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best AT tires for winter?

CbrownGT

By CbrownGT
in Tires, Wheels & TPMS

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CbrownGT Enthusiast

CbrownGT

Posted
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I'm in the market for some new AT tires for my stock 18's for winter (and eventually be switched to my summer wheels). I ran the stock tires last 3 winters and am done with them, garbage. I currently have 285/65/18 Toyo AT2's on my summer wheels. They've been nice but they're getting really slick in rain, even at 5-6/32nds of tread left...I've never run them in snow so i don't know what they're like. I'm located in hilly western PA. I'm looking at other AT options in 275/70/18...a better size for winter traction and better price point than 285's. Just want a solid AT tire for year round, but winter performance is #1. Any input is greatly appreciated!

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Aaron1085 Senior Enthusiast

Aaron1085

Posted
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Interested in this same topic. Close to pulling the trigger on a level and some larger AT’s for my stock 20’s.


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Imcrazy Senior Enthusiast

Imcrazy

Posted
Posted

If they're going to be dedicated to winter use, I'd get winter tires... The compound is softer so you get better traction at lower temps. Blizzaks pretty much rule the winter tire world... If you want AT's so you can use 'em year round I believe Firestone had the best AT tire when I was looking a couple of years back.. I wound up with Cooper AT's and they've been OK, a little slick on the wet roads now with 29k miles on 'em.

aseibel Senior Enthusiast

aseibel

Posted
Posted

I will be running Cooper Discoverer A/T3 once my factory rubber is replaced. I was a big fan of my last set on my old truck. Good winter traction, not a ridiculous tread for summer. I think Cooper is a good value and good tread life.

 

A lot of people like the BFG K02 tires, but I think you can get equivalent performance for less money elsewhere. 

CbrownGT Enthusiast

CbrownGT

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2 minutes ago, aseibel said:

I will be running Cooper Discoverer A/T3 once my factory rubber is replaced. I was a big fan of my last set on my old truck. Good winter traction, not a ridiculous tread for summer. I think Cooper is a good value and good tread life.

 

A lot of people like the BFG K02 tires, but I think you can get equivalent performance for less money elsewhere. 

yeah i'm looking long and hard at the ko2's, but the price..I noticed Cooper now has the AT/W. Which is basically the AT3 with a few small changes and different compound so it has the "snowflake" rating. They're around $200 per tire vs $240 per for the KO2. Other than price the biggest difference between the KO2 and the AT3/ATw is the appearance. KO2 much more aggressive looking than both Coopers.

aseibel Senior Enthusiast

aseibel

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, CbrownGT said:

Other than price the biggest difference between the KO2 and the AT3/ATw is the appearance. KO2 much more aggressive looking than both Coopers.

Aggressive looking tread doesn't always equate to better performance. As Imcrazy said, Blizzak is the best straight up snow tires. look at their tread patterns. They are more square shapes.

 

I think Cooper offers some good tires that perform well in winter, but are not overly noisy, fuel guzzling for the rest of the year. I like them for all year use. Of course you can go as aggressive as you want, but aggressive mud tread is different than snow tread which you seemed to indicate was important to you. I think BFG is popular because it has a unique/ recognizable tread shape. I'm not sold that its any better in snow. just my two cents.

diyer2 Senior Enthusiast

diyer2

Posted
Posted

I ran KO's for quite a while but the price got out of hand IMO for the performance you got. 

I have Cooper ATP on now. No complaints. Getting noisy at 50 mph with 20 k miles.  

Going to look at Cooper Starfire. I know someone who has them that is happy with them.

He says good traction and quiet.

:happysad:

sdeeter19555 Senior Enthusiast

sdeeter19555

Posted
Posted
Aggressive looking tread doesn't always equate to better performance. As Imcrazy said, Blizzak is the best straight up snow tires. look at their tread patterns. They are more square shapes.
 
I think Cooper offers some good tires that perform well in winter, but are not overly noisy, fuel guzzling for the rest of the year. I like them for all year use. Of course you can go as aggressive as you want, but aggressive mud tread is different than snow tread which you seemed to indicate was important to you. I think BFG is popular because it has a unique/ recognizable tread shape. I'm not sold that its any better in snow. just my two cents.
Girlfriend had KOs on a Jeep Cherokee, snow performance and/or traction was no better than any other AT tire. We were running Mastercraft (a subsidiary of Cooper) tires our 2500s at the time, and their AT performed just as good.

I've ran BFG tires over the years, not one has really impressed me to be "that much better" than any other comparable tire. Their Rugged Trail is an absolute horror to run in snow when they have a few miles on them...even while showing excellent tread remaining.

I'm torn with regards to the OP's question also as I'm in the same boat...I don't need a dedicated winter tire, but I also travel into the snow belt several times a year in the winter. My HT3 is getting slippery on wet roads, so I know they will suck with any slicked up winter roads; and need replaced before snow flies...which in itself is a quandary as it may snow a couple times a year where I live, but I'm guaranteed it will snow in the snow belt where my parents are at! But I also commute 100 miles a day on mainly bare roads...my HT3 have 45k on them and are still about 50%; only got about 25k out of the last set of Cooper ATP I had on this truck.

I used to run two sets of rim/tires for this very reason...but finding a used set of wheels is impossible around here, and then the TPMS adds to the fun.

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aseibel Senior Enthusiast

aseibel

Posted
Posted

I'm not trying to say that aggressive looking tires are not good in snow. I'm just pointing out that the visible "aggressiveness" does not automatically make it a good snow tire. The type of rubber matters more. You can have a blizzak snow tire with square lugs work way better than the most "aggressive" looking M/T tire. Don't buy your tires solely based on appearance.

Bikemobile Enthusiast

Bikemobile

Posted
Posted

Duratracs are amazing in snow. Not sure why by the looks of them but they are great. Also very expensive in 20". I'm looking at the duratracs, cooper atw or grabber artic next in 17 or 18 inch when mine wear out. The duratracs are quiet for an extreme A/T but you can feel the treads at low speeds and they aren't going to get any quieter. They seem to be wearing well but will not last past 30-35k. 

 

Gorske Enthusiast

Gorske

Posted
Posted

I just got the Falken Wildpeak AT3 but no snow yet. The Salesman at Discount Tire has them on his Ram 1500 with about 20k miles on them and he said he loves them and they did great in the winter.

IMG_20170927_185852_372.jpg

CbrownGT Enthusiast

CbrownGT

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36 minutes ago, Gorske said:

I just got the Falken Wildpeak AT3 but no snow yet. The Salesman at Discount Tire has them on his Ram 1500 with about 20k miles on them and he said he loves them and they did great in the winter.

IMG_20170927_185852_372.jpg

no salesman would say they were bad in the winter lol. I've eliminated the KO2's from my list. I'm down to the Cooper AT3 and the Cooper A/TW which is the same as AT3 but some small differences in tread and compounds so better for winter. I can get a set of "blemished" (new, just mis-aligned letters) AT3's from a guy for $570 vs $615 new on TireBuyer. A/TW's are almost $700.

Gorske Enthusiast

Gorske

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, CbrownGT said:

no salesman would say they were bad in the winter lol. I've eliminated the KO2's from my list. I'm down to the Cooper AT3 and the Cooper A/TW which is the same as AT3 but some small differences in tread and compounds so better for winter. I can get a set of "blemished" (new, just mis-aligned letters) AT3's from a guy for $570 vs $615 new on TireBuyer. A/TW's are almost $700.

That is true about the salesman, but I did check out his truck and they seemed to not wear down as fast as other ATs I've seen. I got all 4 mounted, balanced, and with the extra road hazard for 615 vs the 875 they wanted for Duratracs which were my first option till they showed me the Wildpeak AT3.

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