Yeah, I think I paid about $3 for my tread depth gauge. Its nice because it reads green, yellow, or red. I got into the yellow and just bought new tires before the winter snow, but southern road heat does put a strain on tires too. Five years old? I guess you will need to replace them at some point so why wait is all. What do you save by waiting?
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Yeah, that’s the kind I like to to use, as well 
My eyes aren’t what they used to be, but i can still differentiate colors 
Look at the sidewalls. Are they cracked? You must have wear bars on Michelins. Post a picture of them.
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I guess I’d continue to use those tires, but I’d also start the research on what to buy and how much to pay. Sales happen, manufacturers offer coupons, certain models of tire are replaced with others and old stock is closed out, etc. You get the right tire at a good price by doing your homework and choosing when to buy, not by waiting until you have no choice.
One time I bought new tires online and had them installed at a shop in another State while on a trip, and saved nearly 10% because there was no sales tax there. It worked out very well.
The issue of tire age comes up from time to time. My take on is that if you live in a hot weather state (AZ, CA, NV, TX, and FL), the limit is 6 years. If you live in a cold weather state (MT, ND, WI, and MN) , the limit is 10 years. States in between are … ah … in between.
In this case, a vehicle from Georgia is in the 7 year range, and TN would be 8.
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