Is Hercules a Good Brand? Hercules H901 Complaints and Review
When you buy an RV or trailer, you will find out soon after, that there are more tire brands than you may have thought. However, Hercules is an old American Tire and Rubber company that has been around for about 7 decades.
So far, the reviews and news about this tire brand have been good. This brand seems to make solid tires that last a long time. The Hercules brand is owned by the Hercules Tire and Rubber Company which is an American-based company.
To learn more about this tire company and its products, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can feel good when your RV or trailer has this brand of tire on its axles.
Hercules H901 Review
Is Hercules Tires a Good Brand?
From everything we have read so far, yes this is a good tire brand to have on your RV or trailer. The company makes good tires and has been striving to be in the premium tire market for decades.
They do make their tires affordable though and you should be able to pick some up for under $200 each. The company makes tires for commercial vehicles, light trucks & SUVs, UTV tires, and passenger tires. Not to mention winter, crossover, and performance tires.
Plus, the tires are said to last between 40,000 and 80,000 miles depending on the model you buy. The company also makes the Ironman tire brand and you may not find that much difference between the two tire brands.
Are Hercules Tires Made by Cooper?
There is no other answer but ‘yes’ to that question. While Hercules Tire and Rubber Company was founded in 1952, it does not own any of its own manufacturing plants. That may save on costs for the company but it means that they have to form a good partnership deal with another tire firm.
Hercules has partnered with Cooper Tires since 196o approx and has had a very good business relationship for 62 years. While the brand is different, Hercules does send the specs they want for their tires to Cooper and the latter company makes them in their different manufacturing plants.
Cooper Tire is also an American tire company but it makes its tires in China. The company also makes tires for other tire brands you see at your local tire outlet. Some of those other brands are Mastercraft, Dick Cepek, Mickey Thompson, and more.
The extent of that partnership is unknown as the American Tire Distributors or ATD company bought Hercules in 2014. So far, there does not seem to be a change in the partnership and Cooper still makes tires for this company.
Where are Hercules H901 Tires Made?
The answer is interesting because the same reviewer said two different things. First, we know that Cooper Tires makes all of Hercules's tires. Second, Cooper Tires has its manufacturing plant in China, and Hercules established an office in that country in 2003.
But that one reviewer in its FAQ section first stated that Hercules tires were not made in China. The very next question, the answer was whether the 901 and all Hercules tires were made in China.
Someone go their wires crossed and did not proofread their article. It is a well-known fact that Hercules and Ironman tires are made in China. That is because Cooper Tires has manufacturing plants in that country.
Of course, the cheaper manufacturing costs were the influential factor in making the decision to make all their tires in that country. Shipping completed tires by sea are still less expensive than making the complete tire in America.
Hercules H901 Speed Rating
It seems that Hercules makes 4 models of the H901 tire. They all come with the same speed rating. That rating is L and that equals to 75 mph. You may be able to go a little faster than that but not too much faster.
The load rating for 3 of those 4 models is G while the other model is only F. The G rating means that the tire can handle loads weighing between 4000 and 6175 pounds. Their rubber quality is equal to 14-ply or 14 layers of rubber.
The term ply means layers but tire companies just make the rubber component stronger and do not use 14 actual layers anymore. Load rating F is equal to a 12-ply tire and it will carry less weight than the tire rated G.
The F-rated tire will only be able to handle about 3900 pounds at 95 PSI. The load rating does not change the speed rating and you should still be able to go about 75 mph when fully loaded. But that may not always be recommended either.
Hercules H901 Price
First things first. Hercules does not have an online store where you can purchase their tires directly. They do have a dealer locator to help you find the tire type you need on their website. You can access that web page through this link.
Next, we reported that this brand’s tires sell for between $70 and $200 but when we checked 2 different dealers the prices for the H901 were higher than that price range.
One outlet had the tires selling for $316 which was a $30 discount from the MSRP. Another company had the H901 selling for between $174 to $224 while their list price was between $231 and $298.
The type of tire will influence the price and you do need to shop around to get the best deal for your RV or trailer. The prices will vary depending on the deal the tire outlet received from the company, where they are located, and the type of tire company it is.
Hercules H901 Complaints
We have only found one website that lists any supposed complaints against these tires. All the RV discussion forums have not listed any complaints and instead heavily praise this tire brand.
That one website has listed only one complaint about this tire model. It said that this tire had the tendency to blow out suddenly. By suddenly, that means without any notice or signs given that it is about to blow.
The same website offhandedly stated another drawback and that was that heavy use would damage the tires a lot faster than normal driving would. We checked many different review sites and discussion forums and none of them said that these were junk tires or that they had any complaints about it.
They said that they worked as advertised and lasted about the mileage the company said they would last. There may be complaints about these tires but we have not found anyone mentioning them.
Hercules H901 Reviews
If Amazon reviews are any indication, then this is a very good top-tier tire. 100% of the verified reviews gave the tire either 4 or 5 stars with 78% of them giving the latter rating.
All the reviews we have read so far have been positive with one stating the tires have great availability, are priced reasonably, help with fuel efficiency and provide a comfortable ride.
Another reviewer said almost the same things but added that the snow tires are great and the handling is top-notch. Hercules also provides a very good mileage warranty. That is up to 85,000 miles which puts it right behind Michelin at #1 with a 90,000-mile warranty.
The biggest complaint that we saw, other than the sudden blowout, was that some of the tire models, like the H901, can get pricey. They also said that this tire is on the quiet side when you are driving.
It seems, at least according to the reviews, this tire company has struck gold with this tire model.
Hercules H901 vs Sailun S637
Sailun makes pretty good tires and they will compete very well against other premium tire brands. There may be little difference between the performance aspect of each tire model.
They are both supposed to be quiet tires but the H901 may last longer as they are covered up to 85,000 miles. The Sailun models may not last as long as they seem to wear out about 20,000 miles shorter than their competitors.
The company that made Sailun tires did go through a rough patch in 2020 and the tires they made were not as good as they should have been. No such complaint has been leveled against Hercules H901.
If price is a factor for you, you may get the Sailun model cheaper than the H901. You can read our Sailun S637 review and then make up your mind about which tire is better for your RV or trailer.
Hercules H901 vs Goodyear Endurance
This may be a bit harder to compare as Hercules Tires are made by Cooper Tire which is owned by Goodyear. But one big difference is that Goodyear usually only provides a 2-year 24,000-mile warranty on some of its tires.
Hercules has been known to go 72 months and 85,000 miles on its warranties. Both tires excel in noise, comfort fuel efficiency, and comfort. They may be hard to distinguish.
As for price, Goodyear is also known to be quite expensive with its tires. Hercules tries to provide a premium tires at an affordable cost. Both brands have been around for a very long time. They both carry solid reputations for tire quality.
You should not lose out when you buy one tire model over the other except you will pay more for the Goodyear Endurance model. The bottom line has a way of making that final decision as both tires are very good models.
Hercules H901 on RVs
We have read many owners talk about this tire model and their experience with it. So far, their comments are that they love them and have not had any problems with this tire model.
In fact, these owners mirrored what the Amazon star rating had to say and no one listed any complaints about the tire. Some of these owners have had the H901s on for 40,000 miles and still think they are one of the best tires for an RV.
That experience is probably the best indicator of how these tires will do when you decide to buy this tire brand and model. So far, no one has posted a thread complaining about them or any Hercules tire model.
As you know, Cooper Tire has been making this brand’s tires for 62 years. But that manufacturing is done according to Hercules's specs so you know the company is working hard to produce the best premium tires at an affordable cost.
Hercules H901 Tire Pressure
There are 4 H901 tire models and they all have slightly different ratings and specs. Here is a little comparison chart to help you see the difference between each model type and their different tire pressure.
| Tire Size | Load Index | Load Speed Rating | Maximum tire load | Maximum tire inflation |
| ST225/75R15 | 121/118 | L | 3197 lbs | 95 psi |
| ST225/90R16 | 129/124 | L | 4079 lbs | 110 psi |
| ST235/80R16 | 128/124 | L | 3969 lbs | 105 psi |
| ST235/85R16 | 132/127 | L | 4410 lbs | 110 psi |
** information taken from this link- https://tirepressure.org/hercules/h-901
Once you find the right tire model, you should be good to go. Just watch that load rating and psi levels to make sure you do not over-inflate your tires or put too much weight on them.
Some Additional Words
Hercules Tire and Rubber Company can be called an American institution. The company has been around for over 70 years and has made top-tier tires every year.
The fact that Cooper Tires makes the actual tire does not detract from their quality as Hercules provides the specs for the manufacturing. As you can see, a lot of people have very little bad to say about this company or its tires.
The reputation of the company makes sure that when you buy a Hercules tire, you are getting a top-quality product on your RV or trailer.
