COOPER Armortek3 STT

I have perservered with Cooper ST's for 6 years and before that had BFG A/T's. My opinion is that I honestly couldn't tell any difference between the two brands and as far as I was concerned they were interchangeable. For instance went on desert crossings with both (different occasions of coarse) and they both performed ok, but couldn't say they were brilliant as some people have. No punctures but both returned with chipping. After a while the Cooper's started to show signs of block splitting and that happened on two sets.

I recently decided to go for the Armotek3 STT's and after 2 months trying them on road, gravel, dirt and sand, I can tell you that I am absolutely rapt. There is a marked difference in their road handling capability on all surfaces that I can actually detect! On gravel/dirt, they actually grip and you feel like you are on rails. On bitumen I thought they would be noisy and loose around corners, but actually they are as quite as the ST's (from inside the cabin) and again they stick to the road - even in the wet.

One note of concern though - I was advised by my mechanic that they are a soft compound, so I won't get much wear out of them. I have them on all the time and drive on bitumen through the week and go off road on most weekends. Has any one got any experience on wear expectency? I have a set of BFG's that I could swap over, but I couldn't be bothered to have them changed every time I want to go on a trip.

ps - they mess up the Patrol big time when off road or in the wet. They throw up mud and a dirty mist that completely covers the back and sides. Still I can put up with that for the extra control and capability.