UTV & RTV Tyres
UTV's RTV's and Side by Side (SXS) machines have increased in popularity significantly over the past 10 years and as a result we have put together the best line-up of tyres that are suitable for these machines and the different types of terrain they are used on. We have all of the popular sizes that are used on John Deere Gators, Polaris Rangers, Kubota RTV, Can-am Commanders, Defenders & Mavericks. These tyres include heavier ply rated and Radial construction tyres that have been designed specifically for use on these machines and the extra demands that they are subjected to in daily use. We also have the less common sizes used on vehicles such as the Kawasaki Mule 3000/4000 series in a variety of patterns . We can provide heavy duty and high load range tyres that these machines require and tread designs vary from turf and grass friendly right through to the ultimate in grip and puncture resistance.
We believe our UTV range of tyres is the very best available in the Market today that feature popular brands of Maxxis, Duro, Kenda and Obor, as well as lesser well known brands that offer fantastic value for money. This range means we can usually find the best UTV tyres for your intended use and at a price that suits your budget. This makes our selection one of the very best whether you are looking for suitability for golf courses, forestry and game keeping, farming and agriculture or just for fun. Road legal, higher psi and heavier ply rated tyres put us in the unique position of being able to supply the very best UTV tyres available and we believe we are at the very forefront of this market with both our products and market knowledge. All of our advisors have experience with UTV's and so are in the best position to offer suggestions to suit your needs. Please look through the options available on the list above and contact us if you need any further assistance.
Finding the correct tyre for your UTV involves knowing the correct tyre size. The size is usually written on the sidewall of the tyre and can be displayed in a number of different ways. We have detailed an explanation of how the different methods of measuring the tyre can be written below:
Imperial Tyre Sizes - e.g. "25x8-12"
This measures the size of the tyres in inches. The first number denotes the overall diameter of the tyre which in the example above is 25". The middle number is the overall width of the tyre which is 8" in the example above. The last number is the diameter of the rim (wheel) in inches. In this example it would be 12"
Metric Tyre Sizes - e.g. "230 / 70 - 14"
This is the newer, 'metric' measurement where the first number is again the width of the tyre, but is measured in mm. In this case 230mm. The second digit represents the tyre sidewall profile (height) as a percentage of the width. In this example the sidewall height would be 70% of 230mm (approx. 161mm). The last digit is again the diameter of the rim (wheel), still measured in inches. In this example it would be 14"
Similar to most modern tyres, there are two main types of UTV tyre: Crossply and Radial.
Crossply Utility Vehicle Tyres
These are becoming less common now but are still a good options for a variety of different uses. The reduced production costs and increased sidewall durability make it an excellent choice for both classic and modern UTV's. As utility vehicle tyres are usually run at higher pressures to achieve their load rating, the crossply construction can offer some properties of suspension through the sidewall and can also allow for better deformation around obstacles and have an increased contact patch for grip on rougher terrains. Crossply tyres are usually cheaper to produce and so these cost get carried forward in a lower buying price to our customers.Radial Utility Vehicle Tyres
These are usually found as original equipment fit on most of todays newer machines such as the John Deere Gators, Polaris Rangers and Can-Am line up of UTV's that run larger tyres. Radial utlity vehcile and side by side tyres offer certain benefits over their crossply counterparts. As a radial tyre is made up of two main sections (tread & sidewall) It allows the tyre to have characteristics that make it suitable for a wide variety of applications.
As the sidewall of a radial tyre moves in a different way to the tread section of the tyre, extra comfort and stability can be engineered into the tyre. This can allow for a quicker response to changes in terrain, especially at high speeds and can also help reduce the transmission of vibrations through the steering. Radial UTV tyres also offer better performance on the road and hard packed surfaces. The tread section of the tyre has a more consistent contact patch with the surface and allows for increased corning and stability in changes of direction. The increased lifespan often associated with radial tyres can often help offset the initial higher cost price usually found with a radial tyre.
There is more to choosing an UTV tyre than just the size required. A lot of UTV's use similar sized tyres to all terrain vehicles and quad bikes. Even though the size may match, one of the most important pieces of information you need to check and match up is the load index of the tyre. For example, we have a huge range of 25x10-12 tyres that suit a number of farm quads, but only a selection of the tyres in this size have the load capacity to carry the weight of a utility vehicle and the payload it needs to carry. Using an insufficiently load rated tyre can cause premature failure and wear and we always advise our customers to check this before making a decision on their purchase. In reality putting and ATV tyre onto a utility vehicle would be similar to fitting a car tyre to a heavy goods vehicle. The load speed index is usually clearly marked on at least one of the sidewalls of the tyres.
Load Index is the limit of weight that the tyre can safely carry. Load indices are usually denoted by a number. The number itself is not the actual weight carried but represents the maximum weight that the tyre has been designed and tested for. Most tyres have a load index between 0 (45kg's) and 170 (6000kg's). For more information on utlilty vehicles and side by side tyre load indexes, please refer to our load index chart on the Tyre Guide page.
Speed Rating is the maximum speed that the tyre has been designed to operate at. As with the load index, the speed rating is an important part of any tyre purchase. Ensuring you have the correct tyre for the job means better operation, reduced downtime and associated costs and increased overall value. UTV tyre speed indices are usually shown as a letter. Typical speed ratings on side by side and buggy tyres range from D (40mph) to N (86mph).
Ply Ratings can be quite confusing in modern times and used to be the standard way to represent the overall strength of the tyre. Ply rating used to show how many plies of rubber that were used to make up the construction of the tyre. For example, if a tyre had a 6ply rating, it would be made up of 6 plies (layers) of rubber. Modern advances in tyre technology have lead to other materials than rubber being used and construction methods increasing the strength of the tyre. The PLY rating is less commonly used to convey the number of plies and is now more relevant in showing the strength of the tyre 'AS IF' it had that number of plies of rubber.