If you live in a dry area like AZ or NM the an at tire is probably better then. Around here we get a lot of rain and we have a lot of clay so the ground stays wet 75% of the time. If you get in it with at tires they tend to cake up with mud and leave you stuck, where as a mud tire cleans out and gets more of a bite.

 

Yep... Absolutely. There is another factor also with this... The more rubber tread face you have between you and "stuff", the less likely you are to get stick punctures and rock breaks that always happen in between the blocks where there is only a 1/4 inch of rubber on the casing. The more casing area you have exposed, the more likely the chances. This is another reason I like a closed shoulder street M/S or mild A/T out here. Everything in the desert will either bite you or poke you! lol

 

And this makes sense. Your environment necessitates this option as a rule so it is indeed practical at that point for sure. But around here the only reason you will see a mud tire is because they "look good", not because they are practical or even needed.

 

Ok so then basically you usr mud terrains because that's what you deal with. Mud and clay. You don't use it because they are more of an all terrain then an all terrain haha. You use mud terrains out of necessity. The point still stands that all terrains are more versatile. I live in a part of nm where I am wit in an hour of virtually every type of terrain. Most guys here run all terrains, except for the guys that strictly hit the muddy area or just like the coolness of mud tires. Alot of trails here start off in sandy Arroyo bottoms, get in to some mild rock gardens, start climbing up hardback for a bit, then get to some nasty mud sections, followed by more rock and hardback mixed with sand haha. All terrains do ok in the mud sections but if course mid tires would be better. But overall the all terrains are best. Smoother, better in a larger array of the conditions, better on the ride home, and last longer haha

 

Yep... But another important note is no matter what you choose for tread design it would serve you well to make it an LT casing, at least a 6 ply, and never a P rated if you use it off road at all.

 

Some size tires in certain brands/models aren't offered in an LT rating. For instance the 235 Falkens I've got are rated XL(?) larger sizes can be had in LT.

 

if I remember correctly, when you were searching and deciding, you found that the falkens were cheaper right? Were the others you were looking at LT versions? If so, that's where your price difference was.

 

You are absolutely right. This is why it is sometimes necessary to change to a larger size from stock. From a 235 and up LT's are available from just about all makers. Mine was 215 stock and these cannot be had in a 6 ply. It's even hard to source a 225 in an LT anymore. But this one mod from original I would highly recommend if you do any off roading.

The XL is in between a P rated and an LT, it is an attempt to compromise between street ride and heavier loads. An LT is not much more than an XL in price difference. But the difference in sidewall thickness and the extra tread ply is huge when you are off road. And a lot of LT's can have a rim bead protector molded into it.

 

I would consider general grabber AT2's. I've put about 2000 miles on mine and so far they have been pretty good. Tread pattern is similar to KO2's

 

Yep. The only others I considered were LT's. I don't believe any were offered in XL so I went with the Falkens. Price difference was around $40 a tire.

 

Best A/T tire I've ever run to date.