Thread: Bridgestone 661

someone mentioned them the other day in this thread and suggested they where a good alternative to the 697's of which I don't like.

I was going to take a look at them myself.

Den.

Yes its interesting to hear this praise for the 661s because down south we only hear about their 697s. I wonder how the 661s differ from the 697s. Anyone able to compare them?

Yes its interesting to hear this praise for the 661s because down south we only hear about their 697s. I wonder how the 661s differ from the 697s. Anyone able to compare them?
This write up praises the 661s toughness for commercial work but says the 693 might be better for passenger 4WDs.
http://www.bridgestone.com.au/tyres/...stimonial.aspx

Yes it's a good review Mick, cheers. Pretty much spot on, although I'd say 661's are much more robust than 697's. Based on witnessing others experience many more punctures with 697's and also the overwhelming preference for 661's in harsh environments, up north. Bridgestone make excellent, under rated tyres and 697's would be good for those who go off road rarely; more a Disco or Prado type road tyre IMO. 661's are the perfect Defender tyre. They come in limited sizes for a reason: it's the best all round size for bush work of all kinds. It's a standard that makes it easy when you need a tyre outside metro areas too. Especially good for Defende considering high load rating, as well as having very strong sidewalls which bulge out far less. Yet they are also very good on road IME. It's not a soft car like ride, but that's not Defender. They are not showy and they work hard.

Do you think the 661s could work on a Defender which spends most of its time on the bitumen, but does get out into the real tough stuff a couple of times a year, or would the 697s be better for that usage mixture?