Nitto Exo Grappler Review
Nitto prides itself on producing some exceptional truck tires and the Exo Grappler stands out as one of the most capable and durable of the bunch.
PROS
- Impressively long tread life
- Excellent off-road grip
- Winter capable
- Studdable
- Durable with a 3-ply sidewall
CONS
- Stiffer ride
- Limited on-road grip in the wet
Designed for both serious and regular off-road use, the Exo Grappler is a commercial grade tire built to go almost anywhere and stand up to extreme abuse It makes use of an amazingly durable compound and plenty of unique tread features to ensure it can handle whatever you throw at it.
An all-terrain tire, it’s designed more like an extreme mud-terrain tire with four rows of tread blocks to grip loose earth. The void space between the blocks is smaller than on most MT tires, however, and the tread blocks are angled for grip in different directions to provide traction on all sorts of surfaces.
To help retain tread structure, the interior tread blocks feature a gear-pattern edge closer towards the base of the tread. This serves to reinforce the blocks, but also works to help force out rocks or hard-packed mud. As a result, stones don’t become trapped (which can lead to premature wear) and mud doesn’t stick to the tire.
Additional stone ejectors can also be found in some of the larger void spaces to make extra sure rocks don’t become trapped in the tread.
Another feature it shares with most MT tires is the use of a 3-ply sidewall, as opposed to a 2-ply sidewall. This extra layer of protection from cuts and slashes makes the tire even more robust. At the same time, it helps the tire retain its shape over time, even when aired up and down repeatedly.
A slight drawback is that this generally reduces overall ride comfort, but it is slight and definitely worth the tradeoff.
Surprisingly, for all of this tire’s hard-core features, it’s remarkably quiet. Nitto paid special attention in designing the variable pitch tread blocks that cancel out noise from the road. Owners do report that road noise increases with use, although that is to be expected. And on a commercial grade tire the noise levels are still acceptable.
This go-anywhere tire is also built to go any time of year. Thanks to a unique compound and some solid siping on the tread, it’s certified for true winter use and features the three peak mountain snowflake logo on the sidewall as proof. And if that’s not enough, it can also take optional TSMI #15 studs for maximum winter traction.
One of the few drawbacks of this tire is reduced grip on-road in the wet, due mostly to the lack of clear circumferential channels, meaning it can’t evacuate water from the contact patch very easily. This is particularly noteworthy in heavier rain or standing water conditions.
Overall, the Exo Grappler offers amazing durability and long life, with impressive off-road grip and solid on-road manners. It combines many of the best features of a mud-terrain tire with an all-terrain tire and we really can’t over-sell the value of the lengthy tread life.
Nitto Exo Grappler Price
Pricing for the Nitto Exo Grappler ranges from just over $200 a tire for a 17-inch size to over $450 per tire for the largest 20-inch fitment.
Nitto Exo Grappler Warranty
Nitto protects all its tires with a standard limited warranty. With this, any tire deemed to be defective in either materials or workmanship within the first 25 percent of treadwear will have the tire replaced for free (including mounting and balancing). After the first 25 percent of tread wear, defective tires will be replaced on a pro-rated basis, depending on the amount of useable tread left.
The Exo Grappler does not come with a milage guarantee.
Nitto Exo Grappler Sizes
17-inch sizes
35/12.5-R17
37/13.5-R17
285/70-R17
235/80-R17
245/75-R17
265/70-R17
18-inch sizes
35/12.5-R18
265/65-R18
275/65-R18
285/65-R18
275/70-R18
285/70-R18
20-inch sizes
35/12.5-R20
35/11.5-R20
285/60-R20
275/55-R20
275/65-R20
285/55-R20
37/13.5-R20
305/55-R20
285/65-R20
295/55-R20
275/60-R20
325/60-R20
What Ply is the Nitto Exo Grappler?
The Exo Grappler makes use of an extra strong 3-ply sidewall. All available sizes are 10-ply or E load range, making them ideal for full-size and heavy-duty pickup trucks.
How long does the Nitto Exo Grappler last?
Owners report that the Exo Grappler wears like iron. While no official tread life warranty is given by Nitto, expect 50,000 miles at the very lowest, with many owners reporting as many as 100,000 miles on a set.
Is the Nitto Exo Grappler good in snow?
With plenty of siping across the tread blocks and a tread compound that resists freezing, the Nitto Exo Grappler is a beast in winter. It’s certified for true winter grip and wears the three-peak mountain snowflake logo on its sidewall. And if that’s not enough for you, it is studdable for even more extreme winter performance.