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"Studded" v. "Snow" tires?

Started by PowerPenguin, February 15, 2008, 05:21 PM NHFT

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PowerPenguin

Is there a difference between studded and "snow" tires? (See http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/124638/article.html for a mention of 'snow' tires) How useful are one or both of these options, and do you use them yourself? I have "all weather" tires that came with my car (a '01 Forester), and I have very little experience with snow/ice driving. Any tips in this arena would be good. As far as the snow tires go, Do you have to have two sets of tires like you would if you were using studded, or no? I'd rather not have to spend the $ and time having/switching out two full sets of tires all the time if I don't have to, but I'll do it if it really helps with tire grip in winter conditions.

ny2nh

Studded snow tires actually have little studs in them. Snow tires just have different tread. I have not used real snow tires in years...but when I did, yes, I had two sets of tires, regulars and snows. From what I remember there was also a time window that you could use studded tires - as I presume they wear on the road more.

Driving in the snow and ice takes a little getting used to but overall isn't that big of a deal....but I grew up in the Northeast.

I'll be curious to read what people that moved here from non-snow parts of the country say.....

Tom Sawyer

We have all season radials on our Subaru Outback and they work fine. They plow the roads well up here. The all season radials also handle better on the non snow covered roads than snow tires do. We just get fresh tires when they get older and start to lose their edge.

Puke

I also bought all-seasons when I moved here, they work fine for me.
KNowing how o drive on snow/ice is more helpful.


PowerPenguin

I asked a friend of mine about this, and he says that he has put snow/mud tread tires on his car, and just leaves them on all year. Perhaps I'll just stick with the tires I have for the time being, and just replace them with snow tires at that time. My tires are new as of the summer, so I guess I'll wait at least a year and see how it goes.

kola

Here is Colorado studded tires are rarely used. We all use a good beefy all season tire and keep chains in the trunk.

Kola

KBCraig

Quote from: Puke on February 15, 2008, 06:21 PM NHFT
KNowing how o drive on snow/ice is more helpful.

If you can drive on Arkansas red clay mud roads, you can drive on snow and ice.

Any tire can be studded (if the tread is thick enough), it only involves screwing the studs into the tread blocks. Snow tires have a different rubber formulation for cold weather, plus a tread pattern and siping that improve traction in snow.

All weather radials, depending on brand, can perform acceptably in snow. Good snow tires are so good, that it's almost like driving on dry pavement.

When I lived in Germany and used taxis regularly (late '80s, almost all 230D Mercedes), they swapped out for true snow tires in winter. I would be white-knuckled during rides that I considered to be at insane speeds for the snowy roads, but there was never the least hint of traction loss.

Kat Kanning

I never drove in snow before I came here.  They do keep the roads plowed, so unless you plan to go up hills in the backwoods or something, you shouldn't have to worry about it too bad.  If the roads are nasty, we just don't go out, usually.

CaveDog

Do they still sell studded tires? Seems to me I recalled them being banned because the studs were flying out of tires at high speed like little bullets.

I havn't seen a set of studded tires on a car in years, at least the kind I remember long ago.

SethCohn

Studded tires rock, and are well worth the small price (~$15?) to put studs onto the tire.  HIGHLY recommended.

Here in NH, there is no 'remove by date', so you can legally drive with them yearround, though your gas mileage will suffer.
Driving to other states with a remove by date would be an issue, of course, and many do have them, usually in April.

I have been very happy with studded tires every year so far in NH.  The newest car we got doesn't have them, but we got fancy snow tires instead that supposedly don't need the studs and grip the ice themselves.  We'll see.

Do NOT trust allseasons for snow use: they are unsafe when they hit the ice. No matter how well they plow, if the weather is right (warm and cold spells) you will get ice on the roads, especially black ice.

John Edward Mercier

I run two sets. Studded snows on steel rims in the winter and an all seasons on alloys in the summer that came with the vehicle. I mark my tires every time I change them out, so tire rotation is not a problem.

dalebert

I prefer either ribbed or extra-sensitive. Wait, what are we talking about again?

Beth221

Me Pirate ghost ship is equipt for icy cold winter waters!  YARRR!!!    :icon_pirat:

Puke


Raineyrocks

Quote from: dalebert on February 19, 2008, 04:08 PM NHFT
I prefer either ribbed or extra-sensitive. Wait, what are we talking about again?



Perv! :)