Anyone that has ever shopped for tires online will know that it can be difficult to cut through the confusion and make a choice from the seemingly endless number of options. Now, put yourself in the same situation, only you are buying tires for semi trucks. One potential solution for this problem is Dayton Tires, of which we will be breaking down today in our review and guide!
Dayton Tires Background
Unless you are totally unaware of cars, trucks, and tires you have most likely heard of Bridgestone. One of the main players in the tire game globally, this brand is massive and has forged a solid reputation. They provide high quality tires for the road, and it’s no surprise that they have sought to expand their influence into other areas. One of those areas is in the sphere of semi trucks, and as a result, they started Dayton Tires.
Dayton Tires opened up operations again in 2015, following being closed down in 2011, hoping to provide truckers with quality tires for their rigs, just as those on the road have experienced for so long. These tires are basically going to amount to being the third tier, or string, if you will, of Bridgestone. You have Bridgestone, then Firestone, and then Dayton Tires. They are there to fulfill a couple of main needs. Obviously, the first is that they are made for semi trucks and offer you that avenue. Secondly, though, and perhaps most crucially to some, they do so at a cheaper price than the other two that fall under the same banner.
Dayton Tires Cost and Pricing
Times are tough for many folks, and as a result of that, it can be hard to find tires for your fleet or independent operation that do not absolutely kill your budget. That is one of the main reasons why Dayton was brought back to the landscape of tires- to provide you with a lower cost alternative to some of the big brands. They have definitely followed through with that as well, offering you lower prices than many of the bigger brands while also being able to offer you some quality as well. Typically, you don’t see both of these things, so it’s very nice to see Dayton being able to bridge that gap and give you a bit of both.
Dayton, due to being linked to Bridgestone, is going to cost a little bit more than the cheapest tires made for big trucks out there, but they also are not going to cost as much as many of the other major brands. So we’d say that they would be in a below average to average price range. Considering you get some of the benefits of Bridgestone in addition to the lower than usual price, we happen to think this is quite the deal, particularly if you are on a budget that has to be watched very closely.
Dayton Tire Warranties
It is hard to escape warranty information, seeing as how everyone wants to have added confidence as consumers when they purchase a new product. With tires, this is even more the case, as it is sometimes a rather large investment to make. The good news is that, as you would probably expect, Dayton tires do come with a warranty attached. It is a ‘limited’ warranty, and there are always terms to go along with that that you must read over, but it can and will cover you in part for a certain period of time. With many other tires made in China, you get absolutely no warranty at all. So, once again, you can see the influence of Bridgestone and how it makes this a much more attractive option for so many.
Tire Options
When it comes to options with Dayton tires, you will notice that there is not a whole ton going on with them. Over the last five years or so, the company has stuck to providing the marketplace with just eight different offerings. This is a small size, granted, but it does not necessarily have to be considered a bad thing to you. So many companies will make tires that at such an alarming rate and in so many skews that you cannot help but get completely overwhelmed by the sheer number. You go crazy trying to tell the differences from one to the next when that occurs. With Dayton’s line, which you can see at the end of our review, you don’t have this issue at all.
You are able to look at them and decide which is best based on your own needs. It’s really that simple, as there are no super minor differences for you to comb through in painstaking fashion. Some people may be a little bit let down by the lack of options, but we attribute that to Bridgestone looking to capitalize and make as much money as possible. Some companies that choose to take up this quest end up also going into farm tires or other types as well. For now, that is not the case with Dayton, so that may leave one or two a bit frustrated.
As for being able to find Dayton tires, doing so is much, much easier than many trucks made for semis out there. That is due to their link with Bridgestone, of course. They can be found at more dealers than the typical company that does big rig tires, but you should also be aware that they will not magically be found at most places you find tires. that’s because most only push and offer tires for regular road going vehicles. So, just a heads up on that!
Dayton Tire Technologies and Features
One of the main advantages to going with Dayton Tires is going to have to be the fact that they are so closely tied to Bridgestone. As a result of that, you can expect them to have some crossover. While Dayton itself is not likely to put in a ton of money into research and development, you have to believe that the link to Bridgestone is only going to help increase the dependability.
Something has to rub off, right? While these tires are not the highest quality flying under the banner of Bridgestone, they still are going to have the edge over tires that cost a similar price and come from other lesser known companies. It’s hard to compete with them for this reason, even if the price you have to pay is slightly more for Dayton that another brand that is trying to fall into this space. In terms of specifics, they have kept their ‘fleet’ of tires very succinct and easy to understand. They have all position tires to help you in both long haul and local haul situations, while also being able to offer you tires that go a bit beyond that.
Dayton Tire Durability
One big question people will always ask about tires, or any product they are buying, is going to be about how long they will last. Durability is a major part of the equation, just as price is, and it’s only fitting that the two concepts go hand-in-hand. Durability is going to depend, to a degree, on price. A lower price is usually going to yield you with a lower range of durability. The lifespan will be harmed a bit by this, but we don’t believe you should be alarmed too much.
You’re getting a much better product due to the backing of Bridgestone than most others in this range can afford to give you. With that said, this is a lower level line from them, so you will not expect them to come up with as much life as their counterparts can. Another aspect to this to consider is that these are Chinese tires. Many people will not know that based on their company of origin, so to speak, but that is the fact.
While so many assume this is a bad thing right away, we also should say that they are better, much better, than many of those factories that just pump out one thing after the next. These still have a process and are working in conjunction with Bridgestone, so that is there to help. Still yet, it’s a case of having knowledge and realizing they are not going to last forever and ever.
Summary & Final Thoughts
If you are looking to outfit your line of trucks, or perhaps your own personal rig, and you are looking to save some money in the process, then you could do a whole lot worse than Dayton tires. Their options may be a little limited and they may not be up to the same level of greatness that parent company Bridgestone is, but at the end of the day they do have that backing and can lean on that in an efficient manner. Dayton Tires could be exactly what you were looking for as they are a good blend between quality and price, giving you a great option moving forward for your business.
Dayton Tire Models
All Position Steer Tires
- D510S
- D520S
DriveTires
- D610D
- D620D
- D630D
Trailer Tires
- D410T
All-Position Tires
- D630M
- D640M