Desser Re-Treads - Yes/No

[WheelPantsOff]

I want to have a spare main/nose tire and tube for extended trips.  I've always had the Condors on this and a prior J-model but Desser came up as a better value and durability.  Anyone running them with real-world experience?  I'll be keeping my Michelin Air Stop tubes.

Thanks in advance.

[MB65E]

I have a few that could be sent for retread as well. I found a happy medium on new tires was the Goodyear flight special II’s. Nearly 40% less cost than the Flight Custom III’s. 
Some have mentioned the zerk grease fitting on the mains gets close on some retreads. 
-Matt

[Hank]

29 minutes ago, MB65E said:

I found a happy medium on new tires was the Goodyear flight special II’s.

This is what I use on mains, but being based for 7 years where every takeoff and landing involved back-taxiing, I use Condor nose tires. In 15 years, I replaced nose tire three times, and the mains just once; the tires were not new when I purchased my C. Air Stop tubes are the cat's meow!

[philiplane]

the last batch of Desser retreads I got in January started weather cracking like crazy in three months. It was weird. They looked like they were 20 years old. Not just little check marks either. The treads developed deep cracks in the grooves, and between the casing and the cap on the sidewalls. 

[A64Pilot]

I’ve not run them, but it is because so far my tires were free, that’s gone now as I’m retired and when I need tires they will be re-treads.

Pretty much every crop duster operator I knew ran them and I never heard of any problems, and I think they are very common in flight schools and of course I believe every airline runs them.

The “Monster” retreads tread is so thick that they are physically larger than normal tires and may not be what we want to run on our retract airplane.

I have not heard of weather cracking before and would be curious what Desser’s response to that would be. 

I think air stop tubes are more important for people without easy access to a compressor. If I tied down or had a hangar without a compressor I’d get an air tank. I used to do a lot of diving so I use a scuba bottle with its first stage that reduces the 3,000 PSI to roughly 150 PSI and one tank can fill up a whole bunch of tires.

We are probably at least four decades past when we should have gone to tubeless, but we do fly our Grandfathers airplanes

Edited August 7, 2023 by A64Pilot