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Head-to-head Updated

Michelin Defender LTX M/S vs General Grabber HTS60 — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Defender LTX M/S leads, 76–74 Narrow edge

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Tire AMichelin

Defender LTX M/S

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 78 · 10 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (tested tread life (miles))

Tire BGeneral

Grabber HTS60

All Season

Tests – · 1 test Owners 77 · 492 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 13 in 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires (overall ranking)

“Just noticed on one of the pics I took of the tire that the factory added about 10lbs of lead to balance it. Seems like they could have done a better job of that... I see the colored dot on the tire and got wondering what that meant. Found this tidbit of info out there: Quote: Where Are the Paint Dots Placed? Quote: The yellow dots identify where a tire weighs the least — the lightest point on a tire. The yellow dot should be lined up and directly next to the valve stem, which is the wheel’s heaviest point. The red dots identify where the tire is flattest — the lowest point on a tire. The red dot should be directly across from the highest point of the wheel, which is usually indicated by a colored dot or a notch on the wheel. If a tire has a yellow and red dot, the red dot takes precedence when balancing the tire. Wonder if the factory people bother to do that correctly?”

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 76

    Dry

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS60
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 73 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8178

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 72.9 (est.) + 40% × 81.1 = 76

    Grabber HTS60: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 78 = 74

    No road tests of dry for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

    No road tests of dry for Grabber HTS60. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.40).

  2. 78

    Wet

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    76
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS60
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 76 (est.)≈ 74 (est.)
    Reviews found online8178

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 75.8 (est.) + 40% × 80.6 = 78

    Grabber HTS60: 60% × 74.2 (est.) + 40% × 77.7 = 76

    No road tests of wet for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

    No road tests of wet for Grabber HTS60. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.56).

  3. 72

    Snow

    Defender LTX M/S +2
    70
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS60
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7369

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 71 (est.) + 40% × 73.2 = 72

    Grabber HTS60: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 69.4 = 70

    No road tests of snow for Defender LTX M/S. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

    No road tests of snow for Grabber HTS60. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.33).

  4. 73

    Comfort

    Level
    73
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS60
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7677

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 70.3 (est.) + 40% × 76.1 = 73

    Grabber HTS60: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.3 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Defender LTX M/S or Grabber HTS60. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  5. 70

    Noise

    Grabber HTS60 +2
    72
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS60
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 67 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7480

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 74 = 70

    Grabber HTS60: 60% × 66.6 (est.) + 40% × 79.7 = 72

    No road tests of noise for Defender LTX M/S or Grabber HTS60. The test half is the tested tires’ average (67): owners’ noise ratings barely follow the road tests.

  6. 76

    Treadwear

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS60
    Professional tests (TWG score)7473
    Reviews found online7877
    Tested Tread Life (Miles) (% of best) · 1 shared test84%79%

    Defender LTX M/S: 60% × 74.3 + 40% × 78 = 76

    Grabber HTS60: 60% × 72.9 + 40% × 77.4 = 75

  7. 78

    Handling

    Defender LTX M/S +1
    77
    Why this score
    SourceDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS60
    Reviews found online7877
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin Defender LTX M/SGeneral Grabber HTS60
Relative Score 76 74
Dry 76 74
Wet 78 76
Snow 72 70
Comfort 73 73
Noise 70 72
Treadwear 76 75
Handling 78 77

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Defender LTX M/S

Grabber HTS60

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryDefender LTX M/SGrabber HTS60ΔHead-to-head
Overall Ranking Overall #3/13 #2/13 – 0–1 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires
Tested Tread Life (Miles) Treadwear 84% 79% +5.2 1–0 in 1 shared test Newest: 2022 Consumer Reports All Season Truck Tires

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Defender LTX M/S

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity and mileage lifespan
  • Quiet and smooth ride quality at highway speeds
  • Strong year-round traction across dry, wet, and light snow conditions

Cons

  • High upfront purchase price
  • Subpar performance in deep mud, sand, and off-road environments
  • Limited ice and severe winter capability compared to dedicated winter tires
All owner themes in the Defender LTX M/S review

Tire B Grabber HTS60

Pros

  • Smooth and quiet highway ride quality
  • Great value and affordable price point compared to premium brands
  • Reliable all-season traction in wet, dry, and light winter conditions

Cons

  • Occasional reports of minor road noise or hum at higher speeds
  • Potential manufacturing inconsistencies, such as tires being out-of-round
  • Aggressive tread pattern can occasionally cause slight slippage on loose dirt or debris when taking off
All owner themes in the Grabber HTS60 review

What real owners are saying

From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score

Tire A

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.

Tire B

General Grabber HTS60

Positive

Community opinion of the General Grabber HTS 60 is largely positive, with owners highlighting its low price, quiet road manners, and strong fuel and electric efficiency compared to all-terrain alternatives. While widely praised as an affordable highway tire capable of light towing, some users note concerns regarding winter grip, wet hydroplaning at half tread, and isolated balance or sidewall defect issues.

f150lightningforum.com ·2024-04-19

“Hey guys, Turns out there's a puncture in one of my general grabbers and the shop is asking that I change all 4 at this point... When came the time to look at new tires, they advised me that these tires are simply Gerneral Grabber HTS60 tires...indicating that they aren't necessarily made different from any regular grabbers they would put on an ice truck. Can anybody confirm this? If so, has anybody tried a different all-season tire like the Michelin Defender LTX by any chance? Wondering if we'd be getting a huge hit in range... Thanks!”
rivianforums.com ·2024-12-06

“I think there is a misconception that the cheaper tires are “unsafe”. What is more likely is they will be faster wearing and not necessarily have performance characteristics of a more expensive tires. There are 3-4 ranges for tires. ~$600, ~$1200, and $1800 for a set of 4 that will last between 20-50k miles. Then there is efficiency, say 1.7, 2.0, and 2.3 MPK. To get 2.3 MPK you need a tire under 40#. If we follow your hierarchy then you can limit the options to 3-4 tires: General grabber hts60 (best efficiency) Michelin Defender LTX M/S2 (long lasting) Pirelli AS+3 good all around but 115) I would consider one of the cheaper options but recognize it’s a gamble that may not pay off. Also, I would consider any tire under 50# not very suitable for off-road/towing usage, can you do it? Sure…but is it a good idea…nope.”
r/f150 ·32 upvotes ·2023-07-18

“New shoes today !! General Grabber HTS60 275/55/R20 117T Very good rated and $400 cheaper than the Michelins I wanted. Discount Tire price matched Sams Club since they were 2 weeks out.”
Top themes
#fuel and EV efficiency#budget-friendly pricing#quiet and smooth ride#highway and road performance#light towing capability#winter and wet traction#treadwear and balance issues

Based on 38 community posts

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S B · General Grabber HTS60
CategoryAll SeasonAll Season
Vehicle typeSUV and 4x4SUV and 4x4
Sizes available—39
Rim diameters—15″ – 22″
Tread depth—10 - 14/32″
UTQG—620 - 680 A A - B
Sidewall—Black Side Wall - Raised Outline White Lettering
Max pressure—44 - 80 psi

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin Defender LTX M/S

General Grabber HTS60

Narrow edge: Michelin Defender LTX M/S. Where the General Grabber HTS60 is ahead, it is by less than 3 points.

Tire A · Michelin Defender LTX M/S
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · General Grabber HTS60
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How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.

76

Narrow edge

Defender LTX M/S

Amazon