Cheap(er) brand tyres vs really expensive known brands for all-terrain (AT) not mud-terrain (1 Viewer)

[sunrk]

I have been running 285/75r16 Cooper AT3's on my 80 since 2015 and have just begun replacing the wheels and tyres as the cooper's are now hard and worn and have done at least 100 k km's.

I now have four factory 16 x 8 steel wheels with 1 brand new iLink brand 285/75r16 tyre and three 7 year old (but basically zero wear) Hero Dynastorm of the same size. The Dynastorms were on my box trailer but fitted on Toyota factory rims and the iLink is on another matching factory rim I obtained last week. All the Coopers are fitted to aftermarket ROH rims but one is a different offset to the other four as I discovered quite by chance recently.

Anyway, there is a big contention of using cheap(er) brand tyres vs really expensive known brands.

The Dynastorms were a brand made by Federal but aren't made anymore. The iLink brand is Chinese. The Dynastorms have a lot of good reviews - shame they're NLA.

In 2015, five x cooper at3's cost about A$1800 fitted and balanced.

The iLink tyre I bought last week and cost A$250. The equivalent known brand tyres are pushing A$400 to $500 per tyre.

I know all the Cooper's are at end-of-life now and I have never been happy with them so won't get them again.

So here's the rub - the iLink tyre looks just as good as the expensive brand ones like Bridgstone's, BFG's, Coopers, etc. in the AT tyre segment.

I do mostly on-road driving now so could have opted for non-AT's but AT's have the best bang-for-buck overall durability for a heavy vehicle like a 2.5 tonne 4wd. I don't do hardcore 4wding any more so find it hard to justify (or even save up for) buying five big-brand AT tyres.

If I had unlimited funds I'd get a set of D697 Bridgestone's since they are what get fitted to all my work's vehicles (which get a lot of off-road use).

What are you views on lesser-brand tyres vs big name ones in the AT (not HT or MT) market segments?

 

[LandLocked93]

The Milestar Patagonia's get a lot of attention. And they are Chinese.
I'm running Falken AT3W and find them lacking a bit in lateral grip. Not sure I'd run them again tbh.

 

[Truck Enthusiast2]

Remember that tire choice often involves a trade-off between cost and quality. Since you're mainly on-road now, balancing durability and grip is key. Researching user experiences and expert reviews can help you make an informed decision that matches your needs and budget.

 

[sunrk]

Remember that tire choice often involves a trade-off between cost and quality. Since you're mainly on-road now, balancing durability and grip is key. Researching user experiences and expert reviews can help you make an informed decision that matches your needs and budget.

When I have proper money I'll do exactly that. Since funds were limited I couldn't afford a high end brand AT tyre for the extra factory wheel I obtained. It's interesting the Dynastorms are Federal's as Federal has the Couragia AT's (just not in 285/75r16) and Xplora AT (which does come in 285/75r16) in it's main product line up.

 

[clrussell]

I sell Tires.

I don’t sell cheap tires. They have their place, just not in my market. If someone wants cheap tires they can go down the road and get them. I’d rather sell quality I can stand behind.

1000% you get what you pay for on tires. Not sure what’s available in AUS but here the market is pretty well saturated. Honestly the cheap tires aren’t even that much cheaper anymore.

I will say as a price point tire the milestar line has been great. The MT is actually a dang good off road tire. 3 ply sidewall, wears ok, not crazy noise.

I’d run them on a rig with no after thought.

 

[sunrk]

If I had access to full funds to buy top brand AT tyres I would be doing that. Except for the wheels on my box trailer and the extra new ilink tyre I've never run second-brand tyres on my 80 before now. But it's 31 years old, approaching 700 k km on it's original 1hz motor, has body rust issues, and has been properly used as a 4wd (including by me) over the years. All the second-brand tyres are proper light truck rated just like the top brand ones because the 80 is a heavy vehicle at about 2.5 tonnes.

 

[sunrk]

Right to upset you purists I'm getting another of those iLink AT tyres fitted today to another toyota factory 16 x 8 wheel I obtained. I will run the two wheels with the iLinks at the front and use the ones with the Hero Dynastorms at the rear.



For comparison, this is one of the original 8 year old Cooper AT3's on a ROH steel rim that I've taken off the 80 and now relegated to being box trailer wheels.



As an aside, the 'wank factor' of raised lettering being coloured white or blue is a bit outlandish