About to bite the bullet on tires, looking for advice. KO2 vs Falken AT3W (1 Viewer)

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Aug 29, 2018
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CO
285/75/16 of course...

Falkens for $650 or KO2 for $800

:hmm:

Lets not turn this into a tire s*** storm please, just looking for opinions :)
 
They are both great tires but if it was me I would purchase the KO2. A little more aggressive and worth the money!
 
They are both great tires but if it was me I would purchase the KO2. A little more aggressive and worth the money!

Yeah $150 won't break my bank, I've had KO2's before and enjoyed them, I've read a lot of nice things about the Falkens too, and the price is nice. So those are the options I've narrowed down to.
 
Like I said they are both great tires. You can’t go wrong with either one but in my opinion the KO2 looks so good on the 100 series. I have them on my LX.
 
FWIW, I'm on my third set of KO2's since they came out in 2015. The first two sets were replaced under warranty, both different reasons, but similar issues.

I also have the falkens on my 200 series.

The Falkens have any where from 4 to 5/32 more tread depth in some sizes verses KO2's which come in 15/32 only.

Noise is the same in my opinion, but I feel the KO2's throw rocks more noticeably.

I feel for the money, Falkens are the better buy IMO.
 
FWIW, I'm on my third set of KO2's since they came out in 2015. The first two sets were replaced under warranty, both different reasons, but similar issues.

I also have the falkens on my 200 series.

The Falkens have any where from 4 to 5/32 more tread depth in some sizes verses KO2's which come in 15/32 only.

Noise is the same in my opinion, but I feel the KO2's throw rocks more noticeably.

I feel for the money, Falkens are the better buy IMO.

I have been reading about many people having issues with their KO2's in the recent years, sucks. That's the only reason I hesitate on them now. I ran them on a first gen 4runner a couple years back with no problems though.
 
K02's are a great tire. 3ply sidewall, good traction, M&S rating, quiet, long lasting(@ roughly 20k miles I am between 12/32 & 13/32), and nice looking design. In Silverton this year, sidewalls took some pretty deep scrapes (sculpted out some rubber from the sidewall on Poughkeepsie) from sharp rocks and no failures in my 1500 mile trip home or since then- still running them as is.

My alternate tire choice would be a Cooper ST MAXX.

(and White Letters IN- always)
 
@Travis Bickle If you dont mind me asking where are getting these tires from?.. That is a great price.
 
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I'm also in the market for new tires and highly considering the KO2's, however just learned the brand new model has a different tread compound designed to improve wear and no longer has the snowflake symbol. I'm looking for a good year-round tire that can also handle snow. Not sure how legit the snowflake symbol rating really is, certainly won't be as good as a dedicated winter/snow tire, but the search continues.
 
Where did you hear about new tread compound?

The only one's in stock on TireRack note "Size: LT285/75R16; DT Different Tread, No 3PMSF". The two other model KO2's available in same size are either on back order or out of stock.

The description notes "All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires labeled "DT" utilize a different tread compound designed to improve wear in high-torque applications and improved chip and tear resistance in gravel. Tires featuring this compound carry a 50,000-Mile Treadwear Warranty and are NOT branded with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. They can be identified by the "DT" branding on the sidewall immediately following the service description, and are labeled on the Specs page and in search results."

Called TireRack and rep confirmed this. Also called BFG, but the guy was clueless.
 
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States right on their website 3peak Mountain Snowflake rated-

All Terrain T/A KO2 All-Season Tire | BFGoodrich Tires

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Mine are M&S and have the the 3Peak Snowflake symbol.

7B37AAAD-A7F3-484C-AB5C-C3FD17199130.jpeg
 
Having owned both, they are both great tires. The Falkens are heavier, quieter, better in the ice and snow, good on dirt roads. The KO2's throw more rocks, are more aggressive, and have been very reliable. I'd buy either again.
 
I'm about to pull the trigger on the Wildpeak AT3W's for my 2004 KDJ 125 and would like to know if anyone has had any rubbing issues in the 265/70/R17 size on their GX470 or KDJ12x with stock (OEM) suspension. I hear the AT3W run a little larger than KO2s in the same size(?)

Is there any recommendation of the LT over the Passenger version considering I will not be towing, but will be loaded for camping a few times a year. I kind of like the idea of the robust side walls and deeper tread of the LT, but not sure if warrants the extra weight and cost. The quoted weight of KDJ125 is 1840kg unloaded, 2800km max load.

Thanks in advance for your comments.
 

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