Ironman Tires Review: They Fulfill the Basic Driving Needs

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When purchasing new tires, you should always ask yourself a question – what do you want and expect from the tires you purchase? Do you want a reliable solution for an everyday drive? Or, you want to extract the best possible performance from your modern passenger car, SUV, or truck?

Now, if you want the latter, you need to be prepared to spend more money on tires. Tires from reputable and well-known manufacturers are certainly not cheap, but they offer the best possible performance.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have companies like Ironman, who focus on offering the requirements of people that need basic transportation. Not every driver wants to explore the possibilities of his/her vehicle, and Ironman knows that.

For those that aren’t associated with the brand, Ironman is owned by Hercules, a tire manufacturer that positions itself a bit higher. Still, both brands are firmly into the budget-friendly territory and don’t compete with companies like Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental, Pirelli, or Goodyear.

The question is – are Ironman tires any good? Until now, my experience with very cheap tires wasn’t very pleasing, so I was curious to find out if Ironman can change that opinion.

To answer the question, though, you’ll need to read the whole Ironman tires review, as there are many things we need to discuss.

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Top 5 Best Ironman Tires

1. Ironman GR-906

Best Touring All-Season Tire

Ironman Tires Review

The GR-906 is perhaps the best-buy in Ironman’s lineup. The tire is so cheap that on some cars, four tires cost less than $200. And, the GR-906 makes a good first impression – it’s very quiet and comfortable.
For daily driving, the tire also performs adequately, with good steering, acceleration, and braking. The hydroplaning resistance is very good, as well.

That said, the tire doesn’t come with a treadwear warranty, which is a standard in this category. Also, don’t plan on using it in harsh wintry conditions.

Pros

  • Very quiet and comfortable
  • Good handling and braking on dry roads
  • Good hydroplaning resistance
  • Extremely cheap

Cons

  • No treadwear warranty
  • Treadlife is far from impressive
  • Subpar snow traction

2. Ironman iMOVE GEN2 AS

Best High-Performance All-Season Tire

Ironman Tires Review

The performance-oriented iMOVE GEN2 AS handles sharply and has pretty high levels of grip and traction on dry surfaces. Meanwhile, the tire is also quiet and comfortable.

However, traction on wet roads is limited, especially in heavy rain. Also, driving on snow can feel unsafe, and Ironman doesn’t provide any treadwear warranty.

Pros

  • Sharp responses
  • Good cornering grip on dry roads
  • Quiet and comfortable
  • Very cheap

Cons

  • No treadwear warranty
  • Wet traction is limited
  • Snow traction is subpar

3. Ironman RB SUV

Best Highway Tire for SUVs and Trucks

Ironman Tires Review

With its tough and durable construction, the RB SUV is a perfect choice for drivers or larger SUVs that often drive on hardpacked surfaces. The tire also performs well on dry roads, both in the performance and comfort department.

That said, the premium competition offers vastly better traction on wet surfaces, longer treadlife, and very long treadwear warranties.

Pros

  • Tough construction
  • Good stability on the highway
  • Quiet and comfortable
  • Good for hardpacked surfaces
  • Very cheap

Cons

  • No treadwear warranty
  • Wet traction could be better

4. Ironman All Country AT

Best All-Terrain Tire

Ironman Tires Review

The All Country AT works surprisingly well over hardpacked surfaces, where it provides the driver with excellent traction. The tire also works very well in mud and has good traction over large rocks.

On the road, stability is good, but only on dry surfaces. In the rain, hydroplaning performance is acceptable for the price, but traction is still limited.

Pros

  • Good traction on hardpacked surfaces
  • Usable in mud and over larger rocks
  • Safe on dry roads
  • Good hydroplaning resistance
  • Usable over unpacked snow

Cons

  • No treadwear warranty
  • Doesn’t work over packed snow and ice
  • Wet performance is below average for the category

5. Ironman All Country CHT

Best Commercial Tire

Ironman Tires Review

The All Country CHT is one of the cheapest commercial-grade light-truck tires on the market. That’s great news for small businesses, which don’t have the ability to purchase premium tires.

The All Country CHT performs adequately on the road, but it still lacks ultimate traction on wet and snowy surfaces, especially when compared to premium tires.

Pros

  • Good highway stability
  • Tough and durable construction
  • Quiet and comfortable
  • Good hydroplaning resistance

Cons

  • Wet traction could be better
  • Not suitable for harsh wintry conditions
  • No treadwear warranty

Ironman Tires Review: Buying Guide

Ironman has an extensive portfolio of tires for passenger cars. The most popular tires in Ironman’s lineup are the SUV and light-truck tires, primarily the off-road models, All Country A/T and All Country M/T.

The performance tires from Ironman are also very popular within the tuning community, mainly due to the aggressive design and very low prices for the larger sizes. Ironman offers performance tires for sedans and coupes, but also for crossovers and SUVs.

Meanwhile, the company also has touring tires for sedans and compact cars and highway tires for light trucks and SUVs. The company emphasizes comfort and durability with these tires, with responsiveness playing second fiddle.

Ironman also offers commercial tires for light trucks and vans. Recently, the company launched a studdable winter tire, which is unusual for a cheap manufacturer, but certainly welcome.

The only thing that stands out to me is that the company only offers all-season compounds, apart from the winter model. You can’t find track-focused tires in Ironman’s lineup, at least not if you want to have the best possible performance and quick lap times.

With that being said, let’s see what the main advantages and disadvantages of owning a set of Ironman tires are.

1. Ironman Tires Positive Aspects

Very Cheap to Buy

Ironman offers some of the cheapest tires on the market. The savings are already big on touring tires and smaller sizes, and they become even larger if you opt for very large sizes on some SUV-focused models.

On the larger sizes, you might save around $600 for a set of tires compared to those from premium manufacturers. That’s certainly not a small amount. That said, most of the savings will be reduced in the long run – premium tires will definitely last longer.

However, I am in no doubt that Ironman tires are cheaper than premium alternatives in the long run, even including the shorter treadlife.

Developed by Hercules Tires

Many cheap Chinese tires that roll on the roads today don’t have a source of development. Moreover, they are also identical, at least when it comes to the tread pattern. Hercules definitely tried to change things a bit here and designed the tires in-house.

That’s great because Hercules has experience in research and development, which is the single most important thing for injecting safety in tires. Sure, Hercules doesn’t have the muscle of Michelin and Bridgestone, but for the price, you are at least getting a developed tire.

Adequate for Everyday Driving

Most Ironman tires will be completely adequate for everyday driving scenarios. More accurately, they will steer, accelerate, and stop the way you like. Provided, of course, you drive within the speed limits and don’t push your vehicle too hard.

Ironman tires should be passable on a wet tarmac as well. In normal driving, handling should be fine, and the braking distances sufficiently short. Again, I must state here that you will get shorter braking distances from premium tires, budget-oriented tires (Cooper, General, Hankook), and even Hercules tires.

Most Models are Quiet and Comfortable

Unlike other cheap tires, Ironman models are at least comfortable on uneven surfaces and quiet at highway speeds. They become slightly louder as they wear down, but still within acceptable limits.

2. Ironman Tires Negative Aspects

Not the Best Choice for Performance Driving

While Ironman tires are adequate for everyday driving, they will quickly start to show the limitations if you push too hard. During hard cornering, Ironman tires will quickly remind you that they will lose traction by squeaking, which sometimes is a good thing.

For those reasons, if you own a powerful vehicle, you might be better off with more expensive tires. Or, just drive your car more carefully, especially in the rain.

Wet and Snow Performance are Worse than Premium Tires

The area where Ironman tires suffer the most when compared to the more expensive competition is wet surfaces. Ironman tires should have enough tread depth for good hydroplaning, but this doesn’t change the fact that overall, the traction will be limited, and braking distances will be longer.

That’s especially true in the winter. Even though every tire from Ironman is rated as all-season, you shouldn’t test them in severe wintry conditions. Traction in snow is below average for the category, while the traction on ice is almost non-existent.

Treadlife is Far from Impressive

Cheap tires never last as long as expensive tires. Of course, the same is true for Ironman’s products, which have a much lower treadlife than the premium competition. Besides, Ironman doesn’t provide a treadwear warranty on its tires, which is a bummer.

Conclusion

I often enter my reviews open-minded, even though I admit that I mostly prefer premium tires. With Ironman tires, at least, I wasn’t very disappointed.

For daily driving, Ironman tires will work just fine. They will accelerate, steer, stop, and be quiet and comfortable. As long as you don’t expect miracles, they might be a good option.

However, don’t for a second think that the driver that put his/her cash on new Bridgestone’s was robbed. There is a reason why premium tires cost so much – they are almost without fault.

If you can live with the faults of Ironman’s products, though, then you should put them on your shortlist.

10 thoughts on “Ironman Tires Review: They Fulfill the Basic Driving Needs”

    • Hi William Murphy,

      Here is what they say on the website:

      Backed by a 60-month Limited Protection Policy covering defects in workmanship and materials.

      So, yeah, they probably cover the sidewalls with 60-months warranty

      Although, you can never know with these cheap brands

      Thanks!

      Reply
  1. I got 4 Ironman (Imove)195/65R15 for my car this year in March. I got 3500 miles on them and the two in the back are bald. Took the car and had a 4 wheel alignment on it. I was thinking it was bad to wear a tire out like that. It was good. So the tires did not hold up. It a shame a big company can not back there tires up. Thanks for your time.

    Reply
  2. I have a set of 4 gen 2 Iron Man tires on My F150 Ford Pickup. They are the worst tires I have ever had on the ice. I slid through 2 intersections doing less than 15 MPH. These tires are dangerous to drive on in the winter.

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  3. I purchased two Ironman RB-12 NWS passenger tires for a car. Even though they have polyester sidewall construction, they still flat spot after standing cold like the old nylon sidewall tires used to do.

    Reply
  4. So far I’ve had a positive experience with driving comfort. I haven’t had the chance to drive in inclement weather. I have tha Iron man LT AT.

    Reply
  5. So far I’ve had a positive experience with driving comfort. I haven’t had the chance to drive in inclement weather. I have the Iron man LT AT.

    Reply
  6. I have the Ironman imove gen2s on my 2015 mustang gt. Simply because they were the tires the dealer had on the vehicle. Much to my surprise, they are pretty good and I have had a good tread wear life as well. That being said, if I want to break traction in the rear I can at any time all the way up to 3rd gear… But I kind of like that aspect in my sports car. As far as traction on cornering, I find that my brakes let me down before my tires do…

    Reply
  7. Bought 4 Ironman all country MT’s 315/70R17E in 2019, now its 2021 and the tread is still going strong, wearing even and hold up well aired down for rock crawling, regardless I will purchase again when they eventually wear out, new the tread is 19/32nds, now they are at 12/32nds

    Reply
  8. As Ironman is for budget-conscious customers, the price of their tires is much lower compared to Michelin. For example, you can buy an Ironman tire for as low as $50. On the other hand

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