HERCULES TIRES

[crunch1]

It has been quite a while since I bought trailer tires. The question I have is, are the Cooper made Hercules tires worth while? I have read so many bad things about the Goodyear Marathon and the Carlisle tires and have decided I don't want them. Most of the others I have heard little or nothing about. This is why I'm looking at the Hercules brand. How about some input from the group on tires. I'm going to use 225 75 15 radial and 10 ply
​Thanks for any and all response.

 

[bruceb58]

I had some that failed at 4 years.

I am going with Maxxis now.

 

[fishrdan]

Marathon's got a bad rap because Goodyear cheaped-out and had them made in China for several years, that was 5 years ago, or so. They have been bringing production back to the US and I wouldn't hesitate buying "US" made Marathons, but I would check the tires before mounting to make sure they were not China Marathons. I've also use Marathons made in New Zealand which were good tires, and think even Canada if I remember right.

I'm running 2-3 year old Carlisles now which are looking pretty bad, serious weather checking. Going to replace them with US made Marathons, or Maxxis' as Bruce mentioned.

 

[NHGuy]

I'm a tire guy.
Yup, buy them in person. Verify country of production isn't china.
And don't accept tires with production dates over a year ago. The date code is in an oval in the sidewall at the end of the DOT code. It's 4 digits which consist of the week and last digits of year of production.
Also you ought to get ST which means special trailer, marked tires. though the LT's work. ST's are made to handle trailer use. Like tandem axle corner loads, long sun exposure, and being close to fully weight loaded all the time. Carlisle and Goodyear are the biggest and best brands. I have personally sent back lots of fails when I worked next to the highway in Las Vegas. People would pull in after hours on the interstate in 115 degree heat. No wonder they failed.
I'd buy Goodyear without qualm, they back their stuff, including damage caused to vehicles on which their failed tires were run.
Some of the vehicles that we serviced had wrong pressure (too low) and were still helped.
My boat trailer has Tow Max STR tires, they are good too.

 

[bassman284]

I have Hercs on my trailer right now. Don't know who actually made them but they seem to be doing OK. I used Marathons for almost 12 years - original set was US made, second set China made. Both worked fine.

Tire brand threads are like oil brand threads around here - you're going to find passionate arguments for and against any brand you name. The fact is, they are all probably pretty good and will perform satisfactorily if properly maintained.

 

[boatrup]

I have Hercules tires on my truck and my trailer. Both sets have been doing great, plus excellent traction for my truck. I cant say for sure about the longevity of them as this is the first time using them, but so far I would probably buy them again. My tires are about 3 years old now, and no cracks or bulges.

 

[crunch1]

Thanks for the replies. I am always amazed at those who put something on, and never check it till it has a problem. Most people never check the spare tire for PSI before they head out on a long trip. Over the years I've learned to take care of my equipment, because everyone wants to sell you a new one. Also as someone on another site said the internet is full of angry stories. I will find what I'm looking for, plenty of time before boat comes out of storage.