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Disclaimer
The following information was taken from a page at ATV News.com It is not my intention to duplicate the article but, allow folks a place to read the comparison between the various tires out there. |
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ITP 589 M/S
ITP had some 28-inch treads specially made for this test. We were the first to test them, and we were glad we did. Measuring exactly 28-inches tall, both 28 x 11-12 ITP 589s weighed 40.5 pounds, on aluminum wheels. The rear wheels were a tight fit on our Grizzly test unit, but had just enough clearance to run. All the testers said this tire was fabulous in the mud. Even in high gear, these tires supplied plenty of traction for the Griz. In both the deep, watery mud and the gooey shallow stuff, these tires made it through, even in 2WD. The handling was ideal and the self-cleaning nearly perfect. They didn't feel as light as the GBCs, but were very controllable. The ITP 589s worked well in reverse, too.
Overall, these tires are steady. They do a great job of climbing in and out of the mud, and have a somewhat tall feel although nothing like the Mudzillas or Vampires. Their sidebite is average, but consistent.
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Sand tires Unlimited Bi-Claw/Tri-Claw
Like the ITP 589 M/S tires, the 27-inch Bi-Claws and Tri-Claws from Sand Tires Unlimited handled most of the mud in high and all of it in low gear. They also fit in that coolness category with an aggressive appearance. On aluminum wheels, the 27 x 9.5-12 Bi-Claws weighed just 38.5 pounds. The Tri-Claw 12.5-12 rears, also on aluminum, topped out at 45 pounds. All of our test riders ranked this tire excellent, especially for a 27-inch tire competing against taller 28-inch gorillas. They provided stellar traction and will dig and bite out of practically anything. One test rider said he had no trouble at all climbing the muddy embankment with the Claws. Turning out of the deep trench was fairly easy, too, in forward or reverse! They provide a controllable and fairly smooth ride through the shallower, stickier mud, too.
The extra-aggressive tread didn't provide a shake-free ride, but it did chew up the mud. And that's what we were looking for. The nipples on these tires grabbed and bit, but didn't impede the mud cleaning process.
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GBC Dirt Devils
The 28-inch Dirt Devils, which, on aluminum wheels, weighed in at 34.5 pounds and 44.5 pounds front and rear, respectively, have one of the coolest looking tread patterns in the test. Their average score is blamed on too much wheelspin, too light of feel and not enough digging or traction. Don't get us wrong, they do bite, but not like some of the other tires. In two-wheel drive, in the shallow mud, these tires provided an easier-to-steer and lighter front-end feel. In the deeper slime and in the trenches, the testers said the Dirt Devils needed more side bite for directional pulling. Deeper lugs would aid in overall mudding capabilities. Because they spin so much, the rider will need to use more body english to help the front tires grip. The rear tires, due to their 20-pound weight advantage, seemed to control the quad. In forward gears, the front wheels would shoot to the surface, and in reverse the rear wheels would climb, shooting the front down.
These tires look to be better suited as a multi-purpose 28-inch tire than a pure mudder and there's nothing wrong with that. They provide good straight-line pulling and momentum through the mud.
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ITP Blackwater XTs
We've tested these 27-inch tires lots of times and love their all-around abilities for trails, mud and snow. They provide one of the smoothest rides in the big-tire business. This year, however, we were only testing for pure mudding skills. In the soupy mud, these tires did fine, but in the thick mud they tend to clog up. All of our test riders gave them an average score. Even with the shallowest lugs of all the 27- and 28-inch tires, the XTs pulled all the test riders through the mud. Mounted on aluminum wheels, the ITP Blackwater XT tires were the lightest of the big fellas. These ITP treads did an excellent job at keeping the Grizzly on top of the mud, avoiding digging too deep or diving. They provided us with good straightline traction and side bite, and were effective in reverse, too. Their lighter feel helped increase their pull through the mud, creating plenty of "positive" wheel spin.
When the mud gets thick, though, the busy tread pattern can quickly clog with mud. This one's better for utility work than mudding.
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Maxxis Mud Bugs
Maxxis sent us two sets of this tire to test (27 x 10-12, 27 x 12-12). The best combination could be to run the 10-12 on the front and the wider tires in the rear. Each tire measured almost 28 inches tall, despite being 27-inch tires. Lug depth was just more than one inch. They have a huge look and size, but are lighter in weight. The 10-12s weighed 39 pounds, and the 12-12s hit 43.5 pounds, even on steel wheels. The Mud Bugs provided a good straight-ahead pull. They seemed to work more effectively in low range, and had no problem in reverse. Their large angled, sloping lugs worked well at providing floatation and paddle-effect in the watery mud.
The tires need a definite sidewall bite for improved climbing out of the pit. On occasion, the test riders found it hard to make the Grizzly get out of the trench. The tires would keep pulling forward instead of turning and pulling out of the pit. Their self-cleaning properties were good.
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Maxxis Mudzillas
Again, Maxxis sent us its Mudzillas, a tire we've never tested, in three different sizes. They were all 28-inch tires, but with different widths (8, 10 and 12 inches). Despite having what look like gigantic three-inch lugs, the Mudzillas wear 1 1/2-inch tall lugs. The 28 x 12-12 Maxxis Mudzillas were the heaviest tires in the test, but the steel wheels had a lot to do with that. We chose to run the eight-inch fronts and the 10-inch rears. An impressive and aggressive look, cool name, pyramid-shaped nipples and long lugs add to the Mudzilla's mud-tire appeal. For shear mud-pulling traction, this tire rocks. The Grizzly had no problem plowing through the mud, even in high gear in 2WD. In low, the Yamaha worked far better. All these tires want to do is bite, bite, bite, whether it's straight ahead or to the side. Those one-inch "nipple" lugs helped with side traction while scaling the mud pit's walls, and didn't interfere with cleaning.
The Mudzillas didn't receive the highest score from our test riders, but they are mud-eating, purpose-built tires nonetheless.
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High Lifter Outlaws
These received one of the highest scores of the test. Mounted on aluminum wheels, each Outlaw combination weighed less than 48 pounds. The 28-inch Outlaws were actually measured at 28 1/8-inches tall, with lugs nearly two inches tall. It's easy to understand why these tires can pull through just about any mud imaginable. All of the test riders said these tires had super straightline pulling power. They even pulled the riders up the muddy embankment from a near stand still. Despite having such huge lugs, the Outlaws did a great job at self cleaning. These tires provided some side-tire traction, thanks to their lugs extending to the sidewall, but they didn't have enough to help the Grizzly yank itself out of the side of the trench on every occasion.
Overall, the Outlaws are very strong tires with excellent mudding capabilities, but they couldn't match the winner's pure muddin' abilities. Any mud rider would enjoy the Outlaws. What do you expect from a company based in Louisiana? There's something about that Bayou.
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Carlisle Swamp Pro
New to the mud-tire war, the 27-inch Swamp Pros have angled lugs that look like fangs. They resemble Interco's Super Swamper Vampire tires we've tested in the past. While they may have similar-shaped lugs, these two tires act differently in the mud. Our test riders were split between rating these tires. Two riders rated these tires as middle-of-the-road mudders, while the other two ranked them slightly better. Due to the lug separation and spacing, the tires weren't that confident in the shallow slop said two testers, but were better suited for the deep soup. They said the Swamp Pro tires could work even better with a little taller lug for "climbing" out of the holes. They worked effectively at pulling the Grizzly through or across the shallows. And they seemed to do a good job of self cleaning. The Swamp Pros came on steel wheels and were the second heaviest combination we tested. The fronts (27 x 10-12) weighed 52 pounds, and the rears (27 x 12-12) hit 54 pounds.
Though there were heavy, and have copy-cat looks, they still managed to carry us through the crud confidently, whether we were in two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or reverse.
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Titan 589 M/T
A somewhat similar 25-inch version of this tire overwhelmed our test riders two years ago with its all-around ability to pull through all the mud and handle the hardpack, too. Titan added ribs across the width of the tire, between each row of lugs. Our test riders said these 27-inch tires gave more of a non-directional pull, or they take you where they want to go, not necessarily where you want to take them. In the loose mud along the side of the soupy hole, the 589 M/Ts provided good handling. In the trench, they did provide some flotation, too. Overall, these Titans weren't as easy to control as some of the tires. They provide incredible straight-line traction.
The test riders said the lack of any real sidebite on the Titan tires made it hard for the Grizzly to climb out of the trench at an angle. Both the front and rear tires measured just less than 27 inches tall. The weight for both the front and rear tires on wheels was in the middle 40s.
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INTERCO Super Swamper Vampire EDL
The 28-inch Vampire is the purest mud tire we have ever tested. All of our test riders were amazed at how well these tires churned through every type of mud. In fact, with their deeper, more aggressive lugs and ability to dig, these tires helped make the underlying mud even tougher for the other tires in the test. We tested the tall 28 x 10-12 treads all the way around. Though not the tallest tire in diameter, Interco's Super Swamper Vampire EDL's were the skinniest and wore the largest lugs. These fang-shaped lugs were two inches deep and spread out on the outer half of the tires. There was actually only a small fraction of lugs in contact with the ground at all times. Even with all that superb straightline strength, the Vampires could use some side bite for some immediate side traction, which will be offered on the new Vampire ASX models. The Super Swamper Vampires reminded our test riders of miniature ag tires, similar to tractor tires, except with a more aggressive tread pattern and an uncanny ability to churn through just about anything.
It's best to stay in the mud with these things; they aren't made for high-speed trail rides. And they are nothing like turf tires, tread lightly!
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