In straitened times it’s little wonder so many drivers baulk at the cost of a new set of tyres. One solution, at least for some, is to avoid buying brand new rubber altogether and instead buy tyres that have already been used by somebody else. They’re called part-worn tyres.
UK law on part-worn tyres
In the UK, buying or selling part-worn tyres is not illegal. In fact, according to industry body TyreSafe, as many as 5.5 million used tyres are sold here every year. Vendors are bound by law to adhere to a number of strict regulations, however. First and foremost, second-hand tyres should be in good condition, which means no bulges in the sidewall and no large cuts in the tread, while none of the structural carcass or cords should be visible. Additionally, they should have have at least 2mm of tread across their width and around their circumference, and they should be clearly and permanently marked ‘part-worn’ in upper case letters at least 4mm in height on their sidewalls.
Although these regulations are very straightforward, many part-worn tyre suppliers are known to flout them. If you are considering buying a set of used tyres, make sure the vendor is compliant with these laws - and remember, tyres that do not meet these minimum requirements could cause you to have a very serious accident.
Advantages of part-worn tyres
As has been pointed out many times before, if you buy a second-hand car and don’t replace the tyres with a new set immediately, you are in effect buying part-worn tyres. Lots of us will admit to having done exactly that with no idea whatsoever where those tyres have come from or what their history might be.
Some part-worn tyres are shipped over from Germany, where the minimum legal tread depth is 3mm. In the UK it’s 1.6mm, so a part-worn tyre imported from Germany will still have plenty of tread left and perhaps a couple of thousand miles still to run.
The big advantage of part-worn tyres, of course, is that they cost less than brand new tyres. What’s more, by buying a set of used rubber you might be able to afford a higher quality tyre from a big name brand, rather than a budget tyre from a manufacturer you’ve never heard of.
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Trouble is...
There are people who will pray on people's poverty, desperation and sell them defective part worn tyres, they know they might be dangerous,but, because of circumstances,might take the risk, so, yes, maybe part worms should be a thing of the past.
Then there's the seasonal aspect
Many people at Autocar and on these pages will praise the advantages of using winter tyres. So when you swap your rubber twice a year, are you not using part worn tyres?
With all due respect it is
With all due respect it is relatively common for 4x4 tyres to be removed as the standard fit out of the factory is not suitable for the user's application. These so called "new take offs" are by definition a part worn tyre as the vehicle they were fitted to has been driven from the dealer to the tyre bay. Nothing at all wrong with them and vastly cheaper than undriven off the shelf tyres. Probably the choice of brand and pattern is limited but they suffice for general use.