Tire Choices - Cooper vs General vs Radar/Patriot vs Dunlop

[Disco Nic]

Hi all,

So I’ve been looking around for tires and the options available are exhaustive.

Narrowed it down to the following choices, all in 265/60R18

Cooper AT3 LT - N$ 5200/tire, but currently on special (5 for N$19k, works out to N$ 3800/tire)

Grabber AT3 - NS 3200/tire

Radar Renegade / Patriot RT+ - N$ 3750/tire

Terrafirma RT - N$ 3570/tire

Dunlop AT3G - N$ 3900/tire

Anyone got any experience with any of the above? Dunlops and Grabbers are the only P-Metric tires on the list, but reviews seem good (and from personal experience, the Grabbers worked fantastic on my Disco).

I am leaning towards the Terrafirma or the Coopers.

Any advice/opinions/insults welcome!

[Disco Nic]

Side note:

When did BFG’s become N$ 6.5k per tire? I nearly fell of my stool when they quoted me that price.

[Mad Manny]

Let me ask Tinus the Tyre Naaier what he can do on 265/60 18 Maxxis...

[HenriSteyn]

Side note:

When did BFG’s become N$ 6.5k per tire? I nearly fell of my stool when they quoted me that price.

BFG are ridiculously expensive here too.
Friend of mine was considering buying 17" alloy rims and tyres which he could get for less than the price of 4 x BFG 18". The supplier did not have stock and my friend could not wait, so he maar forked out.

Grabbers don't look the part but they score the highest from guys that have fitted them. Best all round.

Good luck!

[Disco Nic]

Let me ask Tinus the Tyre Naaier what he can do on 265/60 18 Maxxis...

If I had Mike Nel money, MAXXIS would definitely be on the list, but I am heavily leaning towards those Coopers.

[Disco Nic]

Side note:

When did BFG’s become N$ 6.5k per tire? I nearly fell of my stool when they quoted me that price.

BFG are ridiculously expensive here too.
Friend of mine was considering buying 17" alloy rims and tyres which he could get for less than the price of 4 x BFG 18". The supplier did not have stock and my friend could not wait, so he maar forked out.

Grabbers don't look the part but they score the highest from guys that have fitted them. Best all round.

Good luck!

I like the Grabbers, they were absolutely amazing in the dunes and on the beach and gravel here in Namibia and with decent on-road performance. Gut tells me to fit these and kry klaar, but I am leaning towards an LT tire this time around.

[iandvl]

With the weight of my truck, I only do LT tyres. I replaced my Coopers with Maxxis a week or two ago. The Coopers were good and solid tyres, but I got a very good deal on Maxxis.

Out of your list, I'd go for the Coopers first and then the Grabbers.

[Mad Manny]

Unfortunately Tinus hasnt responded.
That's the problem with good economic times - guys don't need more sales.
Pity, as I hear from guys who are sponsored by Maxxis that they are good tyres...

[Redman]

What will the application be? (apologies if I missed it)

Radar Renegade RT+ might not have the pedigree than the Coopers and BFG, but in my opinion and personal experience it is a good value for money tire

[Disco Nic]

What will the application be? (apologies if I missed it)

Radar Renegade RT+ might not have the pedigree than the Coopers and BFG, but in my opinion and personal experience it is a good value for money tire

Driving to the mall 90% of the time…

No, I do a lot of sand/beach driving when we go fishing or running the dogs.
We also go into the dunes once or twice a week. Frequent trips on gravel roads (towing my Echo 4) and the occasional river trip (again towing my Echo 4). Also loads and loads of tar driving.

Reason why I’m looking at LT’s the Bakkie weighs about 150kg more than the Disco, and when towing (and with a whole bunch of crap in back) I’d like something tough so I’m not broken down on the side of the road outside Opuwo.

Everyone and their mothers are running the Radar/Patriots here, and I haven’t heard a single complaint about them. I’m also hearing they are relatively quiet on tar and not too aggressive in the sand. Pedigree doesn’t matter, I drive a GWM.

[Disco Nic]

Unfortunately Tinus hasnt responded.
That's the problem with good economic times - guys don't need more sales.
Pity, as I hear from guys who are sponsored by Maxxis that they are good tyres...

Thanks for the effort, Manny.

Yeah, same problem we have here

[Bugjuic]

Just as an alternative, have a look at Falken Wilpeak tires!

Having bought my Fortuner with a set on them at that stage (9 years old I might add), I did not make much of this 'unknown' brand in SA, and really tried to butcher them on any terrain so I would have an excuse to replace them. Did two Rivertrips, Botswana, etc etc... Really did not mind looking after them and I still got 50-60k km on them! Thus believe they did well over 100k km in total. Not a single puncture or deep cut.

Having finished them I bought a set of Cooper LT's, and as Manny mentioned not the best in the Wet, otherwise not too bad, but not a even a comparison to the Falken. Given the choice of a new set again, I would choose Falken as my number one choice! (Also had Grabber, Continental[horrible], and Goodyear Wrangler[best bang for buck]. Falken really surprised me with Grip on sand, rock, mallcrawling etc...

What I want to get to is the fact that South Africans are so influenced by other people having to believe that the new craze must be the best one, and when looking at international standards you realize that some of the lesser known brands are equivalent or even better (Renegade, Falken etc...)

As an example https://www.tyrereview.com.au/265-60-18 ... order=desc for the size you are looking at.

We can all agree you want the safest tire, and just blindly following a brand because it is the new craze is unnecessary.

[Mike Nel]

I went from ST Maxx to Grabbers on the 200

Wasn’t my best idea ever

[Disco Nic]

I went from ST Maxx to Grabbers on the 200

Wasn’t my best idea ever

How so?

[Mike Nel]

For me the sidewalls of the Grabbers aren’t stiff enough for the weight of the Cruiser. The Cruiser immediately felt a lot more like a boat in choppy waters compared to the ST Maxx.

The towing capability also changed for the worse.

I’ll definitely go back to the Coopers very soon.