Cooper Tyres

Submitted: Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 17:40
ThreadID: 133078 Views:4728 Replies:19 FollowUps:13
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Looking for some unbiased feed back on Cooper AT3,s
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Reply By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:06

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:06
.
"Unbiased" opinion on tyres?
Good luck.
Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:31

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:31
Coopers at that!

Not Just any ol tyres Allan.
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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:57

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:57
I'm not a big fan. I think their warranty is a dammed insult to customers intelligence. But they seem to get good reviews.
http://www.productreview.com.au/p/cooper-a-t3.html

http://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Reviews/Cooper/DISCOVERER+A-T3
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:12

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:12
A whole set of our STTs were replaced after 40K. Would you call that an " insult to customers intelligence" Five tyres for free!!!!!
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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:56

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:56
I gotta admit, that sounds pretty good.
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Follow Up By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 10:17

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 10:17
Your not kidding. After all the bad reviews, note that you never hear good ones, you could have knocked me over with a feather.

Phil
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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 11:28

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 11:28
Interesting Phil, You did better than me.

I had Mickey Thompson AT's a while ago. While Mickey Thompson don't have a similar mileage warranty, they do have a similar product warranty and MT / Cooper are distributed by the same company in Australia. After about 10,000km, 2 of them had bad bubbling on the sidewalls. The dealer agreed and called out the rep.

Here is what annoyed me. They offered compensation of 50% off what I payed for them (which was a small discount off list), but the dealer said he had to sell the new replacements at list price in that situation. I also had to pay for fitting and balancing of the replacements. The replacement cost amounted to about 60% of the original buy price to replace 2 10000km old tyres that should really have been replaced for free. They had me by the you know whats.

The tyres went on and lasted about 60,000 kms, which is about average for what I do, and I was generally happy with them ( except they did chip more than I expected on dirt roads, and the sidewalls bagged out too much on sand IMHO) ,but I thought it was an awful response to a legitimate problems and it left a scar till this day.

Never again.
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FollowupID: 872428

Follow Up By: Member - ACD 1 - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 20:23

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 20:23
I did pretty well out of Mickey T with my ATZ P3's.

They started to show cracks (there rep said it was something called cold tear - not letting them warm up before driving aggressively - but that's a whole other story). When I argued the toss with the rep, the State Manager of Exclusive got involved and all 6 tyres were replaced gratis.

The two spares were brand new, never on the road and the other four had approx 35000 km on them. They even had them fitted and balanced at my supplier.

Turns out it was a compound issue - which is exactly what the 4 Mickey T dealers told me it was when I got them to check them out.

Boobook - not only the same distributor, but I have been told that they actually come out of the same factory by a Mickey T dealer but no concrete proof?????

Cheers

Anthony
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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Wednesday, Jul 27, 2016 at 10:22

Wednesday, Jul 27, 2016 at 10:22
Maybe it all comes down to who you speak to from the distributor. Your example seemed to go from a poor response to a great outcome thorough your escallation. Maybe I should have pushed back more, but it was totally obvious the tyres were faulty and should have been replaced. Pressures and use were exactly the same as the other 2 (good) tyres.

They won on the day but they'll never get a sale out of me again.

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FollowupID: 872452

Follow Up By: vk1dx - Wednesday, Jul 27, 2016 at 10:38

Wednesday, Jul 27, 2016 at 10:38
No truer words were spoken than those in your very first sentence BB.

Even back when I was a nipper and helping out in Dad's shop. The first impression does matter. More so these days, especially when speaking to the younger generation. They don't know body language. You can't see on emails and sms and the social media.

Phil
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FollowupID: 872455

Follow Up By: Member - ACD 1 - Wednesday, Jul 27, 2016 at 11:30

Wednesday, Jul 27, 2016 at 11:30
And I agree with both of you!

During the whole fiasco (because it wasn't as simple as make a claim and have it sorted) I maintained a very metered and measured approach.

The company rep NEVER inspected the tyres and made his call from discussion with the shop I bought them from. I was cc'd into the emails and it was personal comments about me (whom he had never spoken too nor met) that caused me to escalate it up the chain.

I went to other suppliers of the tyres (and a couple of non suppliers) and sought their independent opinion (I never discussed the claim, the reps conclusions or the contents of emails). They all came up with the same conclusion - compound fault.

I researched the phenomenon of "cold tear in tyres" and found that it didn't apply in my case (WA does not get the necessary extremely low temps, my driving style would hardly be called aggressive, it is a 4.2 lt 105 series Landcruiser after all).

Armed with all of this, I went back to the tyre shop and had them contact the state manager to set up a site meeting to inspect the tyres and discuss the claim. Within 10 mins of him being there, it was all sorted. He confirmed, by visual inspection that it was a compound issue and although it was purely cosmetic and not potentially dangerous he said it was not what was expected of their product and they would replace all tyres (as they were from the same batch). Replacement tyres have performed faultlessly so far.

A great outcome.

Cheers

Anthony
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FollowupID: 872456

Reply By: Member - warren G (VIC) - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:50

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:50
love em ,hate em or is that hate em love em sorry for the reply but this is how the story will go. cheers



warren
AnswerID: 602784

Reply By: MUZBRY- Life member(Vic) - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:55

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 18:55
Gday
Which way did you wany the bias to go....They are round and black and i dont know anybody that uses them..I lead a sheltered life.
Muzbry
Great place to be Mt Blue Rag 27/12/2012

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Reply By: Member - Geoff M (VIC) - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:00

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:00
Hi Toddy

Can't help you with the AT3's but I have had a set of Cooper STMaxx on the 'cruiser for over 70,000 km traveling on a range of conditions and they have been great. Was definitely not a fan of Coopers prior to this set, but have no complaints with the STMaxx's.

Cheers, Geoff
AnswerID: 602786

Reply By: Mudripper - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:19

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:19
Perhaps I can provide a helpful answer.

I've had Cooper AT3's on my Rodeo in 245/70R16LT for over three years now and can't really fault them, so far. They perform very well under heavy loads and seem to work well in the mud (although I could get better results if I wasn't running them at road pressure).

They are relatively noisey for an AT tyre on the black top (compared to a set of 32x11.50R15LT Hankook Dynapro MT's on my 80 series that are virtually silent). I have noticed some minor chipping of the tread blocks here and there, though that could be my fault for not lowering tyre pressures when hitting gravel roads.

To summarise. Would I buy them again? For the price that I paid probably not, as I could've bought Toyo Open Country MT's for around the same price or less. The Toyo's in my unbiased opinion are a better tyre. Not trying to sell Toyo's here, just going off what people are telling me/internet reviews.

The Coopers unfortunately seem to return mixed results. Some people have had good experiences, some not so good. There just isn't any consistency with the Coopers.

Cheers.


AnswerID: 602787

Follow Up By: The Explorer - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:52

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:52
"Some people have had good experiences, some not so good. There just isn't any consistency with the Coopers"

Possibly the same for most tyres...some people will have a bad run and blame it on the tyre, then get another brand and all good. Conclusion, second brand better when in fact it was just a case of pure chance. So be cautious with any "opinion" provided by anyone (on any matter) without obtaining specific details on how they have arrived at their conclusion.

I see some people whinging about Coopers warranty - different subject to OPs original question.

Have used Cooper AT3s in the past (currently have older ATRs on the Prado) - good value for money and worked fine. Can't say anything bad about them.

Cheers
Greg
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Reply By: Member - Lloyd M - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:44

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:44
I tried Coopers some years ago, didn't like them, now using the Toyo AT , a great tyre & 10 ply rated, not to mention much cheaper
Lloyd Mac

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Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:50

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 19:50
Sorry I can't directly answer your question, but there is no such thing as "unbiased" when talking tyres. Most is just anecdotal experience, some of the replies will be from people who sell them; and the others will be from people with an axe to grind.
Cooper tyres have attracted the latter - because they promise the earth and may or may not deliver.
But what I've noticed is all that tyres have improved heaps over the years - lots more LT options, so if you look after your tyres you will have no issues. And you don't necessarily get what you pay for - cheap chinese tyres are now pretty common in the outback - look at what Arkaroola put on their vehicles.
I've used many brands over the years, and today makes the 10 year anniversary since I got my last puncture.
AnswerID: 602789

Reply By: Member - shane r1 - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 20:05

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 20:05
The best thing about cooper tyres is their TV ad.

Honestly they are ok , but don't shine out in front of any other brands.

Cheers Robbo
AnswerID: 602790

Reply By: Member - Wildmax - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 21:19

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 21:19
I've had Cooper AT3s on my Hilux for more than 150,000 (2 sets) & cant fault them. Have new camper last year with STMaxx and when current tyres are due for replacement b4 next years trip will change Lux tyres to same. Key issue is to drive with pressires appropriate to terrain & that is no doubt true of any brand.
Wildmax
2018 Hilux and Black Wolf 210 tent - for the outback tracks less travelled
Formerly an AOR Eclipse and a TVan

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Reply By: Member - Bruce and Di T (SA) - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 21:41

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 21:41
We have AT3s on our Prado and they have been more than satisfactory. Previously we had always run BF Goodrich on our 80 Series and Troopy. We were a little wary about our first set of AT3's but have now progressed to our second set. They have crossed the Simpson, done Binns, The Anne Beadell twice, the High Country and the list goes on. We let the tyres down once we hit gravel/dirt and certainly when in sand. Don't like mud so can't comment - it's dirty! :-)

Di
AnswerID: 602792

Reply By: Steve in Kakadu - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 21:55

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 21:55
Their warranty covers more of what they won't cover as apposed to what they will.
Just sayin
AnswerID: 602793

Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 07:35

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 07:35
Yes I love it. This is their FAQ on the 100,000km warranty.

Cooper Warranty(?)

Highlights.
-Does not apply if you buy the tyres outside a Capital City.
-A dealer can chose not to honor the warranty if you have any chips, cuts or marks from road use.
-You have to have a rotate, balance and wheel alignment every 10000 km at a Cooper dealer.
-100,000 means 50,000 to 100,000km at their discretion

Apart from that the warranty is rock solid.

Sure it is a good think to regularly attend to balance rotation and alignment but when and where you need it, not the nearest capital city cooper dealer at elevated prices.


.

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Reply By: Hoyks - Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 22:09

Monday, Jul 25, 2016 at 22:09
I bought a set and put them on a courier tray back 4x4 and then did about 40000km on them.

When I sold the ute they hardly looked worn at all. I can't really comment on their grip in the wet as the courier hardly had any grip on the back end anyway.

They were a harder compound, wore well and didn't cost me the earth when I got them. They also didn't throw chunks of rubber like some of the more aggressive tyres are prone to do.

Tyre warranty? As a marketing ploy, I really didn't care. They are a consumable and I drive dirt roads, so it was probably void by the time I got home.

They were better than my old Bridgestone's, lasted a lot longer than the Yokohama's and Silverstone's, had better tread and traction than the nasty chinese things my dad put on that would never wear out, but I wouldn't rate them as high as the BF Goodrich A/T's*.

* (For no real reason other than that I a BF Goodrich A/T's fanboy and keep going back to them)
AnswerID: 602794

Reply By: Sigmund - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 05:22

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 05:22
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ORAT

There's no guarantee we're getting the same compounds though.

Allan Whiting gave the Kumho a thumbs up for long life and the BFG KO2 for cool running. But my KO2s are not running noticeably cooler than the old D693s on the CT.
AnswerID: 602795

Reply By: Iza B - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 05:25

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 05:25
I have heard too many negative stories and seen several bad examples of damage and denied warranty claims to ever be in the position to give a personal experience story. Plenty of brands out there for me to choose from.

I am at a loss to suggest where you might get any unbiased feed back.

Iza
AnswerID: 602796

Reply By: Sigmund - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 05:34

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 05:34
I had thought Cooper was a US tyre but it isn't listed on tirerack.com
AnswerID: 602797

Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:02

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:02
I don't think the Americans trust them. I recently went to Big Island in Hawaii and lots of lifted 4wds with BFG's and a few other brands but did not see any Cooper "tires".
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FollowupID: 872420

Reply By: Keir & Marg - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:11

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:11
Had Coopers on our old Freelander and happy with them. Sold the Freelander 6 years ago and parked beside it the other day at the shops - it still had those Coopers on it, but they looked pretty worn. We now have a Pajero and it's just on to its second set of AT3s. The first set lasted 90,000km, did lots of blacktop work but also a reasonable trip from Canberra to Broken Hill then offroad to the top of the Flinders Ranges, all towing a 1300kg Jayco. Last year up and back to Townsville via the inland route again towing. So, we are happy with the Coopers and they are certainly quieter than the Yokohamas originally fitted to the Pajero. Seem to handle fine in the wet and on dirt and sand, but perhaps not quite aggressive enough for mud. Suit us though.
AnswerID: 602798

Reply By: vk1dx - Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:21

Tuesday, Jul 26, 2016 at 09:21
Hi Toddy. I will just add mine at the end.

Only one warranty issue in many sets and they were replaced at 40K for free!! No argument. As soon as they saw the tyres all was good.

And they threw in buckshee, a complete spiral bound foolscap sized map covering Australian Road and 4WD Atlas from Hema.

We now run two complete tyre and rim sets, one set of ST MAXXs for the bush and one set of ATs for home.

One flat only, and that was a torn side wall from some very sharp rocks up above Buller in the high country. No stakes etc at all.

Phil
AnswerID: 602799

Reply By: steamfire01 - Sunday, Jul 31, 2016 at 13:17

Sunday, Jul 31, 2016 at 13:17
Toddy S;
I haven't read any of the other replies, I'll just relate my experiences with Coopers. I tow a fairly large tandem caravan with a 2013 Patrol.
I was heading downhill on a wet road towards a roundabout and when I braked for the roundabout the whole rig just slid down the road, scary since was not travelling fast. I have had a number of similar experiences.
It's my belief that the reason Coopers get such good mileage is because they are made with a very hard compound, so the wear aspect is fine but they are not good in the wet,
Others may have a completely different opinion. All I can say is that I don't run Coopers any more.
Cheers
TJ
AnswerID: 602988

Reply By: Echucan Bob - Wednesday, Aug 03, 2016 at 14:38

Wednesday, Aug 03, 2016 at 14:38
I just fitted a new set of ST Maxxs for a trip. The AT3s that came off had done 40,000 kms and were about half worn. A bit sad tossing so much good rubber!
The car is an LX470 and the tyres are 265/75 R16s. I am just back from the trip - Echuca Lake Mackay SBJR Docker R SG Corner Yulara APY Lands Echuca. About 7000kms all up including many kms of off track desert crossing. Not one puncture! Tyres look pristine. Couldn't fault the AT3s, but love the ST Maxxs.
AnswerID: 603056

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