Nitto Mud Grappler Review

Finding a more extreme off-road tire than the Nitto Mud Grappler isn’t easy.

PROS

Exceptional off-road grip
Durable
Good life expectancy

CONS

Pricey
Noisy
Could be more comfortable

Experts in off-road tires, Nitto takes off-road capability to the next level with the Mud Grappler, surpassing even the performance offered by the Trail Grappler MT.

An extreme off-road tire designed for mud, rocks and dirt, the tread pattern alone lets you know this tire is build for serious grip. The four lug pattern is broken up by huge amounts of void, allowing the tread lugs to really dig into loose earth.

More than just a grippy and awesome-looking tread pattern, the Mud Grappler is build to take a beating and last. The carcass of the tire is made with high strength steel belts to resist punctures, while the massive sidewalls are also built to withstand cuts thanks to a three-ply polyester construction.

Features on the tire’s sidewall are really quite massive and serve to give extra grip when rock-crawling. This extra layer of rubber is significant and also serves to further protect against punctures.

As for drawbacks, both comfort and noise quality are issues with these tires. Despite looking big and cushy they aren’t the most comfortable riding tire and they are definitely loud. Anyone who’s used to Mud Terrain tires would know this, but if you’re not an existing or previous mud terrain owner, consider yourself warned.

SEE ALSO: Cheapest Off-Road Tires

Owners rate the tire, on average, a 3.9 out of 5 on Nitto’s own website. We should point out that this is lower than their usual rankings.

One feature we love about these tires that’s 100 percent irrelevant to performance is Nitto’s commitment to always offering two different sidewall options on their tires, With a conventional sidewall, the optional one is inspired by lizard skin and just looks pretty cool.

No mileage guarantee is given by Nitto but expect roughy 40,000 miles on a set or over 50,000 if you drive conservatively.

Nitto Mud Grappler Price

Extreme mud terrain tires come at a pretty extreme cost, so if you want to play hard, you’ll need to pay. Starting at approximately $265 for 15-inch sizes, the Mud Grappler balloons to over $750 per tire for 22-inch sizes.

Nitto Mud Grappler Warranty

The Nitto Mud Grappler does not come with a mileage warranty, as is typical of mud-terrain tires. It does come backed by Nitto’s standard limited warranty that covers both materials and workmanship for 5 years and down to 2/32 inch, replacing those tires on a pro-rated basis. That same warranty covers free replacement within the first 2/32 inch treadwear for any faults in materials or workmanship.

Nitto Mud Grappler Sizes

15-inch sizes

33X13.50R15C2
35X14.50R15C2
38X15.50R15C2

16-inch sizes

LT305/70R16E2
LT315/75R-16/E2
LT385/70R16D2

17-inch sizes

33X12.50R17E2
35X12.50R17E2
37X13.50R17E2
40X13.50R17D2

18-inch sizes

33X12.50R18E2
35X12.50R18E2
37X13.50R18D2
38X15.50R18D2

20-inch sizes

33X12.50R20E2
35X12.50R20E2
37X13.50R20E2
38X15.50R20D2
40X15.50R20D2

22-inch sizes

37X13.50R22E2
40X15.50R22D2

Is the Nitto Mud Grappler Loud?

The Mud Grappler, like pretty much all all-terrain tires is quite loud. And while some tires utilize different features to minimize sound, Nitto puts the focus on performance and as a result, these are not subtle.

Is the Nitto Mud Grappler Good in Sand?

Designed for ideal performance in mud and loose earth, the tire’s natural ability to scoop-up and toss-away also makes it quite good in sand. However, if you want maximum sand performance, Nitto is the only brand that makes a dedicated tire for this purpose, the Dune Grappler.