Thread: Kumho MT51 18"

I've got the Cooper STT Pro's went through mud with ease and some quite steep rocky areas really well, couldn't see any cuts or abrasions. Bit noisy for road use but have got used to it now. I don't have a comparison point as first set of LT tyres I've had, had Pirelli ATRs before only on road usage for those.

Originally Posted by VK3GJM

Hi All,

I currently run D697 and have very happy with them. I am about to do an extensive Kimberley trip and have been scouting around for a slightly more aggressive tyre.

the Kuhmo MT51 are available in 265/60 R18 and the reviews are quire good.

pros/ cons difficult to seperate, other then the D697's might be more common.

Some thoughts do cross my mind though:-

1. Is the Kuhmo brand reputable?
2. Bridgestone D697, proven and have reputation
3. A more aggressive muddy is not an easy choice, MT51 over D697 is not a compromise and not extreme?
4. Feedback on Kuhmo in general is not plentiful, yet?
5. Had looked at KO2, but same as D697.
6. Not to concerned at price, need 6 anyway, more about a tyre for the conditions, 50/50 on/off road.
7. Tyre wear not my biggest concern, will put D697 back on when returning.


I know tyres are very subjective, and there isn't much chatter on this forum "yet" about the MT51's, so I've put it out there.

Did the Kimberley last year towing and heavily loaded with no issues at all on our D697's. Why would you be wanting something more aggressive?

Rob

I've done Australia on Pirellis. I say the same, why do you need anything more.

The Kumhos on all cars I've experienced them on have been nothing short of brilliant.

Edit: this is from a large wagon to a small runabout that I'm driving at the moment. My track car ran semi-slick Kumhos. Back in the day they were the go to tyre and used in the Lotus series and similar.

As Rob said not sure why you would swap to MTs for the Kimberleys. We are about to do a 6 week trip through there and will be using 697s.
Would use any AT over a MT mostly for comfort and safety when swerving, noise and mostly there's not much mud, it dries out up there very quickly. If it was a trip down south through thick mud and ruts, I'd go MTs.

I wouldnt call the MT51 a muddie. They are more like an agressive AT like the copper ST max

They have a good load rating as well.
They also have an AT50,but not in 265/60/18.

The MT50 looks like a very aggressive AT,i wonder how noisey they are?

As for the OP,i would go with what you have,the D697, or the KO2.

The KO2 is now a lot cheaper than it used to be in that size.

Khumos are a great tyre, we the KL78s on our D4 for about 55,000ks, only reason for the change was we do a lot of High Country stuff, so muds are a better option, at the moment we have Bridgstone D674s in 17" as our offroad tyre, we'll be on these for our Kimberley trip also, but we didn't pick specifically for our Kimberley trip, it's more because of the other trips we do, it can be very muddy in the high country of NSW and VIC and most other areas.

An agressive AT would be all you would need really and as said above the MT51 would fall into that catagory, I have Hankook Dynapro on my 18s, good tyre so far, I'd go to the Kimberley on them, good pricing too.

I've run Kumho KL71s since they came out and rate them very highly for an aggressive off-road tyre that is also livable on-road (Discovery 1). Fairly resistant to getting chewed up on the gibber and with monster traction when it gets challenging. However your question was specifically about 1. the MT51s and 2. the Kumho brand.

1. The MT51s are a latest-generation tyre with silca compound and are among the most aggressive of the current ATs. Kumho themselves refer to them as "mild M/Ts" and they do blur the line between A/T and M/T so they are quite capable. Being latest-gen they have got a host of improvements over the stuff that's years old. My FIL has them (RA Rodeo - heavily loaded) as does an uncle (PX Ranger) and I've driven both vehicles extensively on various surfaces and rate them as being quite capable and strong. Both acquit themselves well both on-road and off. There is some tyre noise on highway, as you'd expect, but it's a low, muted rumble. But this will likely get more pronounced as the tyres wear down, as with all tyres.
2. Kumho has a very solid reputation in both on and off-road tyres and you really don't need to worry there. They know what they are doing and put out good product, as do <insert name of favourite mainsteam tyre manufacturer here>. You can't go too far wrong sticking to a name-brand and then picking a tyre in their line up that has the construction and tread pattern that suits your use.

As to whether they are a good choice for your intended use.... that is really up to you to determine. I haven't done the Kimberly as yet so can't comment on the terrain out there first-hand. I've done a bit around the center of Australia (Old Andado, Simpson, etc) and my Kumhos fared a lot better than the BFG KOs on the D2a with us, or the MTRs on the Rodeo with us. We are clever (or lucky) enough to drive extremely capable off-road vehicles that will go amazing places and bring you back home safely. How easily they do that depends on your tyres more than anything. I personally tend to go a bit more aggressive/capable than what I think I'll need and that gives me some reserve if conditions worsen or I stretch where I want to go or do the "that looks interesting. I wonder where that goes...?". Having said that, the D697s have an enviable reputation and are a solid performer, but can't hope to match the MT51s if the terrain gets boggy. Nor can the BFG KO2s, which are also an excellent general A/T tyre. I'm not buying or selling here. It's really up to you. Good luck