# Winter tires - what do you use?



## Swedishchef (Feb 7, 2013)

Hey guys

Just curious: what kind of winter tires do you use? I hope that people are not longer gullable with "all season tires". Those are good in places that it never reaches temperatures below 5C. The rubber simply stiffens and no longer "bites" into ice/snow.

I for one will only install ONE model winter tire on my cars: Nokian Hakkapeliitta (I had 2s, then 5s and now 7s). I once saw Subaru use them on their winter rally cars (if they are good enough to go 120 Mph on snow, they're good enough for me) and bought a set. I normally get about 45-50K on them before changing them.

So what about you?

Andrew


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## Locust Post (Feb 7, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> Hey guys
> 
> Just curious: what kind of winter tires do you use? I hope that people are not longer gullable with "all season tires". Those are good in places that it never reaches temperatures below 5C. The rubber simply stiffens and no longer "bites" into ice/snow.
> 
> ...


 
Learned my lesson on the all season tires on the wife's Mazda. Put some Michelin Ice on last winter but I take them off for the warmer weather. There back on since Nov.


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## jharkin (Feb 7, 2013)

My Dad used to swear by Bridgestone Blizzaks. Ive used mostly Michelin snow tires on my cars, as they have won the Tire Rack snow tire comparison tests many times and done well in the coparison tests in many of the car rags.

On my wifes old Toyota Corolla we ran Michelin X-Ice XI2s.  On my RSX I used to run Pilot Aplin's and when those wore out I put a new Set of X-Ice XI3s on it this year. When my wife used to commute to Boston at times Id have to go out and get her on snow days when the train got stuck and plowed that little car through drifts on unplowed roads and somehow got back alive 

On my wife's current Honda Pilot we  just have a set of all season LTX M/S2s.  We haven't had any issues in winter on those but then again nowadays we have no need to take that car out and drive it through foot deep snow.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 7, 2013)

NOw we're talking. Someone who has been converted!

It's been proven time and time again. Winter tires are much better in cooler/colder weather. On pave, snow and ice.

Lots of people say "I can't afford 2 sets of tires" and I always say "sure you can: each set lasts twice as long so it comes to the same thing. What makes you change tires is tire wear which results (normally) from mileage".


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## Swedishchef (Feb 7, 2013)

jharkin said:


> My Dad used to swear by Bridgestone Blizzaks. Ive used mostly Michelin snow tires on my cars, as they have won the Tire Rack snow tire comparison tests many times and done well in the coparison tests in many of the car rags.
> 
> On my wifes old Toyota Corolla we ran Michelin X-Ice XI2s. On my RSX I used to run Pilot Aplin's and when those wore out I put a new Set of X-Ice XI3s on it this year. When my wife used to commute to Boston at times Id have to go out and get her on snow days when the train got stuck and plowed that little car through drifts on unplowed roads and somehow got back alive
> 
> On my wife's current Honda Pilot we just have a set of all season LTX M/S2s. We haven't had any issues in winter on those but then again nowadays we have no need to take that car out and drive it through foot deep snow.


 X-Ice Xi2s are good. But they seemed to wear out terribly fast. A friend of mine only got about 20K on them and they were done. He had them on a Civic.
Winter tires are the best.

In the province of Quebec where I live, they are mandatory between December 15th and March 15th of every year.


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## jharkin (Feb 7, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> X-Ice Xi2s are good. But they seemed to wear out terribly fast. A friend of mine only got about 20K on them and they were done. He had them on a Civic.
> Winter tires are the best.
> 
> In the province of Quebec where I live, they are mandatory between December 15th and March 15th of every year.


 

Is that KM or MI?  I'd have to go back and look at how many miles I put on mine... probably under 30k miles.  I got a surprising amount of time on them, like 5 or 6 seasons, but I put below average mileage on the car. 

So far I like the XI3s a lot, but haven't tested them in serious snow.  They rounded off the shoulders more like the Alpins and put in more tread blocks so the handling is quiter and smoother. Also upped the speed rating to H.  Meanwhile the Alpins new design for the PA3 looks like it goes too agressive towards performance.  Im wondering what they are giving up in snow traction with these changes.

I had heard aobut hte mandatory snow tire rule up there, my company has an office in Montreal and my current boss works there.  Intersting idea, but then you guys probably get much worse snow than we do, this weekend notwithstanding.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 7, 2013)

It is in KMs.

If you are getting 5 or 6 seasons that is damn good!

they uppped to an H? I didn't know that. I have no idea why they would do that. Perhaps to make more young kinds by them for their tricked Civics thinking they can go faster   If you have ever gone 100MPh+ with winter tired, you will know it is not a pleasant feeling (if the car is on pave...it feels like it's floating due to the soft rubber).

Montreal's weather would be similar to Boston's. Montreal is only about 350 KMs north Boston. I think the storm systems that pass through you would be very similar to Montreal's. However where I live, pfffffffft. We use brooms in 30cm storms.


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## jharkin (Feb 7, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> If you have ever gone 100MPh+ with winter tired, you will know it is not a pleasant feeling (if the car is on pave...it feels like it's floating due to the soft rubber).


 
I did in Germany once.  Business trip to the VW engineering training center at HQ in Wolfsburg in a February many years ago.  Picked up my rental at Hanover Airport Hertz and the dash had a sticker "Achtung!  Winter tires mounted to vehicle. Max speed 185 km/h"

So of course I was doing 184 km/h down the autobahn to get over there.  Seemed ok


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## Swedishchef (Feb 7, 2013)

LOLOL.

That must have been a cool center!

Andrew


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## jharkin (Feb 7, 2013)

It was cool. I spent the week at the engineering training center demoing our new cad software to their designers. Got to visit the Autostadt ( auto city.... Vw museum very cool) but ran out of time for the plant tour.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostadt

Funny story, being a young inexperienced engineer on only my second business trip ever, I just took whatever car the rental company offered me... Which turned out to be a Diesel Renault Megane! And then I had to go park that in the VW employee lot! From day two our local sales guy had mercy on me and picked me up in his Audi.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 7, 2013)

LOL. A renault MEGANE!? Nice...very nice. Why not take a Lada instead?


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## jharkin (Feb 7, 2013)

Like I said, young stupid and didn't think to ask for something else...

At least i drive manual shift so they didn't write me off as a completely clueless.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 7, 2013)

That is true. Young grasshoppers learn fast eh?

You could have stalled it with them in the car or something. I have done that before. Quite embarassing!


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## Boog (Feb 8, 2013)

I grew up near Buffalo and gained my winter "combat" training there. Compared to there, living down here in NE Ohio is a piece of cake. I have always run dedicated winter snow tires on all my cars picking up a second set of wheels just for them. Whether its been sedans, sports cars, SUVs, or trucks, I always had the snow tires. While tread design and compounding has changed over the years, as have model names and numbers, I have always liked the Blizzak and X-Ice lines of tires. I currently have Blizzaks on my Ford E-150 Conversion Van and Lattitude X-Ice tires on my Highlander. Overall, the Blizzaks have always seemed a little more aggressive in deeper snow, where the Lattitude X-Ice ones better in the icy environment.

A friend showed me the snow tires he bought last fall, they were a Goodyear brand as his dad retired from there and gets a discount. There were a couple of sipe lines cut in the outer blocks, versus the numerous ones on my tires, and the rubber compound was so stiff you could hardly bend it with your fingers, versus the very soft outer compound on mine. I'm sure he will get better milage out of those tires than I will with mine, but I have no doubt as to which ones I would rather be riding on.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

Boog Powell said:


> he bought last fall, they were a Goodyear brand as his dad retired from there and gets a discount. There were a couple of sipe lines cut in the outer blocks, versus the numerous ones on my tires, and the rubber coumpound was so stiff you could hardly bend it with your fingers, versus the very soft outer compound on mine. I'm sure he will get better milage out of those tires than I will with mine, but I have no doubt as to which ones I would rather be riding on.


 Exactly. The harder the rubber the longer they will last but the less traction in the cold you'll have.

Nokian tires are not yet that popular in the US. They are made in Finland (it is compulsary to have winter tires in the entire country).


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## jtakeman (Feb 8, 2013)

I have had excellent traction with both the Michelin X-Ice and General Arctic on fwd mid-sized sedans. We have Good Year wangler silent armor on the 4x4 and they do nicely as well.

The Michelin X-Ice and General Arctic have silica in the compound for more winter grip.


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## jharkin (Feb 8, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> Exactly. The harder the rubber the longer they will last but the less traction in the cold you'll have.
> 
> Nokian tires are not yet that popular in the US. They are made in Finland (it is compulsary to have winter tires in the entire country).


 
Ive heard of them but they are very hard to find here in the US as you noted. I've only ever come across one shop that sold them - a small outfit called Rim&Wheel Works in Waltham, MA


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## granpajohn (Feb 8, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> *Montreal's weather would be similar to Boston's*. Montreal is only about 350 KMs north Boston. I think the storm systems that pass through you would be very similar to Montreal's. However where I live, pfffffffft. We use brooms in 30cm storms.


 
Montreal is much colder than Boston.
January average temps in F:

Montreal: 22 max, 4 min
Boston: 36/22
Ottawa: 20/4

(these numbers can vary, but just to give the idea..)

I seem to remember that Ottawa is the coldest major city worldwide. Colder than Moscow.

Maybe that's why you can use brooms for your snow.

...and if you think the snow is slick in southern new england, you should come down here to Dixie. (We can't use brooms.)


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## jharkin (Feb 8, 2013)

Another reason why I lean to the X-Ice over Blizzaks.  For us wet snow and icing is a more frequent winter occurrence than unplowed deep powder on the roads.


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## Badfish740 (Feb 8, 2013)

I have these Treadwrights (retreads) on Toyota:







Treadwright's whole business is retreading mud tires to provide quality tires at a reasonable cost.  I got four 32" Guard Dogs (Basically a copy of the old BFG MTRs) shipped to my house for just under $500.  Normally mud tires aren't that great in the snow but they use a fairly soft rubber compound, plus you can order the tires with something they call "Kedge Grip."  Basically what they do is put crushed walnut shells in the mold which create microscopic pits in the rubber that work like siping, only better.  These are the grippiest tires I've ever used on snow and ice.  As soon as the crappy all terrains on the wife's SUV wear out she's getting a set of "Wardens" which are copies of the BFG A/T pattern, but with the Kedge Grip as well.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

jharkin said:


> Ive heard of them but they are very hard to find here in the US as you noted. I've only ever come across one shop that sold them - a small outfit called Rim&Wheel Works in Waltham, MA


 If you try them sometime, you will NEVER use another winter tire again. I used to be a Michelin man before and won't go back.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

granpajohn said:


> Montreal is much colder than Boston.
> January average temps in F:
> 
> Montreal: 22 max, 4 min
> ...


lol. I meant we use brooms for 12 inches because it is nothing.

I don't think Ottawa is the coldest. Perhaps it is..it does sit in a valley which tends to hold the cold for longer. But Winnipeg and Edmonton must give it a run for it's money.

I thought Montreal would be similar in temperatures but then I just remembered that Boston sits on the ocean. Montreal sits on a river...


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

Badfish740 said:


> I have these Treadwrights (retreads) on Toyota:
> 
> 
> 
> Treadwright's whole business is retreading mud tires to provide quality tires at a reasonable cost. I got four 32" Guard Dogs (Basically a copy of the old BFG MTRs) shipped to my house for just under $500. Normally mud tires aren't that great in the snow but they use a fairly soft rubber compound, plus you can order the tires with something they call "Kedge Grip." Basically what they do is put crushed walnut shells in the mold which create microscopic pits in the rubber that work like siping, only better. These are the grippiest tires I've ever used on snow and ice. As soon as the crappy all terrains on the wife's SUV wear out she's getting a set of "Wardens" which are copies of the BFG A/T pattern, but with the Kedge Grip as well.


 PErsonally I am not a big fan of retreads. However, for mudding I would do it. But there's no way that tire beats a winter tire in -15C. The rubber would simply get too hard. Perhaps around the freezing mark they would be ok.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

Here is the ultimate winter (studded) tire if you ask me.
http://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=131172&group=1.01&name=Nokian+Hakkapeliitta+7

Consumer reports usually rates them in the top 1-2 tires on the market.

Andrew


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## Badfish740 (Feb 8, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> PErsonally I am not a big fan of retreads. However, for mudding I would do it. But there's no way that tire beats a winter tire in -15C. The rubber would simply get too hard. Perhaps around the freezing mark they would be ok.


 
That's usually where they see the most use.  The company that sells them is in North Dakota and the Guard Dogs are their most popular seller.  I doubt they're as good as Nokians, etc...but they are the best mud tire I've ever used in the snow.


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## velvetfoot (Feb 8, 2013)

I have studded Haakas on the Mazda and studded Coopers on the Mini.  I tried to get Haakas for the Mini, but it was too late in the season, I guess.


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## Badfish740 (Feb 8, 2013)

In NJ studs are legal November to May, but I just feel like we don't get enough bad weather to justify them.  How bad is the clicking noise inside the car when you're running on clear dry pavement?  How fast do they wear down from that kind of driving?


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## velvetfoot (Feb 8, 2013)

Badfish740 said:


> In NJ studs are legal November to May, but I just feel like we don't get enough bad weather to justify them.  How bad is the clicking noise inside the car when you're running on clear dry pavement?  How fast do they wear down from that kind of driving?


REALLY noisey.


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## daveswoodhauler (Feb 8, 2013)

Our 2005 honda Odyssey was a PITA in the snow, so about 3 years ago I picked up some Firestone Winterforce from TireRack.com mounted on steel rims. I know that the Firestorms are reviewed to be inferior to the other brands folks have mentioned, but have to say that I am very happy with ours, and the pricepoint was good as well for about $65tire and $35 for the Rim. On our 4th season with them, and they make the roads in winter much easier to deal with.


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## peakbagger (Feb 8, 2013)

I use Nokias Haks on both my vehicles. Their US headquarters is near Burlington VT. They are hard to find at a local tire store but worth ordering them on the internet. The microsiping works real well in ice and wet roads. They do tend to have a bit of "squirm" on the sidewalls but I really shouldnt be cornering that hard in winter conditions

I see lots of cars from Vt where the tires are worth more than the car they are attached to.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

Badfish: I do believe that the tires would be decent in snow. The concept it simple on a winter tire: release the snow when the tire lifts from the ground. The larger treads are meant to absorb the snow enabling the sipes to come in contact with the ground, release again again and again. I believe mud tires use the same principle: grab mud, release mud. The main difference would be in cold weather due to the mud tires hardening before the winter tires.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

peakbagger said:


> I use Nokias Haks on both my vehicles. Their US headquarters is near Burlington VT. They are hard to find at a local tire store but worth ordering them on the internet. The microsiping works real well in ice and wet roads. They do tend to have a bit of "squirm" on the sidewalls but I really shouldnt be cornering that hard in winter conditions
> 
> I see lots of cars from Vt where the tires are worth more than the car they are attached to.


 
Someone has seen the light!


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

daveswoodhauler said:


> Our 2005 honda Odyssey was a PITA in the snow, so about 3 years ago I picked up some Firestone Winterforce from TireRack.com mounted on steel rims. I know that the Firestorms are reviewed to be inferior to the other brands folks have mentioned, but have to say that I am very happy with ours, and the pricepoint was good as well for about $65tire and $35 for the Rim. On our 4th season with them, and they make the roads in winter much easier to deal with.


 
Winterforce tires are not a bad tire. There is no such thing as a BAD winter tire: they are all better than all season tires. For that price you can't beat it.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

velvetfoot said:


> I have studded Haakas on the Mazda and studded Coopers on the Mini. I tried to get Haakas for the Mini, but it was too late in the season, I guess.


 Yeah they sometimes are out of stock in Canada depending on how late in the season you buy them. They are nice tires!


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

Badfish740 said:


> In NJ studs are legal November to May, but I just feel like we don't get enough bad weather to justify them. How bad is the clicking noise inside the car when you're running on clear dry pavement? How fast do they wear down from that kind of driving?


 They are certainly noisy. And you appreciate it when they come off. Put it this way: I turn my radio up to 22 in the winter but 14 in the summer LOL.

The studs on Nokians don't wear down at all. They use a square stud system (it "bites" more than a round one). They state "On the front edges of the tread blocks, there are air shock absorbers shaped in the form of droplet-like chambers. They soften the stud contact with the road and absorb the impact. At the same time, they reduce the stud vibration when coming into contact with the road. The air shock absorbers reduce wear and tear on the road, dampen tire noise and prolong the service life of the studs"

Check out their specs:
https://www.nokiantires.com/tyre?id=131172&group=1.01&name=Nokian+Hakkapeliitta+7


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## Vincent (Feb 8, 2013)

Wife runs studded Nokian Haka's on her Chevy Trail Blazer and I run them on my Van. I Would never run all seasons tires again in the winter.


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## Stegman (Feb 8, 2013)

While I understand the superiority of winter tires, both of our vehicles have AWD and do just fine when it gets messy. Yes, I know AWD doesn't help you stop, but we're lifelong New Englanders and know how to drive in the snow. Since I work at home, and my wife works only 10 miles away, there's not much need for us to pop for winter tires.

My truck right now has Hankook Dynapro ATMs on it. They're great. My wife's car has some weird tires I've never heard of [Commando or something - they were on it when we bought it], but they've been pretty good.

On my old Mazda3, I used Firestone Winterforce tires mounted on steel rims and they were fantastic - and vital for the 45-mile daily drive into Boston back then.

One time I was forced to take that car up to Vermont during a storm to check to see if our cabin had been damaged by a nasty ice storm from a week earlier. I somehow managed to make it through 12 miles of an unplowed dirt road that had six inches of snow on it. It was dicey, for sure, but I made it in and out and lived to tell the tale.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

Steg: at least you understand that you don't stop faster with AWD. AWD helps with handling around corners and getting through snow. Ever thought of getting some second hand winter tires? Often people buy tires and the next year or two get new vehicles. Cheap way to get decent winter tires.

 All my vehicles are AWD as well. It's nice in the winter: Subarus turn into Skidoos with Nokian tires :D


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## jharkin (Feb 8, 2013)

AWD helps somewhat with cornering, but at the limits 2WD with snows will still win around corners.  When you run out of grip you WILL skid no matter how many wheels are under power.


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## Badfish740 (Feb 8, 2013)

jharkin said:


> AWD helps somewhat with cornering, but at the limits 2WD with snows will still win around corners. When you run out of grip you WILL skid no matter how many wheels are under power.


 
We bought a 2009 Kia Borrego CPO from the dealer.  What's unique about them is that they literally have the best of both worlds which is pretty rare nowadays.  Full time AWD which will engage the front wheels when the computer senses slip so the wife can drive it without having to push buttons, pull levers, etc...  BUT it also has selectable 4x4 HI and 4x4 LO so when I want to have some real fun with it I can.  They only imported them to the states for one year


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## Stegman (Feb 8, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> Steg: at least you understand that you don't stop faster with AWD. AWD helps with handling around corners and getting through snow. Ever thought of getting some second hand winter tires? Often people buy tires and the next year or two get new vehicles. Cheap way to get decent winter tires.
> 
> All my vehicles are AWD as well. It's nice in the winter: Subarus turn into Skidoos with Nokian tires :D


 
If I still did a lot of driving I would definitely consider getting winter tires. But since I work from home now, I'm fortunate that I can basically avoid driving in the snow.


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## Stegman (Feb 8, 2013)

Not to digress too far from the original thread, but the best car I ever had in the snow was a 1988 Volkswagen Fox. The thing practically had bicycle tires on it, they were so narrow. I used to never even bother shoveling - it would blast right through two feet of plow crud at the end of the driveway with no problem. These were all season tires, too. If it had snow tires, it would have been unstoppable.


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## BrotherBart (Feb 8, 2013)

I run BFG Commercial T/A Traction tires on the 3/4 ton 4X4 Suburban. Year around since I don't drive much. But those things make that truck climb my S-curve 900 foot uphill driveway in deep snow like a mountain goat. If I drove more I would change them out in warm weather because of the soft compound but it isn't worth the effort for my low mileage.


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## eclecticcottage (Feb 8, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> In the province of Quebec where I live, they are mandatory between December 15th and March 15th of every year.


 
Smartest darn law I've heard in a long time.  I remember we were up in the Adirondacks around when they passed that and it was all over the radio how hard it was to find snows!  I wish NYS would do the same, I'm really tired of dealing with people that can't go more than 5mph and take up the whole freaking road because their car is sliding all over the place.  Makes me crazy.

I can't recall what we've got for snows.  Picked em up almost brand new off craigslist for $100.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 8, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> run BFG Commercial T/A Traction tires on the 3/4 ton 4X4 Suburban. Year around since I don't drive much. But those things make that truck climb my S-curve 900 foot uphill driveway in deep snow like a mountain goat. If I drove more I would change them out in warm weather because of the soft compound but it isn't worth the effort for my low mileage​


 Something in my mind told me you would have a Suburban. At my work we just got rid of a 3/4 ton 4X4 suburban: it had the 8.1L gas engine. 2006 model. We just got a brand new 3/4 ton loaded to the gills.



Stegman said:


> The thing practically had bicycle tires on it, they were so narrow​


 That is key. The narrower the tire, more pressure on the road point, better traction. IF you watch international rallies, they put the narrowes tire available!



Badfish740 said:


> They only imported them to the states for one year ​


 I have never heard of that model Kia....seems like a great concept! However, the BEST AWD system is in Subarus. They have had it for over 15 years on EVERY model. And until 5 years ago, it was simple: if one wheel turned, they all turned. 60/40 power split between the front and the back.



eclecticcottage said:


> I'm really tired of dealing with people that can't go more than 5mph and take up the whole freaking road because their car is sliding all over the place. Makes me crazy.​


 Exactly. For the 1-2 people who know how to drive in snow, there's 10 that don't.


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## rtljr (Feb 8, 2013)

I've exclusively used Nokians for my winter tires since 1988 (first set were the NR09s).  The Matrix has studded Hakka 7s, the Tacoma has studded Nordman SUVs, and the Grand Am unstudded Hakka 1s (the previous owner of the Grand Am did not believe in studded tires).

All of my snow tires are mounted on dedicated rims, so changeovers are a snap.  I just bought another small sedan today for one of my children and next week will be mounting studded Hakka 7s on four steel wheels sourced from a regional auto salvage yard ($35 each for the rims).

The Nokians are expensive, but well worth it given the level of control that they afford.  Too many people do without snow tires especially those with 4WD or all-wheel drive.  Most of the vehicles that I see off the road most likely are shod with "all season" tires.


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## nate379 (Feb 9, 2013)

I run studded Hankook I Pikes. Popular tire up here. http://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Hankook/W409+Winter+i-Pike

The Blizzaks suck ass compared to studded tires on ice. Couple weeks ago we had a thaw and rain. Two guys at work could barely get out of the parking lot with their Blizzaks. The guys with all seasons were hopeless. Everyone else with studs did fine. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like I was driving on dry pavement or anything, but I still got home!

One of my renters ran some of those magic almond shell tires. He slammed into the back of my truck twice and almost went through the garage door another time. My driveway has maybe a 1ft drop in 90ft from the road to the garage. I thought it was just him, but I drove the car once and it was scary!


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## begreen (Feb 9, 2013)

Swedishchef said:


> If you try them sometime, you will NEVER use another winter tire again. I used to be a Michelin man before and won't go back.


 
We can get Nokians at some stores like Discount Tire out here. They are popular tires with folks that know winter or mountain snow. Even their all-season tires are good. I think they might have to order the Hakkapeliitta though.

Here's a review article on snow tires. http://www.liftopia.com/blog/top-5-snow-tires/


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## hossthehermit (Feb 9, 2013)

Pacemark SNOWTRAKKERS on all 4 on the Tacoma, year round. Run offroad enough to make it worthwhile.


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## maple1 (Feb 9, 2013)

For us, it's winter tires in the winter & all seasons the rest of the year.

I just get whatever is the cheapest at the time, as long as they look fairly aggressive and are real winter tires. Studs for the Civic (wife drives to work every day with, 90km round trip), but not for the Pilot - at least right now. The studded ones on the Civic now I got from a buddy who sold his Civic but kept his winter wheels. Forget the brand but they came from WalMart, and after this winter that will likely be the end of them after 4 full winters - so they did all right. I think the Pilot winter tires are on their last winter too. So it'll be an expensive go-round next fall. I don't have steel rims for it, since I was told I'd need another set of pressure sensors for it too if I went to steels for winters. Now I'm hearing you don't - so not quite sure what the fall will bring when tire shopping comes round again. But now after year round use, the stock alloy rims on the Pilot look like absolute garbage.


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## Badfish740 (Feb 9, 2013)

nate379 said:


> One of my renters ran some of those magic almond shell tires. He slammed into the back of my truck twice and almost went through the garage door another time.!


 
Sounds like you need new renters that don't destroy your property   I somehow manage not to crash into everything I see on "magic almond shell tires"


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## pen (Feb 9, 2013)

nate379 said:


> I run studded Hankook I Pikes. Popular tire up here. http://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Hankook/W409 Winter i-Pike


 
Ran these on the wife's last car, a Pontiac Grand Prix and they did great. Got a winter, a summer, the following winter, then 1/2 the next summer out of them before selling the car.  Would have needed to put new on before that coming winter, but for the mileage she drives, all season's wouldn't have given her many more miles so I was impressed.

Put them on all 4 corners of my 2wd f-150 this year and am really liking them there.

For the reasonable price, very pleased with the tire.

pen


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## Swedishchef (Feb 9, 2013)

begreen said:


> Here's a review article on snow tires. http://www.liftopia.com/blog/top-5-snow-tires/​


  NIce review BeGreen! The Rs are very well rated. I think one of the greatest thing about Nokian tires is the treadware indicator. It's a great feature and simply to implement.



nate379 said:


> run studded Hankook I Pikes. Popular tire up here. http://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Hankook/W409 Winter i-Pike​


 
Nate: I-PIkes are popular. THe funny thing is that Nokian had the Hakka2s with that exact tread pattern in 2004 and they kept it every year since. 



rtljr said:


> I've exclusively used Nokians for my winter tires since 1988 (first set were the NR09s). The Matrix has studded Hakka 7s, the Tacoma has studded Nordman SUVs, and the Grand Am unstudded Hakka 1s (the previous owner of the Grand Am did not believe in studded tires).
> 
> All of my snow tires are mounted on dedicated rims, so changeovers are a snap. I just bought another small sedan today for one of my children and next week will be mounting studded Hakka 7s on four steel wheels sourced from a regional auto salvage yard ($35 each for the rims).
> 
> The Nokians are expensive, but well worth it given the level of control that they afford. Too many people do without snow tires especially those with 4WD or all-wheel drive. Most of the vehicles that I see off the road most likely are shod with "all season" tires.


 I can't say I have been using them since 1988..I was only 8 years old. LOL. I agree, they are expensive but well worth it in my opinion.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 9, 2013)

Badfish740 said:


> I somehow manage not to crash into everything I see on "magic almond shell tires​


 lol


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## Swedishchef (Feb 9, 2013)

pen said:


> Ran these on the wife's last car, a Pontiac Grand Prix and they did great. Got a winter, a summer, the following winter, then 1/2 the next summer out of them before selling the car. Would have needed to put new on before that coming winter, but for the mileage she drives, all season's wouldn't have given her many more miles so I was impressed.
> 
> Put them on all 4 corners of my 2wd f-150 this year and am really liking them there.
> 
> ...


 Yeah Pen, they are a pretty good bang for the $. They have the same tread pattern as Nokians. What differentiates is the tire compound itself.


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## JustWood (Feb 9, 2013)

I run these on all my big trucks in the winter. It's an Oliver recap. 30/32 tread new. Some diggin muthers! Years ago they made a light truck cap in this design. But ,, no more. BLAAAH 
Run Cooper S/T2's on my pickup for the first time this winter and will continue. Best winter pickup tire I've tried to date.


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## nate379 (Feb 9, 2013)

There's one tire place (with a few shops) that carries the Nokian tires but they are crazy expensive. I had went there a few years ago to get 4 tires MOUNTED for my truck and they wanted $365. Yes, over $90 a tire to get them mounted.
I know several people that are car dumb that have gone there (they are a big name... somehow?!) and dropped $1500-2000 on a set of winter tires... on tires that cost under $200 each elsewhere. 



Swedishchef said:


> Nate: I-PIkes are popular. THe funny thing is that Nokian had the Hakka2s with that exact tread pattern in 2004 and they kept it every year since.


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## nate379 (Feb 9, 2013)

He for sure wasn't the brightest bulb, but the tires truly sucked!

These were the tires http://www.greendiamondtire.com/

I guess compared to a regular summer tire "all season" they weren't horrible, but compared to a good studded winter tire the difference was laughable.



Badfish740 said:


> Sounds like you need new renters that don't destroy your property  I somehow manage not to crash into everything I see on "magic almond shell tires"


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## nate379 (Feb 9, 2013)

I wish we had those tires on the tractors at work.  We have 3 trucks.  The old one has some semi decent siped tires and it doesn't do too bad.  It only has a PDL, no lockers.  The two new ones have some "Florida" tires that are worthless.  PDL and lockers on both axles just means you polish 4 spots on the ground. 




LEES WOOD-CO said:


> View attachment 93013
> 
> I run these on all my big trucks in the winter. It's an Oliver recap. 30/32 tread new. Some diggin muthers! Years ago they made a light truck cap in this design. But ,, no more. BLAAAH
> Run Cooper S/T2's on my pickup for the first time this winter and will continue. Best winter pickup tire I've tried to date.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 9, 2013)

nate379 said:


> There's one tire place (with a few shops) that carries the Nokian tires but they are crazy expensive. I had went there a few years ago to get 4 tires MOUNTED for my truck and they wanted $365. Yes, over $90 a tire to get them mounted.
> I know several people that are car dumb that have gone there (they are a big name... somehow?!) and dropped $1500-2000 on a set of winter tires... on tires that cost under $200 each elsewhere.


 That is an INSANE price!! No thanks


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## Swedishchef (Feb 9, 2013)

LEES WOOD-CO said:


> View attachment 93013
> 
> I run these on all my big trucks in the winter. It's an Oliver recap. 30/32 tread new. Some diggin muthers! Years ago they made a light truck cap in this design. But ,, no more. BLAAAH
> Run Cooper S/T2's on my pickup for the first time this winter and will continue. Best winter pickup tire I've tried to date.


 What won't that go through?!?!?!


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## nate379 (Feb 9, 2013)

One guy at work "justifies" the cost because they will balance and rotate the tires and patch any flats with the "insurance" he bought. 

The shop justifies the cost because "it's Alaska.. it costs us to ship these tires".  Sure it does, but why then can I get a pallet load of tires brought up here on the barge for about $150.  I'd be surprised if shipping costs them $25 a tire.



Swedishchef said:


> That is an INSANE price!! No thanks


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## Badfish740 (Feb 9, 2013)

nate379 said:


> He for sure wasn't the brightest bulb, but the tires truly sucked!
> 
> These were the tires http://www.greendiamondtire.com/
> 
> I guess compared to a regular summer tire "all season" they weren't horrible, but compared to a good studded winter tire the difference was laughable.


 
Hmmm...never heard of those-I thought you were referring to the Treadwrights.  They use crushed walnut shells in their molds.  Like I said, best mud tire I've ever run in snow, but no snow tire.


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## jharkin (Feb 9, 2013)

Hmm with all the praise for nokians maybe I have to try them next time around. I've heard the legend but never bought them as they are hard to find in local shops.


Any online source for them in the us? I know tire rack doesn't carry.


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## suprz (Feb 9, 2013)

Dont know if this counts, but on my jeep i run BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A year round, and most the time i dont even have to use 4wheel drive in the winter except in extreme situations. (Like yesterday and today, SEE BLIZZARD....)


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## Swedishchef (Feb 9, 2013)

jharkin said:


> Hmm with all the praise for nokians maybe I have to try them next time around. I've heard the legend but never bought them as they are hard to find in local shops.
> 
> 
> Any online source for them in the us? I know tire rack doesn't carry.


 Hey jeremy,

Check out http://www.tiresbyweb.com/m-108-nokian-tires.aspx?pagesize=99999  or  https://www.tiresavings.com/nokian.php

They are the best, not sure why shops won't keep them. Some people think they are expensive: about $225 a tire. A cheap tire around here would be $175 or so. Is $50 a tire a big difference over 4-5-6-7 years?? Personally I don't think so..

Andrew


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## Swedishchef (Feb 9, 2013)

suprz said:


> Dont know if this counts, but on my jeep i run BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A year round, and most the time i dont even have to use 4wheel drive in the winter except in extreme situations. (Like yesterday and today, SEE BLIZZARD....)


 I friend of mine swears by those..I tease him and he teases me. But he loves them too!

Andrew


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## DuckDog (Feb 10, 2013)

Running Michelin xi3's on the wife's 2008 Grand Prix. Very happy with their performance. I pushed it pretty hard the last storm and felt like I was on rails.  Bought myself a 2002 bare bones 2wd Ranger in late spring. Came with "Winterforce" tires on the winter rims. Lots of tread but it felt rock hard. Scrapped them and put on a set of Yokohama Geolander I/T G072.  I am blown away by these tires. Best winter truck tire I have ever had.


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## Swedishchef (Feb 10, 2013)

My uncle had GEolanders on a Chev pickup. He loved them when he had them. He then purchased a Toyota FJ Cruiser and agreed to try the Nokian Hakka SUV. He said he will never get Yokohama again :D   They are good tires though. Lots of people I know have those exact ones on their pickups. Especially on a 2WD truck in the winter. Almost a necessity!


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