4 Heavy-Duty Budget Tire Brands Perfect For Your Pickup Truck (According To Users)
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Pickup trucks can be used for a lot more than just commuting, and if you want to get the most out of yours, you're going to need the right tires. Whether you're hauling heavy cargo in the back, towing a trailer or another vehicle, or driving on rough roads, your truck's performance and safety depend on having the right set of heavy-duty tires. For pickups that see real use beyond casual driving, standard passenger or light-duty all-season tires won't cut it.
If you want heavy-duty tires for your pickup, you'll want to look for LT (light truck) class tires, which are more rugged and have sidewall reinforcements. They also have thicker layers, or plies, which allow higher PSI capacity. Heavy-duty tires will often be 10-ply (Load Range E). With this construction, these tires are better suited for rough road conditions and can handle the extra weight and towing jobs. Of course, tires that are built to withstand heavier loads, tougher terrain, and more stress are likely to cost more than standard passenger tires.
This is even more likely if they're made by the best major tire brands. However, some brands manage to keep their prices relatively affordable while still offering heavy-duty tires that are durable and reliable. Based on the feedback of owners who've used their products, here are four heavy-duty budget tire brands perfect for your pickup truck. More information on how these brands were evaluated can be found at the end of this list.
Cooper Tires
If you haven't heard of Cooper Tires, you've heard of its parent company: Goodyear. Cooper Tires have been around for a while and make products for passenger cars, SUVs, and trucks, including a decent range of LT options. The Cooper Discoverer All-Terrain LT265/70R17 123S All-Terrain Tire has a carrying capacity of over 3,400 pounds and has an excellent 4.6 out of 5 overall customer score on Walmart's website, based on over 5,700 user ratings.
Many reviews from Walmart customers mention that they can get a lot of miles out of Cooper's LT tire. For instance, one verified purchaser says they bought a second set of Cooper Discoverers after they "got roughly 55k miles out of the last set and there [was] still a little tread left" and that Cooper "rivals any other truck tire out there for the money hands down." They also add that the Discoverer is a "great all round truck tire [...] my 2019 f150 still averages around 20 mpg even with the more aggressive tread."
Another reviewer finds Cooper's tires to have a better load range than the OEM tires they came with, and that the Discoverers "are very smooth and quiet on the highway and wet traction seems excellent." One review echoes this with a little more detail: "They are so smooth on the road and very quiet. Great traction on dirt and snow. I have a Chevy Silverado and eliminated that famous Chevy shake at higher speeds (65mph to 80mph). [These] became the only tires I'll buy for my truck from now on. 100% recommended."
Nexen Tire
Nexen makes some of the most affordable tires on the market, but that doesn't mean they're some cheap generic brand. In fact, the Nexen Tire Corporation has been around since 1942 and was the first tire manufacturer founded in Korea. The South Korean brand offers a wide range of products, including heavy-duty light truck tires that are perfect for your pickup without breaking the budget. After putting 30 different tire brands through thorough performance and safety tests, Consumer Reports included Nexen on its list of "best tire brands of 2025," alongside much more expensive companies like Michelin and Bridgestone.
One Redditor took the time to give a full review on r/Tires, calling them "absolutely excellent rear tires for a RWD with a lot of power in a snowy climate with a jumpy driver. Zero issues with slippage, balance, wear pattern, etc." This user did note that their tires were fairly pricey (around $220 a piece), but you can pick up Nexen light-truck tires for under $150 each, depending on the model. One commenter agreed with this positive review and vouched for the brand's summer performance tires.
On r/croautomobili, one Redditor says Nexen makes "very good tires for a fairly solid price." In the same thread, another user states that they "haven't regretted" purchasing Nexen tires and find that "They aren't too noisy, they wear down a bit faster depending on what you drive and how you drive. All in all, better than expected."
Ironman Tires
Ironman Tires is owned by the Hercules Tire & Rubber Company, which introduced the brand in 2008 specifically as a budget line for drivers who didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on tires. Like most brands, the price of its tires can vary from model to model, and while its heavy-duty tires aren't as cheap as its standard passenger ones, you can still get a good deal on light-truck tires that are reliable. Users generally give Ironman tires good reviews after riding on them — for example, the Ironman All Country M/T LT245/75R17 121/118Q E has a strong 4.5 out of 5 overall customer score on Amazon, based on over 300 reviews.
One verified purchaser says about the model that "These are some good tires. They work great in the mud and seem to have good life." This review mentioned that the tires are loud, but several other five-star reviews say the opposite, such as this one: "Minimal road noise, ran them way past life expectancy, great price." A similar review states, "I purchased these for my Jeep Wrangler. They are awesome. Nice deep tread. Not too noisy." Another Jeep driver concurred: "The tires are awesome for our [J]eep! Low noise and rides nice!" Despite mixed reviews on road noise, the overall sentiment from Ironman users is that they last a long time and provide good traction in messy conditions.
Falken Tires
Falken Tires is a Japan-based company that straddles the line between budget and mid-tier brands when it comes to prices. It's a popular choice with drivers who like vehicles bigger than passenger cars, and is included on SlashGear's list of the best SUV tires of 2025. Depending on which model and where you're buying them, you might be paying more than you would for true budget brands, but you can also find light truck tires at good prices if you shop around.
Walmart sells the Falken Wildpeak H/T02 All Season 225/75R16 108T XL Light Truck Tire for just $133, for instance. The model has an XL load range and can support up to 2,200 pounds per tire, so while it may not be super heavy-duty, it's a solid, affordable choice for pickup owners who aren't pushing their trucks to the absolute limit. The company sells tires with higher load indexes as well, and they don't necessarily have to be that much pricier.
One Reddit user found a good deal on a set of Falkens and posted to r/Tires to see if they made the right call. The post was met with a chorus of short and simple responses like "good choice," "good tires," and "good price." One reply provides a little more detail: "I got the Falken Wildpeak all terrain tires on my truck this time, and they're the best tires I've ever put on it." Another Redditor responds that Falken "feels like butter." Another post in the same Subreddit offers generally similar feedback about the brand, with one user going as far as to say: "Smoother ride than the Michelin's I had [...] I've used Pirellis, Falken, Michelin, Continental, etc. and these handle as good or better."
How these heavy-duty tire brands were evaluated
To find the best heavy-duty budget tire brands for pickup owners, only companies that sell light-truck tires for under $200 were considered. In addition to cost, factors that were evaluated when comparing brands include traction, noise level, longevity, handling, and overall quality. This list of tire brands is based on the feedback of drivers who've purchased them, and this feedback was researched from a variety of sources. Customer reviews from major retailers like Amazon and Walmart were referenced, as well as first-hand feedback found on appropriate Subreddits, including r/Tires and r/croautomobili. Consumer Reports, which surveys large numbers of users and compiles the data into their own scores, was also referenced for some of the brands while assembling this list.