It's not just the tread, but the deteriorating rubber. If I was dirt poor, sure I would keep driving on them until there's nothing left. Otherwise, I want tires with a deep enough tread that I can rely on them in rain, snow, mud, etc. and rubber that's not going to start shedding chunks on me. At 2/32" or less it's not going to take a heck of a lot to cause hydroplaning even with a tire like the KO2.
I prefer to act like I am dirt poor in many areas...then maybe I might move further and further away form dirt poor.
I would run those a lot longer in CERTAIN circumstances.
They are getting near the end of what I would want to put on the highway at 60-75 MPH but I would have no problem whatsoever running them around town or short jaunts on the freeway just like my occasional 10-12 minute 2-3 exit hop on and off around here.
Would be good spare for that or other vehicle with similar size to.
I rarely even buy new tires for my personal vehicles anymore.
I get used take offs from friends that work at tire place or pick them up cheaply on Craigslist or FB marketplace.
Tires are a BIG rip off and have gotten ridiculous over the past 15 or so years.
GOne up a lot more than other things and even "inflation" which is a crock.
This mentality or "everything goes up" and rationalizing it is BULL and allows it to happen more and more.
I get milk cheaper now that I did in 1992. I can still get an orange in peak season for $.25.
Don't even get me started on TVs.
Oh wait already did.
We paid in the 1000s for 21-25 inch console tvs in the 70s and 80s+ and had to fix them 2-3 times over the years to "get our money's worth".
Technology and automation doesn't always bring prices down. TV manufacturing has obviously come WAY down for the companies and they decided to go with volume over high ticket low volume.
Remember in the old days each house had only 1 tv...then 2-3 per house and then overy office, waiting, room..sports bars with 20+....VOLUME.
If tv makers were like SOME companies today...they would have monopolized amount 2-3 makers and kpt prices high or even raised them because look at how much better they are now. Plasma went theis way for a few years but never came mainstream....Maybe they tried it and it didn't work so they said we will just sell 8 to every one expensive one.
But anyway...tires and shingles were "allowed" to go sky high because they JUSTIFIED it with the rising oil prices....you remember....the first time gas shot way up.
Back when gas was directly proportionate to the price of brent crude oil.
It peaked at what around 160 a barrel and then just a short while later was at 60!!
Cheaper than when Reagan was in office IF you adjust for inflation...almost still even if you don't adjust. I remember when it topped 40 a barrel and they thought that was terrible.
SO they cranked up rubber tires and asphalt shingles even more and they have never gone down.
We almost has some cheap chinese and would have been korean imports too but right after they came in and almost got awareness, the US companies got the govt to put a HUGE tariff on them so no good deal anymore.
Imports and tariffs gets into a different discussion though.
But tires--something you roll around on the ground to get dirty and wear our are a rip off.
They convince- and so many fall for it- that it isn't bad....you get 4-6 years or more out of a set and if you divide price by that it is not bad at all.
Why don't you rationalize mattress prices while your are at it!!!
"Average person keeps mattress8-10 years... so divide."" NO YOU DON'T !!!!!
YOU DO FRICKING NOT DIVIDE BY ANYTHING!
That is rationalizing to make it sound ok or better.
If a mattress in general used to be 129.00 and now it is 399.99 min IT IS A RIP OFF!
Machines and volume of production (over 327million now) should have brought prices DOWN or at least stopped such growth.
When you make a certain profit margin on each item and you can increase your production (and still sell) 6 times what you used too....you can even lower your price adn still make lots more money!
GREED GREED GREED!
This is why tires, shingles, and mattresses are so expensive. None of it is proportionate to what the costs and profits were previously----AND most just accept it and go on buying them.
GUESS WHAT???
NOT ME! I have not bought either in many years. I push further and further away all I can.
I only buy oranges when they are in season and cheap, not the same size one for $.60 like they often are.
I don't buy grapes when they are 2.49 or higher...some people just buy them when they walk into the grocery...I can't even FATHOM that!!!!
I buy toilet paper by cost per square foot - AFTER - if meets my qualifications- meaning I don't buy Scotts original or copies of.
I only over pay (which most people just call it buying) 2 items. Heinz Ketchup and Paul Mitchell Super Clean Styling Gel. There are no substitutes!
I did just 2 days ago pay full price for some Sun chips gargen salsa flavor. A rip off at full price stamped on bag of 3.29 when tons of other chips in bigger bags for 2.00....BUT I accidentally tried a handful of these about 5 weeks ago and THEY ARE YUMMY. Best chip I've ever eaten. Luckily I am not a chip person so I will probably not buy another bag ever or maybe in 9 months to a year. I eat candy and chocolate and brownies etc and fruit not chips.
NOW I ALWAYS overpay RIP off prices for food because I eat out everyday, usually twice with weekday lunches.
I have decided, If I would quit eating or even just eating out, in 2-3 years I would be almost wealthy...financially independent even..
If you don't believe me I welcome you to tell me what your def of almost wealthy or financially independent is and let's do the math. It's bad, trust me.
But I THOROUGHLY enjoy- I LIVE- to eat out! I GET NOTHING- no enjoyment from new tires. I kind of like the smell when they are less than a month or so old but come on.
Not my dance!
Nonetheless, I am a very frugal person so I get it. I tend to go for what I perceive to be the best value in a given market rather than the cheapest, but I'm obsessive about saving as much as possible. Prices of goods have gone up far, far more than income has, so I don't consider it acceptable either. Nonetheless, it is what it is and we have little control over it outside of shopping as frugally as we can.
