Snow Chains vs Cleats vs Snow Socks | What's The Best New Device To Get Traction In The Snow? 

Those are snow cables, not tire chains. Tire chains are actually made of... (wait for it) ... Chain links. Unlike the first two traction aids you tested, snow cables and chains are the only long-term, multi-use traction aids. You should probably find a snow covered paved surface you can retest these traction aids on, as most people do not venture off paved roads, in the winter.

Maybe test actual chains compared to cables next time and get the correct size for each items you are testing.

The traction cleats are also an option for farmers that want to till their land with the wife's minivan.

It would have been good to see some modern snow chains in the test, such as Konig (or Thule - same thing). Those ones look like something made out of scrap bits of wire found in the shed

I've been running the les Schwab diamond pattern chains for about 10 years on multiple cars and have never gotten stuck in our wi snow and ice. Used them on a 91 civic one year and was plowing through snow that was going over my hood as all my neighbors out shoveling stopped and stared in awe of this little car blazing a trail like a plow truck.

I’m laughing with everyone else that a couple of blokes in Colorado think that the cables are chains!😂😂 love the video anyway!

Real old chain chains with the cam locks really tighten up and turn your auto to a snow tank. Recommend trying them next time.

Guys if the snow chains don't fit tightly on the car's rubber, you can't trust that they're going to get you out of the difficult part of a snowy road. But if they're of the right size, they 'll be the best "partner" even in very muddy roads and potholes. Trust me, cause I have some 15 years of experience in bad Greek steep mountain roads, drivin' from common cars to semis. I wish you a very happy new year.-

I've used a lot of cable and regular chains over the years and they should be *tight* to the tire tread. Yours were floppy and loose even when the bungee was fully tight, which means they were just the wrong size chains. Probably same issue as the sock. I recently picked up a full set of AutoTrac self tightening chains for my 4runner V8 and did some practicing putting them on while in the snow yesterday and could do all four corners in under 10 minutes. You don't have to roll over them to put em on, and they lay tight to the tire. I don't know how they'll hold up to prolonged use or higher speeds, but I did a legit steep offroad hill climb with em in 8 inches of snow, and they worked great.

I have been using Auto socks for 4 years over multiple uses I-have never lost a sock. I have also never spun a tire in the sock. I am still using the same sets. I have four for our 4 wheel drive vehicle and another set for our rear wheel drive M3. They are perfect for meeting traction aid requirements in that they are so easy to deploy and remove. So easy to put on and off. They will load up inside with deep snow, so anything over 9 inches chains work better. Also I have never had the pleasure of applying traction devices in a heated garage. Usually it is done with tires completely fouled by snow. This makes chains nearly impossible to install quickly. But properly fitted socks always are easy.

It helps if you put the CABLES on right!!! And you do not have any chains. You guys are hilarious!

Used live in a place that got 10ft of snow every winter. One of the people I knew had an old FWD Honda Accord with snow tires, which worked awesome. With chains, it was unstoppable. I had a series of 4wd and AWD vehicles and they could never compete. Helps if you don't care about the car at all.... IMHO, tires, driving experience and having a throw away vehicle are the biggest factor.

I'd like to see the same test with snow tires just for comparison to the helpers

I think your sizing on some of the traction aids makes a big difference in the outcome of the test, I am a mail carrier and we run the exact style chains on our trucks you were testing and they are much tighter to the tire when installed than yours looked in the video, but we run them all day multiple days in a row and never have them come off, even run on dry blacktop a lot of times as the roads get clear through out the day and they hang right on.

I can see your definition of ‘pretty worn’ differs immensely from my definition of it. 🤣

Would've been nice to see actual chains used not slinky springs that didn't really fit right. I actually bought sections of chains used like the cleats that attach by a ratchet strap through the wheel. I experimented just using one on each front wheel to get up a icy hill and it surprisingly worked well. They are easier than full chains to install however being in sections if they're too far spaced apart on the tire they give you a very rough ride and you might need suspension parts after you're done.

I’d like to see this again, in both snow and ice, and (rather critically) with properly fitted traction aids. Those cables looked awfully loose. This seems like a good video for Stubby, actually, since I presume that the little truck is probably rated to use traditional chains instead of only those thin cables.

Maybe you should try Mary Ann on the gas pedal. Not just Ginger. 😁

Tommy, you and your crew are to be commended for getting out in that cold (I worked in it last week in Northern Colorado and LET ME TELL YOU, it was NO JOKE) and working hard to provide us with valuableinformation. You and your team shrugged off the discomfort like it was nothing. Good job, people!

A useful video. I have used both chains (Pewag) on Defender and Auto socks on Transit Connect. Auto Socks are great to have onboard as a quick get you out of a fix. Certainly not to have on for mile after mile. As soon as you hit tarmacs, remove them as they tip to shreads. Chains though a faff are better for longer use in extreme conditions. Well done on producing a useful video in cold conditions 👍

Love the videos! I’ve never driven in snow, except for a small bit when I took a drive up to Angeles Crest and drove into a campsite. But I appreciate the info and real world testing. Really helps get knowledgeable!

Normal Snow chains ⛓ are the best solution for the winter. They are more expensive but they are living longer and the traction on Snowy Roads , Ice and Mud is perfect ❄️

Loved the test. It brings back not so fond memories of "cable/chaining up" back in the early 80's going to Lake Tahoe in my GTI with Pirelli low profile tires on it from the factory 👍

Convert the sizes to sae then ignore the rim size you will find the proper diameter and width of the tire without having to be concerned with rim size because the auto socks have no idea what your rim size is. Also chains on amazon are sub $100 even for the actual chain style not the cable cheaper cable style

The trick with cable install is to drive up on a small piece of 2x4 and drape the cables over the top of the tire. This is a trick from the guy that helps stranded people on the way to Mammoth.

Interesting comparison. I tried the chains on my 95 Firebird Formula many years ago. No matter how smoothly I tried to take off, I just shredded them. Pure junk. Ordered a rim/ snow tire package from Tire Rack. A lot less of a hassle. My work, winter car had inexpensive snow tires that were studded. Worked just great.

I’ve used the yellow cleat things once in pretty nasty weather and they worked really well on my 2WD Expedition. Got me up the mountain to the cabin on a steep winding mountain road that hadn’t been plowed. Then they got me back down on some icy roads. I used them up to 50 mph without issue other than the noise/rough ride. They survived and I’ll use again when necessary. I’d like to buy some of those plastic install gloves that go up to you elbow. Nice addition for keeping your hands/clothes clean and warm.

I have personally had the best results using snow tires with metal studs or " cleets" . Delivering the Morning Newspaper in my front wheel drive car , I hit the roads early .

Those are cables. You should try link chains... try a Peerless Auto-trac

Fun Video, however I do believe that all of the traction devices tested are meant to be used on paved surfaces only. But I could be wrong.

So clearly if I owned a front wheel drive Rav4 even though I wouldn't, I might buy the cheapest thing to get unstuck but I'd really just go to a junkyard for 4 steel rims and put winter tires on them and switch out each season.

This is why I love watching TFL. Always fun, always interesting, always learning.

The issue is that these are all basically case-specific devices. You can't just set and forget like with winter tires. Instead, you have to drive around on pavement on summer tires (all season tires without a winter rating are no better than summers - Roman even said the same thing the other day), hope that you don't hit black ice or lose steering, and be ready to get out of your car in a blizzard to chain up. You can't run any of these things at 60mph on the highway to the ski resort. Plus, I think it's worth reminding everyone that all-seasons and summers begin to harden and lose grip in temps as warm as 7°C (45°F) so even if you're on completely dry pavement, you're essentially driving on slick plastic instead of rubber. There's just no arguable real world application for these unless you're an ice road trucker or a farmer who needs it for a farm truck in their fields. If you get 4 years out of a $1400 set of winter tires, running them 6 months of the year, that's like, $2/day. If you're using those chains frequently then you might even get back that $2/day in fuel efficiency savings using winters instead. I know you're doing what you can while the weather is allowing you to do it, but an off-road hill climb in fresh powder honestly isn't very real world. I thought that clip early on, spinning the tires trying to get to the top of the brake test hill, that made the case for winter tires instantly.

I plow roads for the DOT and I always have empty water trucks going up my route and they can get stuck on a dusting of snow. One day we had three or four inches of wet springtime snow and a water truck jackknifed in the narrowest, curviest, steepest part of my road. When I showed up him and the county sheriff were trying to put on them traction socks. I was interested on how they worked but was sadly disappointed when the truck didn't move and inch, and after a hour of watching him flounder around trying to get up the hill I just started shoveling salt and backing up the hill putting salt out and he got going no problem after the road bared up. For big rigs at least chains are the way to go, not the snow socks.

Only place I've lived where you needed snow chains was Alaska. Maybe it was because Alaska, but the chains we had were actual chains, not wire cables threaded through metal beads. I could get up any hill with those chains. Those cleats look like they'd fail after just a few miles.

Great review. I was wondering about this since so many options out there. Thank you. 👍😁

I really liked how well you simulated the average know nothing driver bringing their FWD car to the snow armed only with cheap Amazon traction devices... LoL.

i have used the cable chains and use 2 of the rubber bands to keep then tighter now as a old man in the 70's (rear wheel drive) i would keep set of bald tires with chain in the trunk for a quick change in snow it took about 10 minutes to change both tires out

Those chains are not the right size. A newer set like Oreilly Auto Parts sells you don't have to roll over them to install either. The have clips on both side and you can drape it over the tire and hook up both sides without moving the vehicle. Tightened properly you will have very little slack and the tensioner will be stretched out in circular pattern closely following the the outer part of the rim.

It would be interesting to see how they perform in heavy, sticky snow vs soft powder.

Suggestion for next time: try the ISSE tire socks on the next round. They have a different design than the autosock, curious how they perform

Years ago Sears put my Snow tires on the rear of my company Dodge Caravan front wheel drive, in fairness the tire guy was young and pretty new at the job. Enjoyed this so very much!!! Also when we have to cart the older guys to the old presenters home, TFL WILL LIVE ON👍👍👍

Yes !!! ⭐️I’ve been waiting for an upload like this! ❤Can you guys do a comparison between these devices and 3-peak snow ❄️ rated tires as a Control...🤔I think it would be helpful to see the difference in performance between proper snow ❄️ tires vs. gadgets 🤗

Would have liked to see how a high quality dedicated snow tire would have compared

As a southern Texas guy who might get transplanted to Colorado or Nebraska here in a few weeks this is a much needed vidjeo

I've run proper chains, snow cables (like they used) and the autosox. The sox are great for getting you out of that OhSh!t moment during a storm, but are not intended to be driven on for any length of time. They are literally for when the road hasn't been plowed or its coming down so hard the plows can't keep up. Like if you are going up to the ski hill or worse stuck in the lot at the end of the night. I've got a total of 100mi out of them over several storms. If you are expecting lots of travel over both plowed and unplowed roads, chains are the only answer. Be it actual link chain, modern cables or the antiquated style as used here.

Test would have been more accurate using different tracks for tests. Braking downhill was compromised since the first test was snow/ice and after that there was more dirt which helped with braking

@tfl worth noting many vehicles can not fit chains (manufactures dont like them it seem), there was a whole thread in the F150 forum about this - hence the market for these alternatives I feel.

I bought snow tires for the first time this year, and I've been really impressed by them in snow. For ice you cant beat studded tires. I'd consider all of these solutions temporary at best, for someone dealing with snow a handful of times a year. Kind of sketchy that they can come off unexpectedly.

Lets be fair here. Though chains are the noisiest and most uncomfortable, those weren't chains. Those were cables. And pretty sketchy ones at that.

I don't know how many states would allow the cleats today but in the 80's PA said no more studs due to the metal tearing up the roads. Hardly saw real snow chains except for city/municipal and police cars used, they just chased us on our snowmobiles. I had a 69 Ford F-100 4x4 with granny gear and studded snow tires that did 50 mph in 5" of fresh powder. Also made $25-50 a night pulling people up a pretty steep incline. Those were the days!

Would be great to see winter tires in this same test, as winter tires can be used all winter and are ready when you need them without putting anything extra on.

Hat's off to the camera man. I've never seen snow chains like those but then again I live in the south where I might get 2 or 3 inches every few years, (thank goodness) The ones I've seen is on the mail trucks & they're actually chains & are extremely tight on the tire. Great video guys, very interesting.

I'd personally call the chains more cables than chains. I've seen they can be more finicky, but do well. The one time I had to run something similar a few years ago on my BRZ with stock tires in the Seattle area with 4-6 inches of fresh snow, they were great. It is all hills in this area, and I left downtown and drove 25 miles more of hills on backroads to avoid the freeways. If I'm not mistaken, they do say to check/adjust them after a short time to make sure they are tight. The brand I bought was Z Super, and they worked really well.

Was in an afternoon ice storm in Edmonds Washington, just North of Seattle. The sun was setting and there was not much movement on the road. I remembered there was a Home Depot just around the corner, so i pulled my Vanagon to the shoulder and walked to the HD. Thinking about a solution during my walk i came up with manilla rope. I found a considerable roll in 3/8”. I tied loops with square knots around each wheel and by the time i jumped into the driver’s i had three other people warming inside with the gasoline heater blasting comfortably warm air. I picked up a couple more driver’s on top of the hill and got everyone home safe by dinner. Manilla twine. Worked great on ice and snow. Just need to make sure any loop tied won’t interfere with the brakes.

Great video guys! I'm doing a 2" strut lift on my 2016 Camry SE 4cyl along with 27" all terrain tires. We got 10" of snow in Arizona recently and I almost got stuck during the storm. Plus I'm bored with the car lol so it's time to mod it. I'm definitely going to run an aid even with all terrain tires and this video helps. Now I just have to figure out if I can fit a 14" rim on my Camry.

Very informative video guys. Not something I deal with but I've always been curious if these things work. Really cool that the cheapest worked the best. They all appear to be a kinda get you home thing not a drive anywhere you want with them thing. Thanks guys for getting out in the cold to do this video

I live in Southern Texas. I don’t deal with chains at all. I just went to Colorado this week. I have a FWD suv with all season tires. Well it snowed 8 inches while we were up here and I needed chains so I bought a set of peerless auto-tracs. For someone that knows nothing about putting chains on a vehicle they were awesome! Easy to put on and our suv did great in the snow with them. I can’t recommend them enough!

Great video, I wonder how just nylon rope wound through the spokes across the tyres would do. That has always been my emergency option on a bike or if I've not put chains in the car (last time 3 weeks ago) always works for me

Front wheel drive cars go pretty good in the snow as long as the Bottom doesn't drag with snow tires on them.

Thanks for confirming that all three of these traction devices are inferior to a good set of dedicated winter tires or even all-weather tires like the Michelin Cross-Climate 2’s. I have the Cross-Climate 2’s on my 2016 Toyota RAV4 with AWD and have not had any issues driving on snow or ice.

Thank you for sharing this video! I’m planning on moving somewhere with snow and want to see what’s it like to drive in it

For guys that live in Colorado you seem very under-informed on not only the type of traction aids you are utilizing on the vehicle, but also in the proper application, sizing and use of the traction aids. It has been 20+ years since I have lived up there and had to use traction devices, but even I could see you had improper fitment on the socks and on the tire cables that someone ordered out of the back of a 1980's boys life magazine. There was not one true quality traction aid that you tested.

The cleats also seem like they'd be the easiest to apply if you've already gotten stuck. You don't have to drive forward like the others since they only go on 3 sections of the tire.

As a trucker, I used pewag chains, so I bought some pewag auto tightening chains for my wife's camry they were great, tightened up automatically, held their tension and gave awesome traction. A lot better than those cable "chains" that y'all used.

We call those "chains" cables. They were never as durable or effective as real chains. Second, love the veterinary cow examination gloves. Good for pelvic exams where you are in up to your elbows 😀.

I would like to see a retest with different types of chains and cables. I haven’t seen those other fancy tractions aides widely available where I live.

Every time Tommy says, interesting, you have to take a drink 🎉

Been asking for this video for years!

Thank you. This is very helpful.

I used the cables about 5 times in 20 years(SC). On both snow and ice. They can be a real PIA to remove when you’re hugging a cold filthy tire to find the quick disconnect. Last winter had to jack both sides and remove the wheels to remove the cables.🤬 ETA-other than that, they worked really well.

Those cleats are not recommended for over 40kmh or hard breaking, most of that style is meant to be compact and get you out of a bad situation and not to be driven on like regular snow tires/chains. When used as intended those cleats can be a life saver.

How is this test valid if all the snow is gone from the tracks after the first trip down?

Great video. Appreciate the team braving the cold for this.

I used some of those tire cleats last winter and as long as I was in the snow/ice they worked fine I went anywhere I wanted to go at 10mph , but I had to adjust and tighten them after every trip so at work before heading home Id better tighten them then again when I got home Id better tighten them again to go to work again the next day. and by the end of the season the cheap little ratcheting tool didn't hold up at all I was using a flat head screw driver by the time I took them off for the last time. The problem lies in the strapping if at any point you need to cross a cleared dry street it tears the strapping . I had one break and sling around and scratch the paint in a nice circular motion (before i could get stopped) on my truck. Also if your driveway is on a hill and its conrete as you dig in to get up the driveway plan on scratching up driveway with permanent marks. Just my personal experience. They did do what they are designed to do just plan on buying new ones every season ( maybe twice in a longer snowy region) because the ratchets will get rusty on you any way this was a good video. this is a great channel.

Man those cables were sketchy. Next time use actual chains. Ive found Diamond pattern (titan is the brand i use from e-trailer) are very easy to put on and take off while providing excellent traction. Since you’re always on part of the chain they are also much smoother than other designs of chains. For all chains you should drive a few yards and get out to re-tighten. They always center themselves and slack some. To REALLY get the maximum fit air your tire down, install chain, drive, retighten, air tire back up.

I enjoy listening to Case’s “S” sometimes with a light whistle 😅😁 Great job on vid guys😃

I get the Les Shwab Chains. Forgot the brand. But they are easy to repair yourself. They work GREAT in snow and a DREAM on ice. They also stay on the tire really well. Its pretty ruff when you get on hard pavement in places, but hold up pretty well. Those plastic things would be my go to for having them in the car. Simple easy and gets you out of a bind quick.

I just looked it up on ebay. You can buy regular tire chains for this man's car for only $75 brand new.

I love snow traction videos. Make 1000 I don’t care I’ll watch every one of them.

Loving the snow videos!!

Please post a link to the first pair of cleats. I've looked on Amazon but none of those fasten as well as the version you used.

Great real world comparison! Comforting to have a Unimog in the background. 😊

Those traction cleats - six strap ratchets on each wheel? What could go wrong? Also, studs - many states don't allow studs. Problem there?

Excellent work boys

How about a good set of winter tires? What would the acceleration time be for that? Also, testing on dirt/grass is a lot different than hard-surface because the first two products would be junk after about one use.

0:59 -12 F is a good temperature for trying to drive in the snow as the tires bite on the ice crystals and aid in traction in a big way. The worst traction is in the snow that is just above freezing as the little bit of snow melt and water act as a lubricant in the snow and makes everything greasy to drive on. 20:23 Great after you get the chains on you are ready to give a cow a pregnancy test. 28:39 Really those traction aids are meant for winter conditions on the highway to prevent from being stranded in winter conditions they might get you trough a mountain pass but for the best traction for a longer drive would be the chains. We have just had some freezing rain here and there were many accidents because of the ice on the road, some of those aids may have been a blessing for some people.

I'm curious how the Rave 4 would have done if you filled the front tires with enough cleats to cover the rubber?

On the whole, not a bad comparison. That being said, I suspect that the tire sock was a little too large and the tire cables (those weren't chains) were obviously too large as well. Well-fitting cables/chains actually are quite snug to the tire. There is a method to installing them and once they're properly installed, they can provide really good traction compared to a tire alone and they won't come off easily. Pretty much all traction aids I've ever seen have a max speed of 30 mph.

There is a European company Koenig (Swedish I think) that has a tire chain system that you put over you tire and step on a locking system in the middle of the outside of the tire . Have you seen or possible done a review of them? If not I like to see a "real world" video on them. to see if they are worth their 500ish dollar price tag.

Those chains looked loose. Also the hook was suppose to be in the back I think. I have those chains and have used them for 3 years now on fwd Volvo and rwd bmw with no issues. They haven’t ever come off and I’ve never gotten stuck.

Do you remember Laurel and Harty... They just did a tire test in the snow.... Lmao!!

Y’all are crazy being out there in this temps!

Hey guys great video when I foreseen it was 29 minutes long I said no way I'm watching that for 29 minutes but it turned out to be pretty interesting the socks worked about as good as I thought they would keep up the good work-5 for science you guys are dedicated have a great New Year

I’ve found the best deal is tire chains, where I live they can be found brand new at thrift stores, as people buy them, and never end up using them at all.

them cables you boys have are actually for ice on sterling tires they will work on drive tires but they are more designed for lateral force to keep the vehicle on the road then rotational forces to propel a vehicle

Props to music editor. Timing the music with the hill climb was sweet.

It would be interesting to see how much difference does different tread depth make.

I use the cable chains on my work truck. They fit alot tighter then yours did. And mine also don't hit the wheel well like yours where

You always buy tire chains according to your tire size and dont go over 35mph. They need to be tight against the rubber.