Treadwright's don't make any financial sense to me. Let's take a look at the cost breakdown between retreads and virgin tires in a popular size, 265/75r16.
TR wardens shipped to my door would be $552. Mounting and balancing would be $100. Expected lifespan is 25k miles.
Initial investment = $652
Cost/mile =$0.026
Cheap Kumho all terrains from tirerack would be $578. Mount and balance would be $100. I have not run these tires, so let's say the lifespan is also 25k miles.
Initial investment = $678
Cost/ mile = $0.027 (that's one extra penny for ten miles of driving)
BFG AT from tire rack would be $878. Mount and balance $100. Lifespan is 35k miles.
Initial investment = $978
Cost/mile= $0.028 (or two extra pennies per ten miles of driving)
Now if you compare to the local tire shops, of course the prices are going to be much more expensive, but treadwright is an online supplier, so we are comparing apples to apples. And as far as service, I have heard no complaints about tirerack.
Now failure rates. I am sure most of us have had tires fail in some fashion over the course of our driving career. Out of round, separations, unbalancable...... I have rarely seen the images of completely delaminated tires in the numbers you see in write ups on treadwrights. If and when retreads go out, they do so with gusto!
I spoke to big rig driver on the subject of retreads and this what he explained to me. As a professional driver he does not BUY retreads. Buying retreads means you have an unknown tire of unknown age, and unknown internal damage, with no knowledge of the rubber laying in the sun oxidizing or vulcanizing. He would NEVER do that. It is an unknown risk to himself as a driver, a risk to the (insurabile value of) a quarter million dollars in cargo, and a risk to other drivers on the road.
What he does do is sends his virgin tires in to BE retread. He knows the age of the tires, to condition of the tires, and knows how long the turnaround time is, so no chance of them being age cracking in the sun somewhere.
Now when it comes to my personal experience with tires, I have cheaper out on tires a couple times. I buy used when my vehicles are on their last legs, or when a Craigslist deal falls into my lap. Still name brand tires, and haven't really been burned yet on these deals.
Now, when I was short on cash, and desperately needed new rubber, I was talked into cheap "American" brand tires. Tire guy said, same quality as cooper, and come out of the same factory. I bought them. They sucked. most notably was how bad they cornered, like riding on jelly donuts. And I was stuck with them for the next 2.5 years! Buying tires to save money means you are stuck with your choice for a long time.
My tire experience
BFGoodrich. Their popularity is justified.
Goodyear. Lots of people swear by them, particularly the kevlars, I had 3 out of 4 seperate at 15000km's and swore I would never buy them again
Michelin. In my opinion, the best and longest lasting tires made are the LTX
Hankook. Have a set of winter I-pike with 40000 on them (likely their last season)
Bridgestone. Blizzaks are the top shelf winter car tires.
Dunlop. Stock tires on tundra, 4Runner, and mazda3 none were Particulalry good, but that might be OEM specs. Never bought a set.
Toyo. Have their mt's on my 4Runner, heavy and difficult to balance. Good tires to about half tread, then continued rebalancing as the tire wears.