worn tyre with below 2mm tread is placed on your car, the risk has been raised to 95%, and this is very dangerous.
To answer the question that is primarily asked in this article, it is not safe to use 1.6mm to 2mm tread tyres, but it is slightly okay to use 3mm tyres. It is essential to determine the tread condition of the secondhand tyres you will be using.
All the more, safety must come first, and it should not be traded just because you want to cuts costs.