Cooper ST-Maxx or Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac?

I posted a thread awhile back asking for opinions on the Grabber AT-2 and the Duratrac... well I have finally found a local dealer with reasonable prices on Cooper tires!

I am looking at a $280 price difference (total) for the Coopers vs. the Duratracs... with the Duratracs being the cheaper option. I am tempted to go with the Duratracs due to the fact that money is a very finite resource in my world but I wanted to ask whether there are any compelling reasons the ST Maxx would be worth the extra coin. To me the 2 tires seem very similar, and even similar in appearance. Does anyone have opinions or first hand experience with these tires in a head to head situation? Thanks!

I can't say anything about the ST-Maxx as I have never ran them (know people who do, and they like them) but what I can tell you, is the Duratrac's are awesome for daily use. They were a BEAST in the snow/ice, do decent on light trails, etc. I have them on my Toyota Tacoma and love them.

I run ST Maxx on my wife's 4Runner and before that I ran them on a Tundra. They are a great mix between a A/T and M/T. Also they have the 3ply sidewalls like the STT Pro. I've had nothing but great experiences with them in over 30,000 miles on each vehicle.


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I have been running the st/maxx for about a year and they are the best at tire I have ever run. They are very quit on the road and work very well off-road. When I put the top down you can still have a conversation or hear the radio at highway speeds.

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This is what I was afraid of! They're both great tires!!

I'm trying to read between the lines a bit but it sounds like the ST Maxx is a little bit more aggressive than the Duratrac. Also, I've read that the Duratrac has 2 but I don't know whether that is true. I don't anticipate a lot of rough treatment to these sidewalls because the tires will only be on my vehicle while studs are allowed (September thru April). But I will be doing a lot of snow-wheeling, etc. which seems to fit well with the Duratracs.

Wow... looks like I can't make a "bad" choice between the two! Thank you so much for the input!

Bringing this thread back from the dead for an update.

Last fall I selected the dura-tracs (studded) for my winter tires. Overall, I've been very satisfied with them. Quiet ride, nice wear, etc. However, I did manage to poke a hole in one of them on a busy street coming home from work. It took a half dozen plugs to seal it up.

I know it could have happened with any tire but the fact is it never happened in 7 years on my MTR-K's (not a fan of MTR-K's but they never flatted on me during 6 years in Wyoming, and that IS saying something). I've read "rumors" that while dura-tracs are nice tires, the carcass isn't the strongest. I don't know whether there is any truth to that but my experience makes me wonder.

I'll be selling the TJ this summer, along with the dura-tracs (replaced with a 2011 jkur). And when I buy again it'll be the Coopers.