tirerack kuhmo or walmart douglas

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Kelly explorer plus 195/65/r15 sl OS the exact tire I'm getting the oe size is 185/65/r15 but I wanted a better selection and this size is more popular also a hair wider for slightly better grip and trust me when you have plastic fenders you'll take all the rubber on the road that you can get.
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Made by the same company does not always mean the same product.

It is a question of what standards the product is being built for.

You can be assured that a company's entry-level, rebranded product is not going to have the same cutting-edge technology as their premium line.
 
No but if mitchelin makes off brand tires you would expect them to be very adequate. I don't expect the most cutting edge tech all I want is a decent performing tire that's safe and wear decent. If those criteria are met I'm happy
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So, the boy ordered a set of decent, probably American made tires that I'm sure will more than meet his needs.

Elvis has left the building on this one...

Personally I think he made a good choice. Better than the Extra Trac, which I believe is also American made, and as good or better than the Kumho.
 
I kept thinking about the OP's decision to buy this tire and I was curious about where a tire that low priced was made. So, I decided to call Kelly Springfield and find out. The result was very dissatisfying.

Kelly Springfield is a value brand owned by Goodyear. The KS website doesn't list a phone number for customer inquiries, only an email. But, the warranty booklet does have a number.

http://www.kellytires.com/pdf/tread-life-brochure.pdf

I called an was able to speak to someone very quickly. I told her I had a question about the KS Explorer Plus tire. I asked her if she could tell me in what factories the tire is made. She said she had no way of knowing and they had no list to tell me what factories they're made in.
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I asked her if she could even tell me the countries in which they were made, as I assume they're made in more than one factory. She said you have to look at the tire to see where it is made. I suppose there is a chance she just didn't know what she was talking about and didn't know where to find the info. But that isn't really an excuse.

I've contacted quite a few companies about their products asking where they're made, and I've never had a company rep tell me "I don't know."

That is bad customer service, IMO. I recently contacted Hankook about this same issue and they gave me a specific answer.

Here is my email exchange with Hankook:

Quote:

I'm considering buying a set of the Optimo H727 for my Hyundai Sonanta. I was wondering where these tires are made? I realize there may be more than one factory that makes them, but in what countries are the factory/factories located? I try to avoid made in China tires, and I want to make sure these aren't made in China before I buy them. I had a set of Hankook H418 tires in the past that I was satisfied with. Thanks, Stephen





Quote:
Hello Stephen,



The H727 is made in Korea.



Best regards,



Juan A. Britos

Assistant Manager

Technical & Service Team

Hankook Tire America

1450 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ 07087

(973) 406-3614

(973) 633-9980 fax



Quote:
Thank you for the response, but I have a follow up question.

On Tire Rack's website, they list the countries of origin as China and Korea. Is Tire Rack wrong, or are the tires made in both Korea and China?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Hankook&tireModel=Optimo+H727

Thanks again,
Stephen





Quote:
Hankook has factories in Korea, China, Hungary and Indonesia. For the American market the H727 comes from Korea.
 
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+1, when I contacted copper about the cs4 tires, they immediately told me about the plant in MS that makes them.

Critic's comment above is exactly right.
 
Walmart apparently has new business ties going...if you walk into the automotive department; they are able to order a wide variety of Cooper, Firestone, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Kelly, Kumho, etc. tires via special order......typically arriving within 24-48 hours....depending upon when the order is placed (obviously, the mail typically goes out at noon, so if they are ordered after 5 PM, probably takes 2-3 days, rather than 1-2 days....) which is reasonable to me. Obviously, it's not for the "emergency" on-the-side-of-the-road situations.......but eh, a Douglas could certainly tie you over
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In my locale, they were able to tell me there's a huge warehouse of tires somewhere in Orlando, where they ship them from. Kind of neat.

They gave me like a 2-page-listing of tires in the 185 70 r14 that my car takes. But still shopping around
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Debating whether or not I want to go up one size, to a 15" rim or not...
 
Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
No they should be here tomorrow.


I'm curious to see what they say on them for country of origin; IE, if what Walmart told you was accurate
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I hope they are right. They called me they are here now I will have them put on tomorrow. I ordered them last night around 7:30 so pretty quick service
 
I've had good service from Kumho KH16 and the the Kumho would have been my choice in your situation. I replaced the Kumhos with Michelin Primacy and I have been disappointed. They ride a lot more stiffly than the Kumhos did despite being the same size, speed rating, etc. The car also got better mileage with the Kumhos.

Anyway...

Kelly had a plant in Tyler, Texas that has been shut down. They probably have others, but just saying, at least one got shut down. I drove by it a few months ago on the way to Longview, Texas.
 
There's a Kelly-Springfield plant right here in Fayetteville, NC. Frankly, I'd be surprised if a Douglas or Kelly tire were made in China. Contrary to what some believe, not everything sold in Walmart is necessarily made overseas!
 
Originally Posted By: chevyboy14
I'm not going to argue but I've bought the good year viva2 at Walmart they have been good. I don't think all there tires are bad.


Oh yes, great tires.
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http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2166938&page=1

Originally Posted By: Thax
Wait the week and get the Kuhmo Solus tire. Douglas Xtra trac 2 tires are horrible. I worked at a Walmart TLE in college and I can tell you that those tires are garbage, 90% of the flat repairs I did were those as well as warranty replacement. Save yourself the headache and get the Kuhmo Solus tires, they are a decent tire for the money.


Thax has first hand experience with those Douglas tires, on the supply/service side. And you're second guessing? Do your homework and shop around (in this case, done for you), and don't just assume that it is okay because it is made by {insert brand name here} for Walmart that you're getting a steal of a deal. Sometimes you do (eg. Supertech oil), but that is very rare, and in the majority of cases, you get what you pay for.
 
My friends experience with the Douglass tires on a 2003 VW Golf with H-rated tires was not great. They were noisy and mediocre at best in wet and winter.

Irrelevant to who makes tires all makers including Goodyear and Michelin make below average tires. It all depends on the specific make/model of tire not just make.

Its a complete shot in the dark.
 
Also take note that even if you get a goodyear tire from walmart it will be a walmart-specific model. Goodyear won't warranty it; WM has to. So it might as well be a store brand.

BTW, I got four Douglas Xtra Tracs in 175/70/13 for a hyundai accent. $160 OTD! Went out to the car next morning and blammo! one tire was randomly flat for no reason. Beads unseated etc. Threw the spare on, hauled it down there, they warrantied it no questions asked.

FWIW, I was passing 18 wheelers on I-80 in Pennsylvania at midnight at 85 MPH a week later and those tires held the road good.
 
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