As with nearly everything price-wise, Walmart has blown the competition away for tires. I will be in the market in the next month or so and have been looking. I found a nicely agressive Uniroyal 235/85/16 Load Range E at Wallyworld for $97 each (Mounted & Balanced) - add $10 for road hazard.

The next closest price I can find anywhere locally is $15 more per tire for a no-name brand (load range D). This makes Walmart $60+ cheaper for the set.

I wondered if anyone has experience with the lugnut associates there. Is it worth the savings? Do they typically know what they are doing? (For you Ron White fans, I hope nobody was absent on Lugnut day)

 

Think about what you are asking....Ill highlight the key words and phrases.

Now, let me ask YOU something. Have you ever asked a sales associate where something is in the store? What was the answer? Keep in mind that wal mart keeps their prices cheap by skimping on prices other places, like associates pay. Now this doesnt mean they are no good, it just means, like everywhere else, that you will need to watch them, and see how thye work. At wal mart its easy to see who is in charge, has been there a while and who is the grease monkey. I had my tires balanced and rotated there for a while, then they busted a stud, and couldnt find another one to replace it, and wanted to charge me for it....so, just keep an eye on it. Check your kug nuts when you leave, if they forgot to torque them, then you can unscrew them with your fingers. ALSO ***look out for the guy who thinks he is on earnhardt's pit crew***

Thats the guy that tries to put all the lug nuts on in records time, with the impact wrench and has a 5% success rate at NOT stripping or cross threading them.

If you are not aware, you will go around the corner and your wheel will fall off...the wheel will fall off...the wheel will fall the ^$&# off!
This also goes for discount tire, some are good, some suck.

 

Nobody, NOBODY puts a wrench on my wheels except me. I know it's a time savings to have them do it, but I would take them off one at a time, and bring them in. That way, I know how tight the lug nuts are, and in what order they are tightened.

 

I've had these on my 85 F150 for 2 years. P235/75/15 BFGoodrich Land Terrain LT from Wal-Mart, got my first screw a couple days ago was a real chore getting the hole reamer in and when it came time to put the plug in i had to use a 18 oz hammer to get it through the tire. the screw wasnt a small on either. i have about 30000 miles on them and their around 75% tread left i dont do any serious mudding or anything like that but do go on trails from time to time to get to my fishing spots, they have naver left me stuck in the mud.

 

I put 4 Wal-Mart tires on my Ranger in 1998. I went back in '04 to get them rotated and balanced because of a shake. They did what was asked, and the shake moved to the rear. I went back, and they replaced the 2 (rear) tires, with balance, for $1.40.

 

Sharpster, I had that issue (With the hole) once. I ended up drilling the hole bigger so that I could repair it. Worked like a charm.

So, it seems like the final average of all of the responses is:
1) Yes they do have the best prices
2) They are mostly competent - but check the lug nuts before leaving the parking lot
3) The tires are as good as any and they CAN put them on

 

Don't trust anyone who wont let you watch.

I know some company policys don't allow you to stand in the shop, but don't assume that everything will be fine and just sit and read a magazine. I have drove away from many shops because they try to distract you and want you to keep away from looking because of the screw-ups that they make.

Last time I had WM rebalance my tires, they placed those sticky weights on the front side of the rim!, hoping I woulden't notice it like most people! Thats a goof-up if I have ever seen one, Then the wanted to charge me to re do it again the right way!!??

Just keep an eye on them.

P.S. Most WM stores are known for seriousily cutting corners when changing oil.
Some cases they charge you for an oil change and all they do is shine up the surface of the old filter to make it look new!

 

I had some wheels balanced there a couple months ago. For a total of $30 plus tax, they pulled them from my truck and individually checked each one to see if it needed to be balanced. Once it was determined they needed balancing, they pulled the old lead weights and re-balanced each one. Then, they reinstalled the tires, torqued each lugnut, drove around the lot and re-torqued them to make sure. The torque OEM specs and actual were printed on my receipt.

For the life of me, I don't know how they could possibly have made any money on this job. The funny thing is they rotate and re-balance them anytime I want for free!

I wouldn't hesitate to get my tires from Wally.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is, they have a bad rep here in Colorado. I don't know about elsewhere. You get what you pay for, the tire guys at WM make like $6-$7.50, so when a kid makes that little, plus WM's NO OVERTIME EVER policy, do you think that they really care to do a quality job?

 

Dunno about them, but my first job paid $2.35 an hour and I busted my hump same as I do now. I've seen plenty of extremely lazy people that make lots of money.

 

How much does Discount tire pay tire jockeys??? Or your local GoodYear store???
It's not like this is a skilled position... come on...
I have bought many sets of tires at WalMart & never had a problem with them.

 

I watched one idiot at WallMart touque my nuts one time.

He was snapping the torque wrench real fast...

I went home and checked the lug nuts,,,and they were all loose.

Soooo,,, don't forget to check your nuts when you get home!!!!

 

WAL-MART is as good as the people working there some good some not so good just like any other place.

 

Have a set of their uniroyals (285's) on my 97 psd. They have 32k on them now and have rotated by Wally world (no charge) every 6000 miles. Had them siped when new, they do well in moderate off roading and are good on the street. They still have 10-15k left on them, done pretty well for a $90 tire and no problems with the lugnuts.

 

I am pro wal-mart, but they have some tools working in the tire department that could not swap out some tires on my truck. I asked the clerk if he could do the job and he said he needed a minute to think about it and did not think he had enough time. I asked him what his name was and he told me. I told him to step out of the bay and look up and tell me what the sign said... He relayed "wal-mart". I said very good then get to work on my truck and he froze in his tracks. I told him to forget about and left. What a tool.