TJQ Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 If my wife and/or kids, got into an accident in the winter and I didnt have snow tires on the car, i dont think i could forgive myself. Not much money for a bit more peace of mind.. and actually if your swapping them out with summer tires... everything should last as long as ... well two sets of tires... so other than paying abit to have them put on and taken off... its really not much more outta pocket as far as im concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 50k for a new truck?? Sure no problem! $800 for snow tires? GET OUTTA HERE!!!! Unfortunately this is all to common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioFisherman Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Heck even on the south side of the lake I used them every year, and studded snows were legal here also. One year our politicians in Columbus Ohio, roughly 150 miles south of here tried to pass a law banning studded tires in Ohio, they caught hell for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I have an AWD vehicle. And every november I put on the winter tires....every april I put on the all seasons. You guys who don't use them are missing the boat. They are the cats meow on days like today! You probably pay more for two sets of all seasons than you do for a set of all seasons, and a set of winters, plus you get the safety factor in the winter. I love pulling up beside a guy stuck on a hill with all seasons, stopping beside, and offering assistance. Then when they say no, I slowly drive away without even spinning a wheel They're worth it. Period. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 It doesn't have to be on a hill on days like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I have an AWD vehicle. And every november I put on the winter tires....every april I put on the all seasons. You guys who don't use them are missing the boat. They are the cats meow on days like today! You probably pay more for two sets of all seasons than you do for a set of all seasons, and a set of winters, plus you get the safety factor in the winter. I love pulling up beside a guy stuck on a hill with all seasons, stopping beside, and offering assistance. Then when they say no, I slowly drive away without even spinning a wheel They're worth it. Period. S. Shane, it would be cooler if you just took off drifto style Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
206 Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Never used snows and never had any trouble......"Snow Tires" and "4X4" = false sense of security!! If its slippy slow down! it don't matter what you got if its slippery or slushy anything can happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 A false sense of security is thinking all-season are enough. Today in Barrie was such a day. Level pavement, guy could not get moving in the snow, his awd wasn't getting any traction. I'm sure he wasn't a road hazard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzlybri Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I also have both winter and all season tires. With all the snow we have gotten this winter I'm glad also. on a side note it is actually the provincial law in Quebec that all cars must have snow tires, which was only came in place in I believe was 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salmon Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Snows on my Subie I have tried all seasons the first week in the snow and said no way I was not going anywhere. . All season on my regular rims Same with my wifes car I would not let her drive without the snows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotsky Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 (edited) I got winter tires last year. Are they worth it? 100%! My all seasons are half way down the tread and become VERY slippery even if theres very little snow. I live in an appartment building and seen people have trouple pullin out of their spot with all seasons. I haven't had those issues at all. Much better grippig and stopping power and thats with cheap snow tires from Walmart. Edited February 28, 2013 by Gray_Wolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tdel Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I use to think that all season tires were great for the winter until I got a full set of winter tires on my car. There is no comparison, the winter tires have more control and traction. As T.J. said "I dont think I could forgive myself". They are worth the money and you can tell who has them and who doesn't when the weather gets dirty. Don't give me that "false sence of security" business. I am just as focused on my driving when using snows as I was using all season tires. The difference is that I am more in control with the snow tires and don't end up spinning tires at a stop sign, slight hill, behind someone who is stuck in front of me. Most of the time car in front of me that is swaying back and forth on flat roads trying to find traction have all season tires... Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 The guys who are saying they don't need Winter tires haven't had them. Its like an atv in deep snow. It will go thru it. Take the same atv, and add tracks. Total control. I don't NEED them either. Never caused an accident, or gone off the road all my life, but it sure makes driving nicer when the roads are messy. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
registerfly Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Never used snows and never had any trouble......"Snow Tires" and "4X4" = false sense of security!! If its slippy slow down! it don't matter what you got if its slippery or slushy anything can happen! that's where you're wrong, it does matter what shoes your car is wearing. From shorter stopping distances to much improved traction, all the tests are there as further proof to aid in collision avoidance. But to each their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkpie Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 We get discounts on car insurance if we use winter tires in the winter. Or at least if we tell them we do When you end up in an accident, it will be noted on the report wether or not your car had snows. If you have claimed to have snows to your insurer, and do not, it is grounds for your insurance to be cancelled. Hardly worth your discount! For those claiming a false sense of security, you have either never driven with snows in a bad storm, or you are too cheap to buy them! They make an incredible difference in traction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toad Hunter Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Its a common misconception that "all seasons" are good "winter" tires as well as summer spring and fall but not the case, All season, means they are designed to be acceptable in hot and dry and wet pavement. but NOT winter. The sipes on winter tires are a totally different design. But as for the question at hand, the truck I recent bought has them (but didn't realize it didn't come with all seasons ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 (edited) I've got 20" wheels on my new truck for the summer tires but run 17" winter tires on steel wheels. I just ordered a new set of very nice 17" chrome wheels and am having the winter tires installed on them this afternoon. If anyone is looking for a good set of 17" steel wheels with a 6 bolt pattern for your winter tires I'll be listing them in the classifieds in a day or so. Edited February 28, 2013 by lew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Ironmaker Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Grew up driving big rear wheel boats with 70's and 80's era all seasons when they came out, and it really snowed in Hamilton area then, never had a problem. Dear wife insisted on getting winter radials when she purchased her newer Altima in 08, I said they are just trying to sell you tires. Was I wrong, again. What a difference, newer all season radials are much harder than the first generation tires and are useless in the snow. I have all season radials on my 011 Sierra, didn't have a chance to test them last year, no snow, I can certainly go through deeper snow than her Altima, however hers handles much better when roads are slick. Yes, the real key is to slow down. We are rural now and these roads are in the same shape 5 minutes after the plows go by on Lake Erie lakeshore. There have been times this year I would only go out in a backhoe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4x4bassin Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I live in the snow belt of northern Dufferin county and drive 150 km a day to work and back on some real sketchy/hilly roads and I can tell you from experience that "4" snow tires make a huge difference when driving in the winter . It would not be a wise decision to live in this area and not have dedicated snow tires on your daily driver ! Just last night I saw 2 ditched cars , 3 cars spinning and going no where , a transport completly stopped and one guy that was just making it up on the Hockley Valley airport road hill , you know what the slidding/ditched cars had in common they all had shiny aluminum rims which probably means they had all seasons on while the guy that was making it had his old beater winter rims and was able to get around these guys and make it up the hill (for sure he had snows on) It just takes you to go in the ditch once and hit something and that cost would have paid for your snows , no brainer to me . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aero_ball Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I've had winter tires installed on various mid size sedans (all front wheel drive, most have traction or stability control features) for the past 15 years (except for 2 winters which I had new all-season tires on when the cars were bought new). Most of the driving was done within the Greater Toronto Area but I have lived in other cities in the south eastern Ontario region. I have made road trips to Quebec and up north (within 6 hours drive 1-way) from time to time as well. On average I drive about 2000 km per month. From my personal experience the winter tires (price ranging from $80 - $200 per tire) do make a hugh difference when driving in the snow or on ice. It has given me the traction and stability that blows all season tires I have driven on (price ranging from $100 - $250 per tire). One of the cases was 5 years ago, after the all season tire on my then one-year-old car got me stucked multiple times in moderate snow, I put on an 8-years-old set of winter from my old car, and I was good for the rest of that winter and the next 3 to come. In mild conditions (and hopefully on level, nicely plowed ground) driving slowly with all season tires might work, which could be the case 99% of the time in the winter (just me daydreaming...) but it's when the weather is less than perfect that counts. Being able to drive the car with reasonable speed that the traffic allows, and stopping at a red light or before hitting the car (or pedestrian) ahead are what matters to me. Aside from the price there is also the hassle of moving / storing / installing them but from the many personal experiences I find it well worth the money and efforts. Even though I can choose to stay home should there be a snowstorm, not everyone has the same option, and not all storms happen overnight. Winter throws things at you when you least expected it and before long one might get stuck after all the snow fall in the middle of the day. Now you're out and it's the difference between making it home or not. Or for some, whether you can go pick up your kids from school and get them home safely. Even if the major road were plowed the side streets might not. And at times one might need to get out of an unplowed parking lot to get onto plowed roads. Like another member mentioned I could not forgive myself if something happens to my wife and kid because winter tires were not installed. Be it an accident or if they got stranded somewhere and had to wait hours in the snow for a tow, it is just unacceptable for me. As some other members mentioned it prolongs the life of the set of all season tires too and I will be happy to continue using winter tires. It might be different for all-wheel-drive sedans (or better yet, all-wheel-drive SUV's) but I don't have the experience to comment on that. Afterall, I belive that a worm on a hook and sinker under 8 lb mono doesn't work all year for all species of fish. Just my 2-cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosebunk Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Wife has winter/snow tires for the car. The truck just has highway tires now and although it's getting about 50km more per tank, they do "kinda" suck in the winter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camillj Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 Yep .. wouldnt drive north of Barrie without em .. gotta get some for my wifes car next year so she can bring her car to the cottage too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adempsey Posted March 1, 2013 Report Share Posted March 1, 2013 When I lived in Toronto I didn't bother with winter tires. Now that I live in London, I bought a set. Sure it's $1000 with rims, but they should last me 3-4 years at least. I also started travelling further north for ice fishing and had to drive through some relatively deep snow many times. That alone was worth getting them. This graph might help (although, who knows how accurate it truly is...maybe it's just to help sell more tires): Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rattletrap2 Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 We commute 120 km per day and live in the snow belt, so yes, winter tires are a must. On my daily driver, I have AWD and use Triple Tread tires. They have three different rubber compounds. One for cold, one for wet, and one for hot and dry. They seem to be holding up well. The other vehicles all have two sets of tires. Winter and summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookslav Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 I've never had the pleasure of driving with Winter tires so I suppose my oppinion is not exactly informed BUT... I've never had an issue with my All seasons and have been a safe and confident winter driver my whole life. Most of my driving is here in Kitchener, but I do travel to Bruce and Wellington counties often where the snow is a bit more frequent and I have not had any issues with control that I couldn't handle safely. I simply adjust to the limitations of my vehicle and drive accordingly the way I was taught and thats got me this far. I'm 100% sure Winter tires make a difference but I just can't rationalize spending the cash on a second set of tires When I honestly have no concerns about my all season tires. Maybe someday I'll have a chance to test drive some winter tires and they'll blow my mind or somthing but for now I'm quite content with my all seasons. On a side note I find rear wheel drive vs. front wheel vs. All weel vs 4 wheel drive makes a hell of a difference though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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