BFG KO2 or Falken Wild Peak AT3W

[akalito]

Hi everyone,

Having a hard time deciding which tire I should go for between BFG KO2 or Falken Wild Peak AT3W. I live in the NorthEast where we see snow about 3-4 months out the year.

After some research I've come across people saying KO2 don't before as well at the AT3s in snow and rain. Anyone have experience with both?

Also KO2 are on sale right now installed at Costco so price for both tires would be the same, $50 cheaper KO2.

Any insight would be helpful. Also I did search the forum, a lot of mixed comments and people saying compound has changed on both tires.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

I really wish the BFG KO design never changed. I’d put those on everything if I could. LOL


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[akalito]

I really wish the BFG KO design never changed. I’d put those on everything if I could. LOL


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That's what I keep reading haha

 

[4wheeldrivesmatter]

Ko2’s!!

 

[Okieflyr]

Tires

I find my Wildpeaks work well for most daily things and trips I encounter.
That said I’ve found them to not be the best for snow in the 0-2” range as they don’t really get a bite. With several inches say 4+ they seem ok.

 

[DAW89446]

I’m partial to BFG All Terrain TAs. Have used them on several trucks for the past decades. They work for me.

That being said, I’d go with the best value in your circumstances. Is your source local and will repair and rotate free? Or do you have to travel or online source?

I live in a small, isolated town. I buy from a small locally owned shop. They fix flats and rotate free for the life of the tire. Their prices are not out of line from prices I’ve gotten from the big cities. The big cities are three hours away. A dollar or two saved is quickly lost for a tank of gas round trip, and eating out to take advantage of free services. And I’d rather support my local store instead of a big corporate chain.

 

[MAST4R]

If you were in AZ, I would say KO2.

In the Northeast, I would personally go AT3W, P-metric because it would do a lot better in the rain. For snow, neither will be great but both have the snowflake.

 

[vt100]

If you were in AZ, I would say KO2.

In the Northeast, I would personally go AT3W, P-metric because it would do a lot better in the rain. For snow, neither will be great but both have the snowflake.

In my experience Falkens are pretty good on snow (of course if it's not 4 feet high fresh powder).
They are not so good on ice or slippery packed snow but none of AT tire would be good on that either.

 

[Lexington]

I went through this last spring. I was deciding between the KO2 and the AT3. I read many reviews and watched a lot of videos on YouTube. In the end here is what I found.

Daily Driving - The KO2 were given better rating than the AT3 for on road performance. Tires are quite, very controllable, handles corners well and feels more like a road tire than a off-road tire.

Rain - Both tires seem to preform equally in this area.

Snow - The AT3 on average was given slightly better review in snow compared to the KO2.

Mud and Dirt - Both tires seem to be fairly equal.

Rock - KO2 on average we’re given slightly better reviews in this area.

Overall I think both tires are fairly equal in performance and you can’t go wrong with either one. For on-road performance the KO2 is the clear leader in the All Terrain Tires. They are quiet and handle very well. For snow some reviews thought the KO2 were better and others thought the AT3 were better but more reviews favored the AT3. For rock the same thing but more favored the KO2. Cost wise the AT3 is generally less expensive that the KO2.

For me I bought the KO2. I’ve had them on my SUVs for the last 20 years and they have always been a great tire. I live in Northern California and most of my driving is on the road but I do occasionally go off-road and drive in the snow in the Sierra mountain. So it’s perfect for my needs. Over the years I only had a problem once in the snow. I had trouble stopping my car because I hit a patch of ice when I was in the town of Truckee. Fortunately I was able to avoid hitting anyone.

I hope this helps you out.

Here is a good review but this one says the KO2 is better in the snow.
Falken Wildpeak AT3W vs BFG KO2 - Which Should You Choose?

 

[mrblah]

ko2's

 

[doc1303]

Falken AT3W or Toyo AT3

 

[Sgb020]

Get the ko2 falken Wildpeaks are trash tires made popular due to their once cheap price point.

 

[2021nightshade4x4]

I wonder how many budget tire companies have gotten a big head, thinking they have a superior product, when in reality their sales are high because they decided to manufacture an oddball size that other manufacturers skipped?

On these T4R forums, it’s Falken Wildpeaks, on the Range Rover forums, it’s Cooper Zeons.


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[bzizzi]

Don't count out TOYO OC AT3's, made in USA, if you can find them, put a set on my 2020 ORP and love them, quiet, really grippy in snow. Tested their capabilities out in 2WD and was blown away. MPG is the same as the Dumbflops I took off. Wildpeaks are a cheap Chinese tire, the guy at tire center just laughed when I asked about Wildpeaks vs TOYO's.

 

[Mudballz]

Get the ko2 falken Wildpeaks are trash tires made popular due to their once cheap price point.

Do you ever own wildpeaks they are standard on the new rubicon and raptors as well the Subaru off roaders I’ve had them for 2 and half years and have been flawless !!!
communication without knowledge layball:

 

[johnnygraphic]

My Wildpeaks I just bought were made in Japan.


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[T4R_Canuck]

There seems to be a lot of negative opinions about the Wildpeak AT3W here, but i've run both the K02 and AT3W and the AT3W are hands down better for what I use them for. They are superior in winter, although not even close to a dedicated winter tire, they are quieter on road and they've held up to quite a bit of abuse while aired down on gravel and rocks off road.

I personally found the K02's to get louder as they started to wear, were decent offroad tires for gravel/small rocks but didn't have as much grip on wet rock as the AT3Ws do and they were pretty terrible in the winter conditions that I deal with here in Alberta.

I switched to the AT3W because I use my tires for everyday driving as well as offroad in temps ranging from +40C to -40C and i've been happy with my switch.

 

[KiwiKurt]

Of the two, Wildpeak.

Im going to get flamed for this for sure, because KO2’s have an inexplicable tribal following……but KO2’s dont deserve the reputation they have. They last a long time on pavement, but break down way too quickly with off road use. Their off road traction and snow traction isnt that great either.

Not to mention all of their QC issues. After having bought sets of my own that didnt live up, I had a vehicle fleet in Africa that had BFG as a tire supplier. The issues were near constant. Breaking tread blocks. Delaminating carcasses. Super fast wear down in sand. Chipping. Belt failures. Of all about 30 trucks I had, every single one had at least one of those issues with at least one tire.

I got fed up and dumped BFG entirely. Ended up with a mix of Cooper’s, General’s, and Goodyears. All were better than the BFG. Id never buy a BFG product again. I had Wildpeaks on my jeep and was happy with them and would buy again. LT Duratracs, ATX, Discoverer were all great for me as well.

 

[akalito]

thank you for all the info everyone! Seems like a lot of mixed reviews on both! Going to see where I get the best deal and warranty. Keep the comments coming as I know a lot of new members as myself are wondering the same thing.

 

[MAST4R]

thank you for all the info everyone! Seems like a lot of mixed reviews on both! Going to see where I get the best deal and warranty. Keep the comments coming as I know a lot of new members as myself are wondering the same thing.

You should not pay attention to anyone who is not telling you which Wildpeak they run, have in mind.

P metric or LT? VERY DIFFERENT TIRES!!!

I cannot compare the LT Wildpeak to the KO (which is LT only).

I can definitely compare the P metric Wildpeak to the KO.

There is no comparison on the road between these two as the P metric Wildpeak is almost as good as a street tire and the KO2 is definitely not.

I never had issues with the P metric offroading Montana which is the closest I have done to what you have.

But in the desert, the KO2 beats the P metric Wildpeak on strength hands down.

The KO2 is a mediocre tire overall but aside from the cult following it does have actual strengths:

1/ Desert (though KM3 would be better, my Mickey Thompsons are better, too);
2/ Any terrain where you need maximum strength (LTE versions)
3/ Availability of C load LTs in various sizes.

The KO2 C-load is a true C-load, meaning they weigh much less than the E load. By contrast, the AT3W C-load is a joke as it weighs as E load.

So if you are going to be serious about it, you have to get into the actual data and tire construction facts, and not go by what somebody saw on youtube.

Or maybe a few of us here should start a youtube channel with actually useful information, LOL.

EDIT: to sum it up, the KO2 has two strong features: puncture resistance offroad and (true) C-load availability in various sizes. That's it. Its traction is nothing special and it is not good in mud. It is not a hybrid tire like my MTs or Cooper Maxx or Yoko X/T.