How Good Are Ironman Tires?

Many people are picky about the tires they buy for their vehicles. I would say these people are shopping smart and responsibly.

Excellent quality tires are essential for safety and performance.

There are some premium brands with superior reputations; and a higher price tag.

And then there are more generic or budget-friendly brands like Ironman.

We’re here to discuss Ironman tires. We will look at the company’s quality, price, reputation, history, and other essential features.

What are Ironman Tires?

With a name like Ironman, we have high expectations. And compared to other budget tire brands, Ironman lives up to our expectations.

The Ironman company is a subsidiary of the Hercules tire brand owned by Cooper Tire Manufacturer. This company has a growing reputation for offering budget tires.

Many people feel wary about buying cheap products because, many times, lower price tags mean poorer quality.

Surprisingly, that case is not true for Ironman. Although their tires are cheaper than premium brands, they are still good-quality tires.

However, you will have to give up advanced performance enhancement features that come with the more expensive brands.

Hercules, a company known for more expensive tires, handles the manufacturing of Ironman tires in China’s factories.

They then ship these tires to independent US dealers – usually discount retailers.

You get a discount tire made by a big name brand, which links to a premium tire brand.

Reasons to Use Ironman Tires

So now that you know about the Ironman brand (no affiliation with the big man from Marvel), let’s jump into some reasons why you might want to choose Ironman for your tire manufacturer.

Saves You Money

The biggest reason people choose Ironman over big-name brands is the cost.

If all you use your vehicle for is necessary transportation for your family, why spend hundreds of dollars on tires with advanced features?

There’s no point.

Now, if you spend a lot of time off-roading or driving on rough terrain, then yeah.

You’d probably do better parting with a larger chunk of money for some superior grips that will walk through the mud.

If you have a sports car, you will do better with some low profiles or tires with better traction control.

Unfortunately, Ironman’s tires aren’t going to do you any favors rolling at top speeds. But they do have a few low profile options to check out.

And any parent who’s raised a teenager knows there’s not a lot of point in putting expensive tires on the family car if the kids will be driving.

If they don’t burn the rubber off by accelerating, they’re sure to pop a tire by running over something in the road or just hitting a bad pothole.

Anyone who’s driven through Memphis, Tennessee, knows what I mean. We’re as famous for our bad roads as Ironman is for great tires at low prices.

Reputation

Since we’re on the topic of reputations, Ironman has earned its spot as one of the best budget tire brands since they opened in the mid-2000s.

Customers are quick to praise the brand’s quality, performance, and even excellent customer service (that’s not something we get to say every day.)

And Ironman isn’t the only brand favorite to mention.

Their parent company, Hercules, has been operating since 1952, so they know their business.

Hercules is a more expensive brand, but they have higher-quality tires, so it makes sense.

Ironman is the answer to your prayers to the car gods if you covet Hercules’ tires but can’t afford them.

And, of course, Hercules is owned by Cooper, who is one of the top premium tire brands out there.

Cooper runs in the same class as Goodyear or Michelin.

Stylish

Once upon a time, if you had to suffer the shame of buying cheap tires, everyone knew it from the horrifically plain, cheap look.

But Ironman makes it easy to hold your head up high.

Yeah, you’re a smart cookie because you know how to get the best deals without giving up the style.

Most Ironman tires have styled treads, so you ride in style.

Reasons Not to Use Ironman Tires

You may be wondering if there are reasons why you wouldn’t want to buy Ironman tires.

For the majority of you, there are no reasons not to. But for some drivers, you may want to think twice.

Tread Life

When you’re paying two to three times less for a tire, you expect it not to be perfect.

But consider the math of having to buy one tire for an expensive cost that lasts years versus buying multiple tires for a low price in the same amount of time.

Ironman doesn’t have the best performance on tread durability. Most of their tires have a tread life of only 40,000 miles.

You may be lucky and get 50,000 out of some models. Premium models are known to last sixty to seventy thousand.

If durability is important to you (why wouldn’t it be), look for the Ironman tires made with silica-infused rubber.

The cheaper Ironman model tires are made in a buttress design that gives a wider tread, which is supposed to extend tire life.

Unfavorable Warranties

The cheaper all-season model Ironman tires do not come with mileage warranties.

You can get mileage warranties with some of the more expensive models, but even these are very limited on what they will cover.

China-Made

Hearing that most of these tires are made in China and sold in the US probably isn’t a surprise.

But over the years, many Chinese-made tires end up with short lifespans and defects that often result in recalls.

Thankfully, Ironman has not fallen into this category.

Although they use Chinese manufacturers, they follow US standards. They have built a strong level of trust among their customers for quality.

Ironman Tires Review

Wondering how these tires are in the real world?

Check out the video below to see what a driver who uses Ironman Tires really thinks about them.

Best Ironman Tires

Ironman offers thirteen different models of tires, broken down into categories.

You can find these tires in various sizes for different vehicle types for sale at Walmart.

These are:

• Touring/Performance
  • GR906
  • iMove GEN2 AS
  • RB-12
  • RB-12 NWS
• CUV/SUV/Light truck
  • All Country A/T
  • All Country CHT
  • All Country M/T
  • iMove Gen2 SUV
  • Radial A/P
  • RB-LT
  • RB-SUV
• Winter
  • Polar Trax WPS
• All-Steel Light Truck
  • I-109

Ironman GR906

If you need budget tires that will work in all seasons and weather conditions, the GR906 could be your perfect match.

This tire comes with a modern style symmetric tread with gripping sipes that help provide grip and traction on icy roads or light snow.

If you’re up North where the Polar Vortex wreaks havoc with Mother Nature, you’ll be okay using these in the summer, but in deep snow, you’re outta luck.

These tires also do well on wet or dry roads and have a lower roll resistance, which gives you better fuel economy.

So what’s the bad side of this tire? They can be pretty noisy when going at fast speeds.

But you can find this model tire in various sizes, so it’s ideal for sedans, minivans, and small crossovers.

And even better, you can get this tire for the budget-loving cost of $40 to 70!

High Performance

Just because Ironman is budget-friendly doesn’t mean they only offer basic tires.

If you need a high-performance tire, check out the Ironman iMove GEN2 AS.

This option is another all-season tire that can handle dry or wet conditions.

This tire is the most popular choice out of Ironman’s extensive lineup. But we understand why and we also agree.

These tires have an asymmetric, silica-based tread that provides superior handling, steering response, and traction.

And the best thing, you still get a quiet, comfortable ride for a fraction of the fuel due to the low roll resistance.

Unfortunately, the cheaper cost of these tires is evident in the durability.

The tread wears out faster with frequent use compared to other brands, especially with aggressive drivers.

And these tires do not provide enough traction for winter conditions.

Truck or SUV Tire

If you drive a truck or an SUV, you may be feeling left out. But don’t!

Allow us to present to you the Ironman iMove SUV tire. With this beast, you’re getting a bit of every feature.

You have the high-performance reliability of the iMove we mentioned above, but you also get some extra durability for sports performance.

These tires have an asymmetrical tread that looks great, but even better, provides superb traction in wet conditions and a smooth, quiet ride.

You won’t have to worry about these tires talking smack over your music while cruising the interstate. And they won’t walk you across the road either.

Although these are sports tires with some traction, they are not for extreme off-roading or severe winter weather.

You can get these in a range of sizes, including large diameter or low profile.

Final Verdict

Ironman is an excellent budget pick for tires of various sizes for sedans, small crossovers, SUVs, and trucks.

They even have specialty options like a low profile or wide diameter.

Most of these models have an average tread life of 35,000 miles. Some won’t last for aggressive drivers.