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The number one upgrade ATV riders add to their machines is a set of mud tires, followed closely by a winch. There’s a good reason for this, too: Getting stuck sucks, and you’ll have to employ a winch to get out. The right rubber can make a huge difference in how your ATV handles in the sloppy stuff, as well as on other terrain.
I got my first ATV, a 1983 Yamaha Tri-Moto 200 three-wheeler, when I was 11 years old. Within a couple of hours I had that thing buried in a nasty mudhole on our family’s farm. Some kids never outgrow playing in the mud, and I am one of them. Much of what helped me select the tires on this list has been experience with them doing exactly what they were designed to do.
I also leaned on some good friends who also write about ATVs and ATV accessories, and I picked their brains for what they look for in ATV mud tires. That’s important, because there are different types of mud depending on where you’re riding, and that’s a factor in how a tire performs. The sloppier the mud, especially mud with a lot of clay in it, the more aggressive tread pattern you’re going to need.
We also looked at tread patterns. Tread patterns can be directional or not, and can have different traction characteristics. This can affect how the tires perform on various machines.
No matter what type of tire you pick, ride your machine within your comfort level, especially in the mud. Also:
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The Buck Snort tire from Sedona barely edged out the Sedona Mud Rebel RT tire as our pick from Sedona. I have these tires on my Honda Rubicon ATV and love how they function as well as how they look. The tread is fun, but extremely functional for use year round in mud, as well as in sand, dirt and snow. These 6-ply tires have proven to be very durable, as they have taken a lot of abuse from me, especially during hunting season and when I’m making food plots in the spring. I’ve used the Sedona Mud Rebel tires before and really like them, but feel the Buck Snort tires are a little better all-around. Sedona’s New Tech carcass design helps make these tires durable and balanced. I wish they came in a few more size options, and I think eventually the company will do that.
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The Kenda Bear Claw is extremely well known, and many ATV riders choose them for replacement tires. They aren’t the top performing tires in the mud, but they do well on other terrain types. What sets Kenda tires apart is the durability compared to the price. When you want to swap out four tires, and can get ones that will last and perform well while saving $100 compared to many other models, that makes a tire worthy of consideration. You can get them for 8, 10, 12 and 14 inch wheels.
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The STI Out & Back Max, sometimes called the Outback Max, is a highly aggressive ATV mud tire and if you’re serious about mud, it’s a great tire. It is available as a 6-ply tire in the smaller sizes, and an 8-ply in the larger sizes ( up to 32 inches). The tread is 1.5-inches tall at the center of the tire, and graduates out to 2-inches tall at the sidewall. This makes the tire have a flat profile that helps propel your machine in the mud. It is also available as a narrower tire, giving you more bite in the mud and less floatation. These are heavy tires—the tallest tire weighs around 53 pounds—so keep that in mind as you research.
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The SunF A050 tires have good tread depth and a directional pattern that digs into the mud decently. They’re very reasonably priced and can be bought as a matching set of four tires. Like many mud tires, they have a V-shaped tread pattern that guides the mud away from the center of the tire, and off the contact patch, making them self-cleaning. They offer some odd sizing, including an option for an 11-inch wide rim size, which would add floatation—something you might want on snow, but not on mud.
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The ITP Blackwater is named after the famed mud motocross ATV race that was held in West Virginia a couple decades ago. The extreme race hasn’t been held in a long time, but the name lives on, and that should tell you how tough it really was. A tire has to provide excellent traction and be extremely durable to wear that name, and this tire does that. Non-direction “Ninja star” tread blocks dig in, and ample sidewall tread helps with ruts and other traction needs. Being a radial, the tire has excellent manners out of the muck. The size range goes up to a whopping 34-inch tall tire, yet even the largest size weighs in at 42 pounds. That’s a nice feature for an ATV mud tire.
Each ATV model is different to some extent, and that means that a mud tire that might work for your buddy’s ATV may not be the best mud tire for yours. Here are the factors to consider when it comes to picking the best tires for your ride.
Many ATV riders want to swap out to a bigger size mud tire. You need to exercise some caution here, because going big or going home can quickly turn into going big and walking home. Here’s why.
Obviously, going to a taller tire will increase the weight, but the tread pattern on a mud tire requires more rubber than a knobby tire, which adds to the overall weight of the tire. That can affect your machine’s throttle response and put added strain on your motor. There are some other aspects of weight to consider, too.
Q: What is the most aggressive ATV mud tire?
The High Lifter Outlaw 3 is probably the most aggressive ATV mud tire out there. These monsters have three-inch deep tread and can claw through the nastiest slop, but they aren’t meant for riding on any terrain other than mud.
Q: Are ATV mud tires good in the sand?
When thinking about whether ATV mud tires are good in sand, consider if the tire is wide enough, and is one of the lighter variations, because with sand you want more floatation and less air pressure. Most of the aggressive ATV mud tires are heavier and narrower to dig into the mud, which is not what you want in sand.
Q: When should I change my ATV tires?
There are a couple of factors to consider when deciding if it is a good time to change your ATV tires. If the tread is worn down considerably, then do it. The same goes for if the tires are having a harder time holding air. ATV tires run on very low air pressures anyway, so if the tires are going flat, it may be time to change. Also, if you’re not happy with the performance of the tire, definitely swap them out. Your ATV is supposed to bring you happiness, and if you’re getting stuck a lot, that’s not fun.
When looking for traction, you really want the best ATV mud tires you can get for your machine. However, what makes a tire the best for you is entirely up to you. If budget isn’t a concern, then you have a wide range of possibilities. That number decreases along with your available funds, but you can get respectable ATV mud tires on a budget, so if you need to save some green, you’re still going to get a decent ride and some good traction. I have been really happy with the Sedona Buck Snort tires that I mounted to my Honda Rubicon, and while I happily recommend them, there isn’t a tire on this list that I wouldn’t recommend. Every one of them will give you better traction in mud and loose terrain compared to the stock tires on your machine.
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