Antares Mud Digger M/T

So I got a set of 4 new Antares Mud Digger M/T tires for my 2004 Disco 2. I could find absolutely zero information on the brand or the tires so I took a chance because they were priced right. I figured I would write a review here and if anyone else was thinking about them they would at least have some insight.

Antares Mud Digger M/T 285/75R16

Antares Mud Digger M/T 285/75R16

I bought a set of 4 of these at a local discount tire shop. Money has been tight lately so I was looking for a cheaper mud tire. The price was $159 a tire ($174 with installation and rotations etc) which I thought was a good price for a new 33" mud terrain. I was also looking at a set of TreadWrights. The TreadWright 285/75R16 GUARD DOG M/T B2B was listed at $175 on their website marked down to $144 but with an estimated shipping of $30 per tire the price was back at $174, without installation. So I decided to give the Mud Diggers a shot.

They seemed to spec out quite well for a sub $200 tire. Load Range D (8 ply), Speed Rating S (112 mph at load) and a Load Index of 122 (3,300 lbs.). Antares lists the Tread Depth as 12.5 mm which works out to about 16/32" (1/2"). The speed rating is amazing for a mud tire, and the load index is on par with other mud terrains. The tread depth was the one spec that I am not so impressed with. My last set of tires (on another truck) were Cooper STT's and they had a tread depth of 18.5 mm (23/32" ish). A quarter inch (give or take) is a lot of tread to lose, especially with the softer rubber of a mud tire.

The STT's were the best tire I have ever owned so all other tires will at some point be compared to them. The Antares Mud Digger M/T's seem to have a lot in common with the STT's. The tread pattern is very similar (just different enough to avoid a law suit from Cooper) and the heavy side lugs are almost identical. The Coopers have a lower speed rating but a higher load index then the Mud Diggers. The same tire shop that did the Mud Diggers quoted me $247 per tire for the STT's so the choice seemed obvious.

The Mud Digger M/T's balanced really well. Shop said they got them to zero and they don't have any stupid big weights on the rim. On the road there is a slight hum. The truck previously had a set of Uniroyal tire tires. They were completely unremarkable in every way. When I switched to a more aggressive tread I assumed it would come with a significant increase in noise. I find the difference to be barely noticeable and non-existant with the radio on. The Tire sticker had a listed decibel rating of 76db. On a side note all new tires should come with a decibel rating.

I did a bit of interneting and found that Antares applied for a US trademark on Tuesday, June 29, 2010. The parent company is ZHAOQING JUNHONG INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. I think that these tires are sold under the brand name Sonny in Australia and Asia. So as a newer manufacturer it makes sense that there is a dearth of reviews.

It is cold and crappy here now so I wont take them off-road for a couple of weeks. When I do I will post a follow up on how they did. I will also post again every 5K miles to comment on how they hold up.

I put a set of theyre passenger car tires on the better halves car last year. I know its not a mud terrair comparison but they handle better then the michelins that came off it. So far they have held up well an were 1/2 the price of any name brand tire.

very very interesting. never heard of them. i actually got a private message from someone looking to sell chinese tires on here. he said he can make any mold and to any spec. they will literally do anything you need. can't wait to see how you like them off-road and how they hold up. tread pattern looks good! i have those exact treadwrights you were looking at, they were on my rangie in Vermont and are going on my D1 now.

Interesting. These a knock off of the Firestone Destination MT? Looks similar, but still has some notable differences...

Hilltoppersx wrote:

very very interesting. never heard of them. i actually got a private message from someone looking to sell chinese tires on here. he said he can make any mold and to any spec. they will literally do anything you need. can't wait to see how you like them off-road and how they hold up. tread pattern looks good! i have those exact treadwrights you were looking at, they were on my rangie in Vermont and are going on my D1 now.

If they make their tyres like they make their bridges, I'll pass.