BFG vs Nitto. Lookin for Some A/T's

[TheFuzz]

Snow and Ice are two completely different animals. A tire could be excellent in snow, and very poor in ice in my opinion.

I hear a lot of people post the GY Duratrac are excellent in snow, but I have not read any comments about ice.

Truth be told, not many tires can have a good balance of tire wear, road manners, and snow performance and be good in ice too. Ice is a tough nut to crack when it comes to tires - very few can truly be rated as "great" in ice.

...but the DT can be pinned for studs, so if ice traction is truly a concern then they have a leg up in that category, while still being great in mud and snow.

 

[Brock]

I had the Nitto Terra Grapplers on my FJC and Dodge 2500 HD....had BFG AT on my FJ60 before switching to KM2.....and had BFG AT on all my other 4x4 vehicles prior to that back to 1989.

I can tell you the Nitto Terra Grappler outperformed the BFG AT in every instance....compared to my previous uses of the tire. I know it has a strong and deserved reputation but is no longer the best all around AT tire out there. The Nitto was quiet on highway, excellent in torrential downpours, great in sand and soft earty, good on rocks and loose shale grades....drove them in 8 inches of fresh snow and then a couple inches of compacted snow/ice. In fresh snow they were awesome...in packed snow and ice they were average but cleaned BETTER than the BFG with slight wheel spin so while they slipped they maintained enough traction to get me moving and keep me tracking where I wanted to go. In mud...the same...much better than BFG....drove in black mud and greasy red clay mud...while slipped still with wheel spin they cleaned out very well and kept me moving and did not let me get stuck. I cant say that for BFG AT which are terrible at cleaning themselves and pack up with the slightest moisture of snow or much until they are not better than slicks. Durability I had great results with the Nitto TG going 40k+ miles with a 5 tire rotation every 3k miles and was still not down to wear bars...guess had another 10-15k remaining on them.

Between the two as OP asked...I would go the Nitto Terra Grapplers and never look back...tough sidewalls, great durability, good ride, good all terrain and weather performance.....just a good tire.

Good luck

 

[ntsaint]

I had the Nitto Terra Grapplers on my FJC and Dodge 2500 HD....had BFG AT on my FJ60 before switching to KM2.....and had BFG AT on all my other 4x4 vehicles prior to that back to 1989.

I can tell you the Nitto Terra Grappler outperformed the BFG AT in every instance....compared to my previous uses of the tire. I know it has a strong and deserved reputation but is no longer the best all around AT tire out there. The Nitto was quiet on highway, excellent in torrential downpours, great in sand and soft earty, good on rocks and loose shale grades....drove them in 8 inches of fresh snow and then a couple inches of compacted snow/ice. In fresh snow they were awesome...in packed snow and ice they were average but cleaned BETTER than the BFG with slight wheel spin so while they slipped they maintained enough traction to get me moving and keep me tracking where I wanted to go. In mud...the same...much better than BFG....drove in black mud and greasy red clay mud...while slipped still with wheel spin they cleaned out very well and kept me moving and did not let me get stuck. I cant say that for BFG AT which are terrible at cleaning themselves and pack up with the slightest moisture of snow or much until they are not better than slicks. Durability I had great results with the Nitto TG going 40k+ miles with a 5 tire rotation every 3k miles and was still not down to wear bars...guess had another 10-15k remaining on them.

Between the two as OP asked...I would go the Nitto Terra Grapplers and never look back...tough sidewalls, great durability, good ride, good all terrain and weather performance.....just a good tire.

Good luck

+1 on the a above.

I have had my TG's in all terrain except snow and they are far superior to the BFG tires that I have had on several previous vehicles. Ride, grip, everything. And they are a little less expensive to boot.

 

[OregonLC]

These threads are so funny. One post will say "Tire XYZ sucks in the snow/mud/rain/mall". The next will be "They were great in the snow/mud/rain/mall". And before you know it you're at 87 posts with no solid conclusion.

FWIW, I too have the Nitto Terra G's and have been very happy. Haven't had much snow exposure so I can't speak to that. In the rain the thing goes through deep highway water like it's on rails. Don't even need to slow down and there's no hint of hydroplane. They do appear to be wearing faster than I would have expected. I'm at about 8k miles and they look to be about 1/4 through their life, which for an AT tire is really about 1/3 through its life as I don't intend to run something I use for traction all the way down.

Buy them again? Ya probably, maybe. I'd like to try the Wrangler MTR Kevlars. I like the 285/75R18 size in the Wranglers too. BFG AT isn't really a consideration because they don't have anything in a 34-35" in a 285 or 295.

 

[Indy_LX]

I've gotta admit, I was looking forward to my Terra Grapplers when I got them in June (295/70-18). I've taken them off because of the noise. I have been spoiled by Bridgestone Duelers and my most recent and current favorite, the Firestone Destination A/T. I don't go offroad, so take this in context, all Indiana weather, including snow and ice* (don't understand how any studless tires would be worth a darn on ice) was taken in stride with the Destination A/T's. Top rated on Tirerack.com and pretty darn inexpensive too. I'd like to try the Duratracs but pretty salty. And the BFG AT's?.. man they're loud.

 

[OregonLC]

One man's tire noise is another man's quietness...

The Terra Grapplers are virually silent as far as I'm concerned. You hear a little bit of tread blocking with the windows down on corners on dry pavement. My only gripe is the ride, but it's a 10PR tire that I run at 41/44 PSIG...

 

[Indy_LX]

chuckle. ... and i thought the ride was nice. I have the NTG's listed in the classified section if anyone's interested (rim and tire package deal).

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

These threads are so funny. One post will say "Tire XYZ sucks in the snow/mud/rain/mall". The next will be "They were great in the snow/mud/rain/mall". And before you know it you're at 87 posts with no solid conclusion.

True.

Also true...NOBODY on this forum can accuratly conclude which tire is best and at what. Nobody here has a testing facility that can test every tire on the same vehicle to determine what's best at what.

There is a reason why BFG AT KO's are far and away the #1 selling AT tire on the market. For me...no cheap-brand tires like Falken, Nitto, and the like will ever go on my vehicles. Go BFG and don't look back on the extra bucks they cost.

 

[Brock]

cheap brands like Nitto...what the hell are you smoking? You dont know what the hell you are talking about there on this one....Nitto is by no means a cheap tire in quality nor price.

I had three sets of BFG ATs have failures on trails due to sidewall punctures from small staubs and debris the past 12 years.....never had anything close to that with Nitto.

Much of BFG AT loyalty is based on their previous reputation and not much more in my opinion....they are good tires but not leading the pack any longer in AT tires for performance or durability...much better tires out there.

Now the BFG KM2...that is a new, innovative, and top tier tire for a maximum traction tire...and worthy of the hype in my opinion. I replaced BFG AT with BFG KM2 on my FJ60 and they were a better tire all around in the tall skinny application.

Falken..yep......Sears...yep.....Hankook...maybe.....or any other off brands but Nitto are far from an off brand.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

cheap brands like Nitto...what the hell are you smoking?

I don't smoke. Nitto is simply not a Premium tire company and you know it. They make good "bargain-priced" models. They are a good VALUE...they are not a PREMIUM offering.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

I had three sets of BFG ATs have failures on trails due to sidewall punctures from small staubs and debris the past 12 years.....never had anything close to that with Nitto.

For me...not a single flat in 10-years on my 100 on over 100 trail trips.

But that doesn't matter...nor does your information about all your flats.

Things happen and tires go flat...no matter bargain and/or premium.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

LMAO! LOVE IT! Look at this link.....

Best Rated Tires from Consumer Reports

What name brand is listed FIRST?

What name brand ISN'T even listed?

LMAO!

Major brand names in the category
•BF Goodrich
•Bridgestone
•Cooper
•Dayton
•Dunlop
•Firestone
•Goodyear
•Hankook
•Michelin
•Nokian
•Pirelli
•Toyo

 

[lexi4darin]

Nitto's aren't cheap. But we'll agree they aren't the most popular brand in the US. The Nitto triple 5 is an awesome tire for performance cars and it's not that cheap.

Also, agreed that many tire threads are all about one person's preference over another. Each tire might excel at one thing and if that's in an area or condition most important for you, then it's a tire that will make you happy. Otherwise, all the "best" talk is relevant or irrelevant depending on your choice of word.

Personally, I like a tire that isn't best at anyone thing but is a top contender all across the board in every category. Would rather a tire be good in all conditions, tread life, etc, than a tire that gets me 7% more traction but only in warm snow and non-icy dry roads when they're at their wettest.

 

[OregonLC]

I don't smoke. Nitto is simply not a Premium tire company and you know it. They make good "bargain-priced" models. They are a good VALUE...they are not a PREMIUM offering.

And you thing the BFG AT is a premium brand?

It's probably just due to them being at the end of their product lifecycle but if anything BFG AT's are really more of an economy tire right now than the others we're talking about.

Toyo/Nitto = Toyota/Lexus. Same guts different trim.

 

[Brock]

LMAO! LOVE IT! Look at this link.....

Best Rated Tires from Consumer Reports

What name brand is listed FIRST?

What name brand ISN'T even listed?

LMAO!

Major brand names in the category
•BF Goodrich
•Bridgestone
•Cooper
•Dayton
•Dunlop
•Firestone
•Goodyear
•Hankook
•Michelin
•Nokian
•Pirelli
•Toyo

proves you cant believe the reports.....cooper, nokian...hahahahaha

i responded with my experience...been doing this for over 30 years....was BFG AT guy for first half of that...and they are not the best tire for the hype and money any longer...once...but not any more. But I do love the KM2s.

Go to Discount Tires Direct where thousands of customers give reviews....they have the BFG AT and Nitto TG even...hahahahahaha


If you go to All Terrain Tires Reviews - Offroaders.com The Nitto outperform the BFG AT KO overall and are equal or better in all areas. Just depends who you want to listen to and your own driving styles.

BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO Reviews
Nitto Terra Grappler, Grapler Reviews

 

[RobRed]

Nitto's aren't cheap. But we'll agree they aren't the most popular brand in the US. The Nitto triple 5 is an awesome tire for performance cars and it's not that cheap.

Also, agreed that many tire threads are all about one person's preference over another. Each tire might excel at one thing and if that's in an area or condition most important for you, then it's a tire that will make you happy. Otherwise, all the "best" talk is relevant or irrelevant depending on your choice of word.

Personally, I like a tire that isn't best at anyone thing but is a top contender all across the board in every category. Would rather a tire be good in all conditions, tread life, etc, than a tire that gets me 7% more traction but only in warm snow and non-icy dry roads when they're at their wettest.

I have 500 miles on my Goodyear Duratrac's and I proclaim they are the best. End of discussion.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

i have 500 miles on my goodyear duratrac's and i proclaim they are the best. End of discussion.

lol! Awesome!

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

proves you cant believe the reports.....cooper, nokian...hahahahaha

i responded with my experience...been doing this for over 30 years....was BFG AT guy for first half of that...and they are not the best tire for the hype and money any longer...once...but not any more. But I do love the KM2s.

Go to Discount Tires Direct where thousands of customers give reviews....they have the BFG AT and Nitto TG even...hahahahahaha

Oh I know...agree. Nokian and Hankook. Real funny.

But it was also funny that Nitto wasn't on there.

 

[TheFuzz]

What defines "top tier" or "premium" brands anyway? Price? Location of manufacture? Reputation? Some variation or combintion of all of the above?

I've run nittos and I've been pleased. I'm also happy with my duratracs. I wouldn't hesitate to run either in the appropriate application. My sister in law ran BFG ATs on her ram 2500 diesel and was generally pleased, and are a good tire but are old tech IMO. The interlocking tread pattern doesn't lend well to clean out in snow, and I watched them turn into useless slicks in soft mud. If your primary forte is rock crawling (as Johns application usually is), then they are perfect. They are a stout tire in that role. But, they get hard and noisy once they get down past 50% (according to Haleigh). I didn't experience that issue with my nittos, and they were good in snow and rain - although in snow, the DT is the better tire. But the op was asking about BFG vs Nitto.

Different strokes, guys. Find find a tire that works for you. Personally, I think the nittos are a better overall tire due to the better tread design when up against the BFG AT.

 

[Brock]

we all agree to disagree...aint America Great?!