Looking for an off-road tire that can also handle the road with ease? Check out Firestone Destination X/T and General Grabber A/TX! These tires offer amazing traction on rough terrains and smooth performance on pavements. They may not be all-around tires, but if you know their strengths, they can be the perfect pick for you. Let me give you a hint!
Being a tire engineer, from my perspective, the General Grabber A/TX yields better rugged terrain performance due to it’s interlocking pattern giving bite from all sides. This tire is best in the business when it comes to two things, wear, and winter performance. The Firestone Destination X/T is also pretty aggressive, and offers a very noticeable all season traction, its on road performance is much better comparatively, though it could use a bump in wet traction.
Sizes Info
General Grabber A/TX provides 60 total sizes with 14 to 20 inches, with following specs.
- Speed ratings available: Q, R, S and T.
- Load range available: SL, XL, C, D and E.
- Mostly sizes have 16/32″ of tread depth, though some even have as low as 14/32″.
- Weight range: 28 lbs to 75 lbs.
- 50k miles warranty for all sizes.
On the other side, the Firestone Destination X-T comes in 15 to 20 inches, with following specs.
- Speed ratings stay in R and S.
- Load ratings available are C and E.
- Weight – 35 to 60 lbs.
- Tread depth comes in 14, 15, 16 and 17/32″ (max).
- And all sizes get to have 50k miles warranty.
So looking at both, it can be seen that the Grabber ATX shows up with better speed ratings, whereas Firestone XT provides you with more tread depth and lighter weight, though both have similar tread wear warranties.
Tread Features
The General Grabber A/TX presents three-rib design in the center and bigger outer shoulder ribs.
The 3 small middle ribs carry traction notches and a consistent siping pattern across all lugs.
These sipes basically go all the way deep, and this way is able to split these blocks further, enhancing off road bite.
A web of grooves is formed by these lugs, as the inner ones are wrapped with outer (which are also stud-able).
The shoulder lugs are the biggest, here siping pattern differ a little bit, though similar notches and stud holes are seen.
On the outer margins, they are staggered, and form slight thicker sidewall lugs (in comparison).
And along the rim there, there are heat diffusers running (they basically keep the tire cool during towing).
Firestone Destination X/T on the other side, also feature a symmetric tread design, though they took a “slightly” different approach.
Starting from the middle, you can see “S” shaped lugs there, which are wrapped with surrounding two bigger ones.
All of them carry wave-like pattern sipes on them, which are also full depth.
To enhance stability on these lugs, there are supporting ridges on sides, (see if you find them, they are only on surrounding lugs, and are not placed on smaller “S” shaped ones in the middle).
(The surrounding “U” blocks also have biters facing the outer longitudinal grooves).
Moving towards shoulder lugs, they are totally different, as they feature a very squared-off design, with thicker siping and wide slits on the outer edges.
These lugs although staggered just like the Grabber A/TX, they don’t form as thick of the sidewall lugs comparatively.
Durability
The Firestone Destination X/T is although marketed to be more aggressive than AT (with X in it’s name), the tire provides you with average inner construction common with all terrain tires.
Both tires although have 2 ply polyester casing and 2 steel belts on top, the Destination X-T only offers a single cap ply, whereas Grabber A-T-X gives you 2 (plus one extra layer designed to promote comfort on the very top as well).
So you can say the General’s boy is more stable/durable. But with 2 ply sides on both, they are both equal where it matters the most, sidewalls.
Dry Performance
On dry pavements, how much rubber meet up with the road is crucial, though there are other factors too, like the weight, composition and internal make-up.
Now when it comes to footprint, the General Grabber A/TX lacks in providing ample, as it’s taken away with wider tread voids.
Though, with smaller tread depth (on average, across all sizes), even it’s softer composition stay firm, allowing it to have similar dry performance in comparison.
But still tire rack shows that the Firestone Destination X/T is better with 0.4 feet shorter braking distances, and slightly better lateral traction in comparison.
Wet Traction
Wet traction is a completely different subject, and here, water removal is crucial. And that is done by grooves and sipes.
And how effective these tread features are, is dependent on the overall composition of the rubber.
Out of both tires, the General Grabber A/TX provides far superior results, both in directional and lateral gripping capabilities.
With its web of grooves in the middle, it offers faster water removal in all directions, whereas, the Firestone Destination X/T limits how much water can be expelled out, as it’s compacted shoulder lugs basically don’t allow fast-enough “sideways” removal.
So with less water being evacuated on this tire, there’s more for sipes to sit on, and this lowers the tire’s overall wet abilities.
Fuel Usage
Fuel usage, and rolling resistance of the tire go hand in hand, increase one, and other will follow.
With lighter weight, the Firestone Destination X/T sweetens up the deal, as in the long run, it technically pays for itself on its own, though even a better pick an be found in list of top coming A/T tires here, I just added a new tire there (before this tire was taking that spot).
The General Grabber A/TX on the other side puts more pressure on it’s lugs, as a larger weight of the tire is emphasized on a few lugs (with wider tread voids around).
So it consumes much more fuel as a result.
Tread Life
How durable a tire is to wear is influenced by tread depth, and rubber composition along with rolling resistance.
And although, the General Grabber A/TX has higher weight and rolling resistance, it’s longer lasting tread can only be explained by it’s rubber composition.
It basically offers a more elastic rubber, containing aramid nanofiber reinforced polymers, as well as Kevlar, and these allow it to have amazing cut resistance durability and wear life.
The Firestone X/T, in comparison, burns off faster as it lacks that structural integrity.
Snow Performance
Although both tires are 3 peak mountain snowflake rated, the General Grabber A/TX still provides you with slightly better results.
The tire’s design basically focuses on snow traction a lot, that’s why you also get stud-able lugs on it as well (if you to enhance its capability further).
So why its better? Well, because it does one thing better on this terrain, it provides better snow to snow contact. Let me explain.
Basically snow is a weird terrain, here you don’t want self cleaning grooves, you want the opposite, you need trapping grooves. That’ because compared to rubber to snow exposure, snow to snow contact yields better results.
So with interlocking design the General Grabber is better at it.
The Firestone Destination X/T is also pretty great here as well, and only lacks a hair.
It does it’s “snow grabbing” with its dedicated snow vices on it’s inner (central) ribs, and slits on the outer edges of the shoulders.
Performance Off-Road
When it comes to off road, there are some terrains where tires can easily navigate through, while others are a nightmare, let’s look at them all, starting from the toughest of all.
Mud
“Mud is all terrain tires biggest enemy”, I am sure, you have heard this by now, but ever wondered why its like that?
General Grabber A/TX where its great in snow with it’s interconnected grooves (efficient in trapping things) does not do so well on muddy tracks.
Though, it’s thicker sidewall lugs, and bigger traction scoops on its staggered shoulders still get the job done in a better way.
The Firestone Destination X/T on the other side, does not offer big enough shoulder lugs, and since they are more closed up, mud gets packed in them more easily, losing overall traction.
The tire also does not offer any stone ejectors there, which really helps in letting off some mud too.
Sand
Sand is a very soft terrain, where you have avoid as much digging as possible.
That’s why we have balloon tires, which offers a lot of footprint, so they can float on sand in a better way.
So it makes sense why General Grabber A/TX with its sharper sides, and heavier construction is lacking, comparatively.
The Firestone Destination X/T on the other side, yields a larger surface area of tread with “lowered pressure”, and it’s sidewall providing smoother edges aid better in directional grip.
It’s U shaped lugs basically are better designed for providing smoother grip on sand, they are pasted on a larger surface area, so with that, they, besides enhancing the tread print of the tire, also promote more “floating” instead of “digging”.
Rocks
Rocks itself has a lot of variables, it’s includes gravely roads, dirt-filled tracks, rock climbing and so on.
For gravely and dirt-filled roads, both tires offer cut resistant rubber, though still with bold stone ejectors and slightly wider shoulder grooves, the Grabber A/TX provides better capabilities but only directionally.
Firestone X/T on the other side, do better at the handling department there, as it feels more stable during cornering.
And when it comes to climbing, it has the advantage of softer tread, allowing it’s lugs to mold over better on the rocky surface, providing firmer contact.
Moreover, with lighter weight (across all sizes), its climbing capabilities is further enhanced as well.
General Grabber A/TX on the other hand, although with its interlocking design, supplies grip in all directions, and its full depth siping further aids that, it’s lateral traction is not impressive.
And I think that’s the only complaint I have with this tire.
Verdict
Both tires although provide great overall capabilities, there are a few sections where each of them perform differently.
For example on dry roads although both tires perform equally the General Grabber A/TX offers superior wet traction (though overall, compared to other A/T options, its not that impressive).
Firestone Destination X/T on the other side, is jack of all trades, master on none, so although it may seem it lacks in all departments, its only with a little margin, well, except for the wear, Grabber ATX is one of the top performing ones in that section.
