6 Best Atv Tires For Hauling Farm Supplies That Old Farmers Swear By
Discover the top-rated ATV tires seasoned farmers trust for heavy hauling. Learn which durable treads offer the best traction and longevity for farm chores.
Your ATV is likely the most used piece of equipment on your property, serving as everything from a feed hauler to a mobile fencing station. Choosing the right rubber determines whether you glide over the muck or get bogged down with a half-ton of hay. Old-timers know that the best tires aren’t the flashiest, but the ones that keep the wheels turning when the bed is loaded to the brim.
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Choosing the Right ATV Tires for Heavy Farm Hauling
A tire that looks aggressive in a catalog might be a nightmare when you’re pulling a loaded trailer through a gate. When you are hauling heavy supplies, the sidewall strength and the tread’s ability to clean itself are more important than top-end speed. You need a tire that can handle the vertical load of a full rack without folding under the pressure.
Consider these factors before you buy:
- Ply Rating: Look for 6-ply or higher to prevent punctures from stray wire or thorns.
- Tread Depth: Deep lugs are great for mud, but too much "bite" can tear up your valuable pasture.
- Weight Capacity: Ensure the tire is rated for the combined weight of your machine and your heaviest cargo.
The tradeoff is usually between ride comfort and work capacity. A stiff, high-ply tire will feel rougher on a Sunday trail ride, but it won’t let you down when you’re moving three hundred pounds of mineral blocks. Balancing these needs depends entirely on whether your farm is mostly flat grass or rocky, uneven timber.
Carlisle All Trail: Superior Stability for Hard Pack
If your daily chores involve moving between the barn, the gravel driveway, and the machine shed, the Carlisle All Trail is a staple. It features a tight tread pattern that provides a massive contact patch on hard surfaces. This design prevents the "squirmy" feeling you get with deep-lug mud tires when carrying a heavy load on solid ground.
These tires are particularly kind to your turf. Because the lugs aren’t designed to dig, you can haul a trailer across the lawn without leaving permanent scars in the grass. This makes them a favorite for hobby farmers who care as much about the aesthetics of their homestead as they do about utility.
However, don’t expect these to perform miracles in bottomless mud. They are utility tires meant for stability and longevity on established paths. If your back forty stays swampy until July, you might find the All Trail spinning where other tires would grip.
ITP Mud Lite AT: Versatile Traction in Soft Pastures
The ITP Mud Lite AT is perhaps the most recognizable tire in the woods, and for good reason. It is remarkably lightweight for a 6-ply tire, which helps preserve your ATV’s power for the actual hauling. The extended "V" shaped lugs provide excellent traction in soft soil without the massive weight penalty of a dedicated mud tire.
These are the tires you want when the spring thaw turns your pasture into a sponge. They have enough "bite" to get a load of firewood through the muck, but they ride surprisingly smooth on the way back. The secret is the center tread overlap, which provides a continuous contact surface to reduce vibration.
The main tradeoff here is wear. Because the rubber compound is relatively soft to provide grip, they will wear down faster if you spend a lot of time on asphalt or concrete. Keep them on the dirt and grass to get the most out of your investment.
Maxxis Bighorn 2.0: The Radial Standard for Durability
The Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 is often the benchmark by which all other all-terrain tires are measured. It uses a radial construction, which allows the tire to flex and absorb impacts better than a standard bias-ply tire. For the farmer spending six hours in the saddle, this translates to significantly less fatigue at the end of the day.
The non-directional tread pattern means these tires work just as well in reverse as they do going forward. This is a lifesaver when you’ve backed a trailer into a tight spot and need to pull out of a soft patch. The lugs reach all the way down the sidewall, providing extra protection against rocks and stumps.
While they are more expensive than some budget options, their lifespan is legendary. You are paying for a tire that can handle thousands of miles of farm use. If you view your ATV as a long-term investment, the Bighorn 2.0 is a logical choice for the "buy once, cry once" mentality.
Kenda Bear Claw K299: Puncture Resistance for Fencing
Fencing is the ultimate test for any ATV tire. Between old staples, jagged wire ends, and locust thorns, a thin tire won’t last a single afternoon. The Kenda Bear Claw K299 has earned its reputation by being one of the toughest, most puncture-resistant bias-ply tires on the market.
The tread is designed with built-in rim guards that protect your wheels from dents and debris. The lugs are spaced to self-clean, which is vital when you’re moving slow and steady through a wooded fence line. It’s a stiff tire, which helps it maintain its shape even when you’ve got a heavy post-hole digger hanging off the back.
One thing to note is that the Bear Claw can be a bit "diggy." If you’re heavy on the throttle, it will find the bottom of a mud hole quickly. For hauling, this means you need to be smooth with the clutch or thumb-throttle to avoid burying the machine.
Sedona Mud Rebel: Maximum Grip for Heavy Feed Loads
When the bed of your UTV or the racks of your ATV are loaded down with 50-pound bags of feed, your center of gravity shifts. The Sedona Mud Rebel handles this weight by using aggressive, angled lugs that wrap around the shoulder of the tire. This provides lateral stability, preventing the machine from sliding sideways on off-camber slopes.
These tires are designed for the "working" side of the hobby farm. They excel in the messy areas around water troughs and barn exits where the ground is constantly churned up. The deep lugs act like paddles, ensuring that as long as you have ground clearance, you have forward momentum.
The trade-off is a bit of chatter at low speeds on hard ground. You’ll feel the lugs "walking" until you get up to about five or ten miles per hour. For most chores, this is a small price to pay for the confidence of knowing you won’t get stuck with a full load of grain.
SunF A033 Power.I: Reliable All-Terrain Performance
The SunF A033 is a fantastic option for the hobby farmer who needs a reliable workhorse without the premium price tag. It features a tread pattern very similar to the Maxxis Bighorn but at a more accessible price point. It is a 6-ply rated tire, offering the puncture resistance necessary for general farm maintenance.
This tire is a true "jack of all trades." It handles rocks, dirt, and light mud with equal competence. For the person who uses their ATV for everything from checking the mail to hauling a small sprayer, the SunF provides a balanced performance profile.
While it might not have the same "name brand" prestige, its real-world durability is well-documented. It is an excellent choice for replacing stock tires that are often too thin for serious work. It’s a practical upgrade that focuses on utility over flash.
Maintaining Tire Pressure for Optimal Utility Loading
Tire pressure is the most overlooked tool in a farmer’s arsenal. Most ATV tires run on very low pressure—usually between 4 and 7 PSI. However, when you add 200 pounds of seed to the front rack, that low pressure can cause the sidewall to roll or even unseat from the rim.
Adjust your pressure based on the day’s tasks:
- Heavy Hauling: Increase pressure by 1-2 PSI to support the extra weight and prevent sidewall flex.
- Slick/Muddy Conditions: Drop the pressure slightly to increase the "footprint" and gain more traction.
- Storage: Always check pressure after the machine sits, as temperature swings can cause significant drops.
Don’t trust your eyes; use a low-pressure gauge specifically designed for ATVs. A tire that looks full might only have 3 PSI, which is a recipe for a flat when you hit a rock with a loaded trailer. Consistent maintenance ensures that your tires wear evenly and last for years of service.
Selecting the right tire is about matching your specific terrain to your daily chores. When you find that perfect balance of traction and durability, your ATV stops being a toy and becomes the most reliable hand on the farm.
