KM3 VS KO2 VS STT Pro: Which One Is The Best?

BFG KO2 is the best choice if you are looking for optimal performance on on-road, snowy and ice roads, with a high comfort level with very low noise. However, Cooper STT Pro has good performance in snowy conditions and has the ability to take more loads. Additionally, BFG KM3’s performance also shows excellent performance on on-road conditions through its grip. 

Now, you still need to keep in mind a few things before buying the best mud type tire such as the available sizes, the track type and of course the comfort factor as well. To know more about all these in detail, let’s get started. 

KM3 VS KO2 VS STT Pro: A Brief Comparison

Following is the table that shows the comparison criteria for some of the three tire types. 

Parameters	BFG KM3	BFG KO2	STT Pro
On-Road Condition	Better	Best	Good
Wet Road Condition	Better	Best	Good
Off-Road Condition	Good [Mud Terrain]Tie [Rocky Climbing]Tie [Sandy Dunes]	Better [Mud Terrain]Tie [Rocky Crawling]Tie [Sand Dunes]	Best [Mud Terrain]Tie [Rocky Crawling]Tie [Sand Dunes]
Snow & Ice	Good	Better	Best
Noise	Good [Tie]	Better	Good [Tie]
Load Index	Better	Best	Best
Available Sizes [Rim Sizes]	15 inches, 16 inches, 17 inches, 18 inches, 20 inches, 22 inches	15 inches, 16 inches, 17 inches, 18 inches, 20 inches, 22 inches	15 inches, 16 inches, 17 inches, 18 inches, 20 inches, 22 inches
Tire Pressure Range	35 – 80 psi	35 – 80 psi	35 – 80 psi
Price [for 285 mm and 16 inch rim as of February, 2023]	$33 – $746	$211 – $524	$300 – $493

All of the three tires are good products but for comparison purposes, on the table above the scores have been marked by ‘Good, Better and Best’.

Before the details, you can check 265 vs. 275 vs. 285 Tires for knowing the pros and cons of narrow and wide tires. 

KM3 VS KO2 VS STT Pro: A Detailed Comparison

The table above showed you a glimpse of the performance from these tires. But this section will cover the ‘why factor’ behind the table. 

On-Road Condition

To be set as a good on-road tire, the tire needs satisfied performance on dry on-road conditions, your tires need better dry traction, steering response, and stability. 

Dry Traction

BFG KO2 has the best performance when it comes to dry traction but BFG KO2 and STT Pro are not that far behind.

BFG KM3 provides good grip due to the tread pattern. Its tread pattern consists of tread blocks with sharp edges that are good for providing traction.

BFG KO2 has large tread blocks that helps to provide good traction on dry conditions besides it has a tough sidewall that protects against blowout and tire punctures, making the ride more safer. But it has the closest tread pattern which is good for grip. 

STT Pro is another good option with large shoulder lugs and good rib design, it helps the tires to have good traction as well. 

Verdict:

When it comes to Dry Traction between KM3, KO2, and STT Pro, the BFG KO2 has the closest tread pattern and shallowest grooves to provide the best traction.

Steering Response 

Steering Response of the tire depends on the contact patch of the tire. This contact patch is based on the vehicle weight and the tire inflation. Larger the contact patch, the better will be the steering response of the tire.

Among the tires, BFG KO2 has the widest contact patch and that means it will have a good steering response. However, a downside of this will be more rolling resistance and therefore reduced fuel efficiency.

Verdict:

BFG KO2 is the best option if you are looking for a tire with optimal steering response. 

Wet Road Condition

BFG KO2 is the best choice due to its hydroplaning resistance. BFG KM3 and Cooper STT Pro are also decent choices, but the main difference is in the void ratio and groove. 

For optimal performance in wet road conditions, your tires need to have hydroplaning resistance. It means the ability to resist losing grip when driving through the thin surface of water. If the void ratio is high and the horizontal shoulder groove is narrow then it means more water will pass through the tires and it won’t lose tire grip.

Verdict:

BFG KO2 has the highest void ratio and narrowest groove. So, it has the best wet traction and hydroplaning resistance.

Off-Road Condition

This is the main purpose of these tires, and apparently the performance difference is the least in this condition.

Muddy Terrain

BFG KM3 has the best performance on muddy terrain due to its cornering steadiness and better steering reaction. 

To drive swiftly on muddy terrain, your tire needs to have deeper treads and greater sidewalls. For a dry road condition, you need smaller voids between the treads because it helps to grab the muds underneath.

Verdict:

Go for BFG KM3 because its tread pattern is designed with deeper treads. Deeper treads are good for more traction, which you definitely need in muddy conditions. 

Rocky Terrain

For rock crawling the best type of tire is the one that has maximum contact area with the rock and has well-placed biting edges. The biting edges depend on the void size. Larger the void area, the more the biting edges. 

However, the Armor-Tech 3 technology of STT Pro and CoreGard technology of BFG KM3 and BFG KO2 aren’t much different in terms of rocky terrain performance and you can go for either option. 

Verdict:

Choose any of the options between STT Pro, BFG KM3 and KO2. All of the tires will provide you the optimal performance. 

Sand Dunes and Beaches

Normally, the tire pressure range in the sandy condition is from 10 – 30 psi. Although, ideally it is better to keep it down to 15 psi. 

The performance of the tire on the sandy condition depends on the tread pattern of the tires. Because the tread pattern affects the tire pressure and lower the pressure, better will be the performance on sandy conditions. So, you need to know the lowest pressure you can inflate for KM3, KO2 and STT Pro. 

Following is the table chart for the tire pressure of KM3 VS KO2 VS STT Pro. 

Factor	BFG KO2	BFG KM3	STT Pro
Tire Pressure	35 psi	35 psi	35 psi

Since, the minimum tire pressure you can inflate is up to 35 psi, you can use it on sandy conditions but it is better if you look at other off-road tires for sandy conditions. 

Verdict:

For sandy conditions, the recommended pressure range is 10-30 psi. BFG KM3, KO2 and STT Pro supports a minimum 35 psi. As a result, all these tries will show almost similar performance on sandy tracks but none of them are not recommended.

Snow & Ice

You need to factor in two different conditions for choosing the right tire for snowy and icy conditions. One is Light snow and the other is deep snow. 

Some of the key characteristics for a tire to sustain during snowy conditions are

1. Tread Pattern where the grooves are wider and deeper with more slots and sipes. The sipes help to ensure that the tires dig deeper into the snow and have more grip on ice.
2. Tread Rubber that provides more flexibility and has additional grip while driving through snowy and icy roads. 
3. Tread Patterns are arranged in blocks with higher void area which help to provide more ice grabbing capability for the tire. 

To compare which one amongst these three, provides you the best performance, you need to check if these key traits are present in the tire. 

Let’s compare the tread depth between the three tires at 17 inch rim size and tire aspect ratio of 70. This is one of the most common sizes for off-road conditions. 

Factors	BFG KM3	BFG KO2	Cooper STT Pro
Tread Depth in Action	18 mm	15 mm	19 mm

Based on the data from the table, it can be seen that Cooper STT Pro meets the best specs for the Snow and Ice conditions compared to the other two. Besides, it also has the least void area.

However, it is recommended that if you live in an exceptionally cold area you look for better winter tires since KM3, KO2 and STT Pro are mud terrain tires and have limitations for driving on snowy conditions. For more guidelines, check this Picking the best winter tires for your pickup, 4×4 or off-roader | Driving.ca

Noise

BFG KO2 shows the best performance because of fewer gaps in its tread pattern and relatively shallow tread depth. However, STT Pro has the most tread gaps and the deepest tread depths. That’s why STT Pro and BFG KM3 are noisier.

So, if your priority is to choose the least noisy tire then go for BFG KO2. However, wider tread gaps and large size tread blocks lead to more noise emission from all the mud terrain tires. 

Therefore, it is expected that KM3, KO2 and STT Pro will be noisier. However if you are looking for a tire that emits less noise there are good resources you can follow.  

Verdict:

BFG KO2 is the best option if you are strictly looking for a tire that will be less noisy. However, if you will be driving regularly on off-road terrain then noise won’t be that big of a problem for any of the tires.  

Load Index

Load index is the measurement of how much weight your tires can carry. Now, this is significant while driving through rough terrain.

Following is the comparison for the load index for the three tire sizes at 16 inch rim sizes and tire aspect ratio of 75. And, speaking of all the sizes and ratios, ‘195 vs. 205 vs. 215 Tires‘ this page will give you an idea about tire size and width and which one’s the best for you.

Now, let’s look at the load index!

Factor	BFG KM3	BFG KO2	Cooper STT Pro
Load Index	126	127	127
Maximum Load	1700 kg	1750 kg	1750 kg

From the table, it can be observed that BFG KO2 and Cooper STT Pro have the same load index and BFG KM3 is not that far behind.

As mentioned, load index directly means the maximum load the tire can endure. Therefore, with the load index of 127, BFG KO2 and STT Pro can carry a maximum of 1750 kg or 3858 lbs. Whereas, BFG KM3 is not that far behind as it can carry the maximum load of 1700 kg or 3748 lbs. 

Verdict:

If your main priority is maximum load ability, you will be fine with any of the options among BFG, KO2 and. STT Pro. 

FAQs

Conclusion

Hopefully this article will help you make the right choice for KM3 VS KO2 VS STT Pro. Make sure to keep in mind the track and keep in mind that it is better to consider a more optimal tire for snowy conditions. Finally, consider the price to performance ratio while buying the right tire.