I've had good and bad luck with "those chains" over the years. A lot depends
on the individual mechanic you get and what he had for lunch, but couldn't
that be said of university professors and doctors as well? There was a guy
at the old Midas on the corner that would drop what he was doing and weld
something for you for $5.00 if you asked. No lifetime guarantees, no sales
pitches. I had my front brakes done, pads and cylinders, at the local BigO
when I got tires, for $300 and change; it took 45 minutes and they came out
fine. In general, though, I agree that the chains are more about marketing
and less about real service, to say nothing of expertise.