This is a brief account of my experience of my professional wheel refurbishment. In two minds whether I should write it as there is no real conclusion but it might offer something, thought it more a “duty” to report here in what has become the current wheel refurbishment thread.
After a recommendation higher up the thread I used
https://www.citywheelrefurbishment.co.uk/
The price attracted me, £20 for a bare wheel (£30 with tyre)!!!, too good to be true?? Well yes and no, read on.
The place itself is tucked away in the back streets of central Birmingham, not a place I would like to visit after dark on my own. I enquired if they offer a courier service and the answer was no which means wheels have to be dropped off and collected. In my case my son lives in central Birmingham, so combined with his visit to see his mum and my visit to him to see the grandchildren the transport of the wheels was effectively “free”. This is a big element to consider with using them, even living an hour’s drive away means 4 hours driving over two half days and the cost of petrol.
The place itself is a typical grubby cavernous (high roof) industrial unit a bit bigger than the size of a tennis court, it must be an icebox in winter. Do not expect customer comfort but there is a small electric fire on the service counter in reception! (I guess more to keep the member of staff from freezing) and the place where you dump you wheels, in fact my son who dropped mine off said reception was packed with an estimated 50 wheels which you negotiate your way round, but it was a Saturday morning, peak time I imagine. On the late Thursday morning I collected mine probably half a dozen wheel sets piled up. There is a small amount of customer parking out front.
I have no reason to not believe they do what they say, acid bath, sand blast and paint finish, but how do they do it for £20 a wheel? Several combined factors I think.
First if you want powder coating there is a limited choice on colour, for example they do three generic silvers from which you choose or as in my case as I was not there I agreed they would select what they thought was nearest. I have ended up with a bright sparkly silver I quite like. You can have OEM colours but this is spray paint and costs more.
Second a high turnover has to be a big factor. I asked and they do in the order of 500 wheels a week.
Third and this is the critical one, going off my wheels, do not expect a high quality finish (see below) but I suppose I could just have been unlucky.
Fourth, other factors that keep overheads down, if you can read between the lines above and under this factor I must mention they do not accept plastic for payment, expect to pay in cash - just that sort of place.
Anyway, my previously very tatty wheels.
As I said a sparkly finish.
However every wheel has cosmetic flaws - grit or no filling of defects.
They are not as bad as the camera makes out.
The Conclusion:
Am I happy at £80?, the answer has to be yes, excellent value for money.
Would I recommend them?
Yes, if you are not too fussy and want a massive upgrade on your tatty wheels.
No, if you want a top notch finish.
Would I use them again? Yes, but the old adage 'you pay for what you get' comes to mind.
Andy