(Boring) Another tyre thread -- which winter tyres?

mikey72

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Yes i know,;), but i didn't say i'd put them on..:p

I run Nokian and Vredestein winters and both have proved themselves.

The Indian tyre company bought Vredestein from the Russians in 2009. So technically, you're on Indian rubber, which is supposedly one down from Chinese there. (And yes, Apollo is running the Vredestein factory, their way)

"Apollo, which acquired Netherlands-based Vredestein Banden BV (VBBV) from Russian tyre maker Amtel-Vredestein NV in 2009, is capitalising on the two brands reputations and using them to expand its global empire."

jase1

If Vredestein is Indian, then Hero is Taiwanese.

Hero was bought by Federal (a Taiwanese company) in 1997.

The Chinese company as-was has never produced a tyre under Chinese management -- Hero is, in effect, Federal's budget brand.

mikey72

Some Nokian tyres (summer ones) are produced by Giti tyres in china.

mikey72

jase1 wrote: »

If Vredestein is Indian, then Hero is Taiwanese.

Hero was bought by Federal (a Taiwanese company) in 1997.

The Chinese company as-was has never produced a tyre under Chinese management -- Hero is, in effect, Federal's budget brand.

I missed that bit.

Can't keep up with it now.

At least it still has to say on the tyre where it was actually made.
So I do know the Nokians were made in Finland, and the Heroes were made in China.

jase1

mikey72 wrote: »

Some Nokian tyres (summer ones) are produced by Giti tyres in china.

Indeed, but don't take this as any particular evidence of Chinese product quality.

Hangzhou Zhongce, one of China's largest manufacturers, was hauled into a massive safety row in the States a few years ago after neglecting to implement a safety feature -- which the importer had paid for -- which allegedly resulted in fatal accidents, and a major recall:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20192114/ns/business-world_business/

This company produces tyres for a range of companies including Cooper and Avon:

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-109084747.html

So I would be wary of attributing quality on the grounds of major-brand agreements.

mikey72

jase1 wrote: »

Indeed, but don't take this as any particular evidence of Chinese product quality.

Hangzhou Zhongce, one of China's largest manufacturers, was hauled into a massive safety row in the States a few years ago after neglecting to implement a safety feature -- which the importer had paid for -- which allegedly resulted in fatal accidents, and a major recall:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20192114/ns/business-world_business/

This company produces tyres for a range of companies including Cooper and Avon:

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-109084747.html

So I would be wary of attributing quality on the grounds of major-brand agreements.

I wouldn't say they were all good.
I wouldn't say they were all bad though.
They are getting all the technology, and designs, from all the major players.
The heros are a very good tyre, and if it's influenced by the Taiwanese, (apart from saying "made in Taiwan" is now good), it still means linglong could be making a good clone next week.
I wouldn't write off any chinese tyre without trying them, and in a few years I reckon they will be accepted as a good budget tyre, and we'll be avoiding things like the Indian Ceats.
For a few years.

Lum

jase1 wrote: »

Having said that I'm struggling to think of any.

Linglong are the obvious ones. Yes they are a real brand even though some people think it's just a slightly racist generic term for Chinese tyres.

jase1

No I agree. Just highlighting some of the dangers of making assumptions.

I was shocked at the example I'd quoted -- I knew that the company in question made tyres for a bunch of companies so I looked them up, and then all of a sudden stories of shady practices popped up.

That said, most tyre companies have made mistakes over the years.

I dare say that the largest companies (Giti, HZ, Linglong, Triangle) will lead the next wave of cheap-but-good tyres, but I'm not sure they are there just yet.

Problem being though that there are a bunch of still smaller companies (Comar -- company behind Rotalla etc) that are still producing unmitigated junk.

mikey72

Lum wrote: »

Linglong are the obvious ones. Yes they are a real brand even though some people think it's just a slightly racist generic term for Chinese tyres.

GT radial
Koryo

sell under their own names,

some are the budget brands for ATS, Kwik Fit, National, etc, depending on who gets the contract, so it changes countries.
And manufacture for the big names fills the rest.

jase1

Lum wrote: »

Linglong are the obvious ones. Yes they are a real brand even though some people think it's just a slightly racist generic term for Chinese tyres.

I know.

I don't know if they have got any better, but the worst manufacturer I've come across wasn't even Chinese anyway. It was the Serb company Trayal. You'd be better off putting four balloons on your rims -- that's what they felt like. The sidewall was so soft that you could feel the tyre squirming around all the time you were driving -- it felt as if all four tyres were flat, when they weren't.