Im planning to eventually put new tires on the '00 Rancher 350 2wd I just bought. The Goodyear Tracker CL's on the front are pretty well worn. The tread on the Titan AT489's on the rear isnt too bad but theres a good size plug in one and the rim of the other is dinged pretty good (not structurally critical or anything).
As you can probably imagine Ive been looking at tires quite a bit. Im mainly looking for something sturdy with good traction that going to last a good long while, if Im going plunk down this kind cash. Im not averse to spending good money on good equipment. Im planning to mainly use this machine for ameteur trail riding and as a sit-in until I can afford to buy a compact tractor (snow plowing, mowing, firewood hauling).
I think Ive narrowed choices down to Kenda Bearclaws or Maxxis Bighorns. I've read reviews of the Bearclaws that said that they were too soft and wore too fast for the money, the reviewers didnt describe the riding conditions though, either. Ive also read lots of reviews that say that Bearclaws are great and wear really well, and thats what Ive heard about the Bighorns too.
Im planning to get a package deal, looking at 12 inch ITP SS212's, I like the look and really like the sound of the warranty. The best prices Ive found are on motoxmall.com, 25x8x12 fronts and 25x10x12 rears on machined SS212's are $535 for Bearclaws and $710 for Bighorns. Im interested if anyone with experience with both could say whether the Bighorns would be worth the extra $175?
Ive also considered a wider set of Bearclaws from 4atvtires.com 25x10x12 fronts and 25x12.5x12 rears also on SS212's for $615. I like the thought of better floatation/traction of wider tires but I worry about the wider fronts making steering significantly more difficult as well as the possiblity of clearance issues.
Ive also looked at a couple of treads from GBC; Dirt Tamer (very similar pattern to the Bighorn), Dirt Commander, and Dirt Devil II but I havent read many reviews of any of them.
I havent ruled anything out yet, Im completely open and look forward to your advice and suggestions.

 

I own the same atv 01 350 2x4 I stuck some mudlite ats on the back and this thing for a 2wd is pretty much unstoppable.. I only paid like 55 bucks a tires and they have worn well .. I have driven alot of pavement for 2 seasons and they havent worn hardly at all... I was skeptical about putting these on my wheeler because I had mudlite xls one time and those and every other deep lug tire really sucks for regular trail rideing. but these mudlite ats are fantastic.

 

The bear claws are a good choice for an all around tire at a reasonable price. My brother put a set on his trx 300 4x4 and with nearly 500 miles on them so far they still look new. They provide good traction without destroying the turf, ride and handle pretty good for a bias ply, and seem to be wearing very well. They do have a flatter foot print which will help with flotation. For the big horns I can't speak for my self, just what I've read and heard from others with them. They are a radial tire which will offer a smoother ride, even better handling, and will also be a very good all around tire. but they do cost a bit more. If ride quality is your main concern I'd go with the big horns, if your looking for a all around tire with out breaking the bank, the bear claws would be a good choice.

 

Thats kinda what I was thinkin. I was just hoping to find somebody that could say whether they felt the smoother ride was worth the extra $$$ for the Maxxis. Im also currently reconsidering the wide set of Bearclaws but I was hoping to get an opinion of whether it would noticeably more difficult to steer with 25x10 inch wide front tires rather than my current 25x8's (and if it would be to the point of being unpleasant).

 

check the size , bearclaws are allways smaller then advertised size. i purchased bearclaws one time and found them to be 1 inch smaller then marked, this could be a problem on a 4x4.

 

Once the XLs are half worn out then you can call the NEW ATs. I bought the the XLs and my friend bought the ATs and when we look at them beside each other , I said "your tires look like my tires once I put 2000 miles on them".LOL

Mudlite also makes more agressive XXL tires.