6:39 - discussion about ABS not working on ice? When driving on really low-friction surfaces with inappropriate tyres, a sudden application of brakes will instantly lock all 4 wheels. If the ABS system reads all wheel speeds at 0, it will not be able to infer which particular wheel needs brake-release to rotate again, and it cannot just completely release the brakes on all wheels. More sophisticated systems may do a few partial-release/application cycles on individual wheels, but a short and partial release of brake pressure may not be enough for the wheel to start rotating again if the surface is very slippery. Therefore all wheels remain locked and the car slides to a stop. We live in central Europe and, personally, I think winter tyres on all wheels + snow chains in the boot are the way to go. :)
ABS systems have come a long way and old systems would probably behave that way. In summer, I went to a driving safety course that also included very slippery conditions. Even with all 4 wheels locking up, they all released the brake and started rolling again. The surface friction was that of densely packed snow and I used UHP summer tyres. I believe there is something else at play here. It might be the ABS system itself, that's faulty. Which is a bit worrying on a Civic Si. It's not super powerful but it's not slow either.
Thanks for writing, I was in bed when this video was published. As with tire testing we were full abs braking for every traction device, and on this ABS system and at such a low start speed, with such low grip, it seemed to have made the car think we stopped instantly. We didn't have time to try from a faster speed on ice (we were braking from 12 mph), but that ice was really really slippy. The other thing to remember is most ABS systems are programmed to lock the fronts when it's at low speed and it thinks it's on snow as you get better braking that way, so that might have been at play too. Either way, interesting test but I think the traction results are more relevant than braking.
@@tyrereviews In my experience (eastern Canada), ABS is just downright scary in winter for "most" cars. It's usually programmed to be very aggressive at preventing lock ups and that'll give you a dead pedal so quickly, in the Mazda3 I had I would sometimes have no braking whatsoever. My Veloster N is not too bad, but most other cars I've been in have been terrible compared to having no ABS. And then like in this test here, sometimes it'll get confused, which isnt ideal because you dont know what to expect ever in the end. ABS is fine on asphalt where there's a lot of grip and you're rarely anywhere near the limit of grip, it'll allow control for the less experienced, but any situations where you would be near the limit (track driving.... or winter driving), no thank you. Would be nice if we legally had the option to have ABS settings like we do TC and ESC !
@@WilliamLevesqueineX I owned a 2006 mazda 3 and a 2010 mazdaspeed 3 and am also in Canada...both have seen severe snow/ice conditions (like barely making it anywhere, even on good winter tires (xi2's on the speed 3)) and I never had those issues with the ABS system. Per the ABS not working - I would have thought the ABS system would use accelerometer data, not just wheel speed sensors to determine if ABS is needed...especially given that stability control systems definitely use the accelerometer to detect difference between steering position and movement. You'd think that would have the necessary data to say "hey all 4 wheels are stopped but we are clearly still moving".
In one of your earlier tests you were comparing tires and you mentioned that the summer tire was still doing 40 miles an hour when the winter tire had already completely stopped I really enjoy that kind of context and I feel like it really shows "what the data means real world"
Go for one drive on Summer tires in snow and you'll never ever even consider driving on Summer's in cold weather. I got caught in a suprise snow storm in mid October with our Mitsu Evolution 8. It was like driving on wet ice - no exaggeration at all. I couldn't accelerate, turn, stop, nothing!
@@stevemaxwell8550 Keep in mind studded tires actually have much *less traction* over the same tire without studs in all conditions other than ice. If you are already carrying chains, why get studded tires? Do you drive on frozen lakes regularly?
As someone who's been watching this channel for a while now, I really want to pay an overdue compliment to all the work you do here. I firmly believe that to be successful on RU-vid with an informative channel like this one, you must: 1. Be a subject matter expert 2. Have a robust, scientific approach to obtain your results 3. Be thorough but also concise 4. Have high production value 5. Be entertaining to watch This channel ticks all of those boxes and then some--truly excellent work. My only complaint is that more RU-vid channels don't have the same excellence as this one. And for those reading this who haven't subscribed, please do so to keep this channel going strong.
Incredible that studless round smooth-rolling RUBBER (what we call 'tires') can be anywhere near as good as having jagged METAL sticking out over your wheels on sheer ice. Tire technology is amazing!
There's a reason studded nordic winter tyres are better at snow and ice than non-studded ones. Especially on ice, there's no competition. There are days where I don't dare to drive my non-studded AWD car and borrow my dad's or friend's car with FWD and studded tyres. I don't care about getting up that hill, I don't wanna die when my tyres just slip eternally in a bend and I go off.
@@JakkeJakobsen I want to see the places you drive! Must be beautiful! I live in southern Ontario in Canada, and studded tires are banned, lol. Wouldn't be very useful here anyway.
I have kept a pair of Autosocks in my cars for years, they come very handy. My experience with them is opposite from yours. The more slippery it is, better they work. I'm in Norway. Last winter, with nordic winter compound, I slid backwards on a slightly inclined road and ended up in small ditch. Thick layer of ice on an unmaintained road had melted a bit and refroze overnight, so it was as smooth and slippery as it gets. The road was shiny as a mirror. I opened the door to get out and fell immediately as well as anyone who tried to come and push my car out. It was unbelievable. A tractor with spiked chains (with actual spikes) had come to pull me out of the ditch. I then put my autosocks and drove away quite easily. They sticked to the smooth ice like glue. To make it all more interesting this happened a couple of kilometers away from the village where the inventor of autosocks is from :)
That's really interesting, thanks for sharing. I was very surprised at the results of the autosocks, but data is data. I wonder if we had a combination of things that made the autosocks underperform. I can't think what though, other than the fact they'd run in snow which could detract from ice performance, however this is a realistic use case scenario.
The theory behind the autosock comes from what people would do ages ago to walk safely on ice, they would put a wool sock over their shoes and problem solved. Today they just buy shoes with studs.@@tyrereviews
I wonder if the scenario they had was the key. I'm not sure how the socks work for traction. But perhaps, they got stuck, put the fresh socks on, which wouldn't have the chance for snow to coat the sock, and it gripped the ice? I know snow grips snow well, so perhaps that's how the socks perform well in snow by picking it up, but I'd need to know how the socks achieve their traction to come up with conclusion. Thoughts?
@@reigndown They definitely work in snow by becoming a rolling ball of snow, but for ice that might be detrimental, like the snow already on the sock would make it slip as ice doesn't really grab onto ice or anything smooth.
@@joey_f4ke238 that's what I thought might happen if that's how they worked. If that's the case then it would work nicely in ice if it hasn't touched snow, but otherwise once snow is accumulated on them then they don't work so well on ice.
As an arctic trucker, I can tell you that you where trying to put on the chains the wrong way. You don't put them on from the bottom, as you were doing. You put them over the tire, connect the inside, then the outside, maybe roll a quarter turn, then tighten the tension, and you're ready to go.
This “light” chains have to be slid behind the lower part of the tire. Then you connect the wire ring behind the top of the tire. Then there is a locking mechanism on the outside of the top of the tire. At last there is an automatic tightening mechanism on the outside of the lower part of the tire that has to be pre tightened. I have used these types of chains many times, when the conditions are too extreme for studded winter/snow tires.
I was about to respond, but you did a great job explaining. As a trucker I know with regular chains you either lay down or put over the tire and then drive over them, but these diamond chains have to be installed the way you described. I actually find these really easy to install, not sure why the guy had such a difficult time with them.
Even if you don't have any snow, just cool temperatures below 44° F, good winter tires are much safer than summer tires. And all-year tires are just mediocre in winter and in summer. So yes, the only way to drive as safely as possible in both winter and summer is to change tires every 6 months. At least when you live at a place where it gets below 44° F on a regular basis.
As an 'elderly gentleman' I have a simple answer to snow and ice on the road. A hot chocolate drink by the fire! I did buy snowchains for my cars some 25 years ago, they worked like a charm, It hasn't snowed here for years. (South Hampshire)
If you get snow chains I highly recommend spending a bit more and getting the automatic tensioning ones from Thule or Konig. They are much easier to install and once you get the hang of them they take about 1-2 mins to install and drive off.
Spike Spider Alpine Pro chains provide the best traction I have found, especially on ice in heavier vehicles(van derived cars). The combination of chain and metal cross pieces really bite into ice and snow and provide traction as well as resistance to latteral slides (ladder chains are not as good at preventing latteral slides, say on roads with an adverse camber). The Alpine Pro are very easy to put on as they slot onto pre installed plates mounted on the wheel studs. This is more than a bonus when trying to get the chains on quickly and safetly at the side of a chaotic dangerous road with other users skidding and sliding all around you. I say this as somebody who has used many pairs of diamond pattern chains with all manor of mounting systems and has become very efficient at putting them on and off. I have snapped a couple of pairs of diamond style chains(12mm links, normal road use, no wheel spinning!) and so usually carry a whole spare pair as back up. The Alpine Pros are very robust so I feel that just spare parts suffice, so far, I have never broken one. The down side is that they are bulky and expensive. I concur that snow chains are no substitute for winter tyres and I need both when I know I'm going to encounter snow and ice. Without winter tyres, in a heavier vehicle especially, there may well be enough traction with chains on the front, but there is a real danger that the back will overtake the front when breaking or descending a hill. The only way out of this situation is to speed up, terrifying when the only safe speed is crawling. Similarly, I have found that winter tyres without supplemental chains are a a problem on bad ice or in certain types of snow. I have found this to be true even with the most expensive full depth premium winter tyres. Sometimes I just just needed that metal biting on ice to get safely out of trouble.
Fantastic review that answers AMOST all my questions regarding these devices. The only ONE item missing in the test for me would be the Micheline X-Ice Snow North but... Excellent review in every way.
Studded is banned pretty much everywhere except Norway Sweden Finland Russia. Anyway, there are ice conditions where studded tires need chains too, for reasons unknown ice surface can get really hard in coastal areas where the wind carries salty air for day after day, studs will glide like very small skates on the ice surface, the studs are mainly pushed back into the rubber, whereas chains obviously will not.
Also used in Canada and the US AND there are more countries where they are legal vs countries where they're banned Almost like when they're tested they would confirm or disprove what you're saying?
@@marcjampolsky5280note that the tire studs used in North America is really pathetic compared to Nordic ice tires. In most situations, a studless winter tire would end up working better.
Good video, the results were as expected. I bought chains for my XC70 this year and put on new Hankook winter tires. With AWD and winter tires I reckon it should handle most of my needs but for some mountain passes here in Europe chains are legally required so I keep them in my trunk just in case. I agree chains are awkward to install but if you get stuck it might come more handy than devices you have to drive up. In ideal world you prepare beforehand but realistically people use these devices when they get stuck. Another great video - looking forward to the next one. :)
Great video! Really showcasing what i thought would be the "right" equipment.. I worked as a taxi driver in Norway for a couple of years. I drove a Mecedes Sprinter, a car that is a nightmare on winter roads. We had OnSpot tire chains installed for icy road conditions, and had AutoSocks for when there was heavy snow. Ofc, a good set of Winter Tires are always a must aswell. With this combination, regardless of type of car. I think you would have no problem going trough winter, if you live in places with low temperatures and heavy snow as long as you have this trio of items. Only add on would be a 4x4 car :)
Great info! Everyone's situation is probably different. I live in the metro area of a snow state. In my experience, unless frequently traveling out of the metro, I'm sticking to 3 peak all seasons. If the conditions are truly that bad, I stay home wait for the plows to clean it all up, usually in half a day... and then go back to life as normal. I have purchased many sets of snow tires in the past, but have come to appreciate modern tire technology and not having the chore of swapping wheels and also having to find somewhere to store the offseason tires.
@@duramaxadventures5832 Agreed. I have 3 peak rated Falken Wildpeak AT3W tires *as my summer tires* and switch to Blizzaks for the winter. However, I live in the mountains at ~8000feet and we saw over 800 inches of snowfall at my house last year, so I concede I am an extreme example.
@@dubious6718 not completely most three peaks are going to have a slightly more temperature optimized compound. However yes many people think three peak means fully winter-rated and it's just not even close. I'm actually currently driving on AT3W's and they don't really have the road holding ability under braking very peaky but especially under turning. Acceleration, as expected, is one of their strong suits so you get to the obstacle quicker and carrying more speed...
FANTASTIC! This is extremely useful to us, is very valuable data and can really help so mammy drivers that live in areas with intermittent snow. Thank you, well done!
I agree with you, winter tyres are great and you don’t need to put them on so you always have them, even when you’re not expecting to need them. Tried (cheap) snow chains they have all the pros and cons you identified- taking them on and off in the U.K. climate is a horrible experience, maybe not so bad when it’s super cold - plus I don’t think you can drive them on asphalt in the U.K. I have gone to European all seasons in the last few years. I don’t need to swap them out for the summer and their snow performance is acceptable for the amount of snow I see. (Already seen the white stuff a few times).
In Canada, all-seasons tires have been superseded by all-weather tires a few years ago. Not as good as winter tires but good enough to be a substantial safety improvement step up from all-seasons for people who drive enough to ruin winter tires in one summer yet don't drive enough to justify separate winter and rest-of-the-year tires.
Last year on ski holiday we had our challenges getting up to the cabin we had rented. The car was fitted with winter tires from Continental. When we fitted the snowsocks it went straight, so the socks improved the grip, maybe not much compared to the winter tire itself, but enough to make the difference. But it was quickly worn to pieces. They lasted the holidays, but then they were also worn out. We also tried spraying tire adhesive on the tires and it actually worked, to our surprise. Not for a long time, but enough to get up the driveway to the house (30 meters) This year we must have both snow socks and tire stickers in the car. For the snow chains, it is something F... to mount. PS....Yes, I would also very much like to see a test of Michelin Easy grip "snow chains" vs Michelin snow socks, mounted on winter tires.
Good test and I'd agree with the results. I drive a 4x4 up a steep hill and good tyres will get me through snow fine. Sheet ice is the killer. I have a full set of chains for the odd time the hill freezes into a bobsleigh run. They take a little practice to get on and off but definitely grip the ice.
Nice review. Couldn't agree more. I was introduced to a set of Nokian's about 20 years ago on a 2wd, mid-engine Toyota MR2 Spyder. That little crisp of a car was going better than my 01 4x4 Ford Ranger that had off-road all terrain tires on it! It climbed a VERY steep snow covered hill like a mountain goat! From that season on, all my daily driver cars get a set of snows for winter season. I purchased a used set of OEM wheels and just had snow tires mounted on. This way all I have to do is swap tires/wheels around the first week of November and we are good to go. A lot of tire stores will even do free snow tire change overs for the life of the tire if you purchase the tires from them.
I'm a bit sad that the Michelin Easy Grip Evo weren't included. These are textile "chains" with small metal braces and I'm fairly happy with them. I got to use them on my Fiesta ST a few weeks back and they completely blew me away in terms of snow traction. I'm running the Michelin CC2 since I don't usually get into a lot of snow, but I got to test them and the chains in some pretty snowy Austrian mountain roads and I'm happy with both the tires and the chains.
I am considering buying Michelin easy grips for this year's winter holidays. Have you tried them in relation to snowsocks. Do they provide better grip? Are they more durable??
I also keep in my trunk Michelin Easy Grip ...I haven't had to use it yet...But it is logical that they are good, they have the shape of snow chains and they are easy to put on like snowsocks
Yes, I have Michelin Easy Grips for our Subaru XV, enough clearance to make it easy to fit, and I use diamond chains over Cross Climate 2 when there is ice and deep snow about, on my Landcruiser, as there is plenty of clearance to fit them, so its an easy job.
Wish you had tried the chains on the winter tire as an added test - otherwise best review I've seen ❤ Myself I use winter tires and carry 4 chains for steep icy grades - going down a grade is more dangerous than up if you have less traction at the back
Great test. I can see those devices having a role to love in the trunk of a vehicle in a southern climate that rarely sees snow or ice. One day every year or two, it ices up and you put them on your three season tires. For a vehicle driven below 32F/0C every winter, these are in no way am alternative to snow tires! They're a huge hassle (even the easiest to install) to have to install in the cold, probably outdoors, maybe on the side of the road, and you have to keep installing and removing them because none will work for extended pavement use. People who drive in the snow and ice all winter on three season tires confuse me. Snow tires are basically FREE when you realize that you buy two sets of tires instead of one set and then replace each set half as often. Plus, if you get tires that are truly good below freezing for the winter, you can get tires that are truly good in warm weather for the summer instead of driving craptastic "all season" tires in August!
I really like that perspective on the cost of winter tires being free, unless you don't use them enough to wear down the tread before the rubber compound gets dry / hard and need to be retired early. But if you're like me and have snow tires on from late November to at least April every year, both sets of tires will last twice as long!
I avoid snow driving, where I live it hasn’t snowed in a long time but legally have to carry snowsocks. they work well enough to get me out of bother if ever there was an emergency situation, easy to fit and lightweight in the back of the car. Previously when we skied I had winter tyres, which I found to be fantastic just like in your test results.
After watching the video and as someone who had done the research (before getting winter tires), I purchased a set of AutoSocks and never needed to use them on AllSeasons. After upgrading to the X-Ice from your recommendation, I reached out to AutoSock to see if there'd be any use for them with winter tires, their response: "even with winter tires, you will find them very valuable. Especially going uphill, depending on where you are. You will find value in using them as an emergency aid rather than something you will look to use full-time." Based on your video, I can't really see any reason to use them alongside winter tires. Meanwhile I was pretty surprised and disappointed by their failure to perform on ice. Another great video, and appreciate the content for those of us who already have winter tires and not looking to purchase for a while!
I'm sure there are some combination of conditions where they will better a winter tyre, I was also surprised by the performance on ice, can't explain it but that's what the data was.
I have the Michelin Easy Grip EVO Composite snow chains and the snow socks. And I recently changed to Cross Climate 2. I was hoping to see how the composite chains and snow socks perform compared to cross climate 2. Too bad the composite chains and cross climate 2 were not included in this test. Looking forward to see them in the future
I have used Cross Climate 2 on snow, it works but make no mistake, they are NOT winter tires. Michelin Xice Snow is what you want, jawdropping ice performance for non-studded tires.
@@pflaffik Winter tires don’t make sense for me. I’m sure a lot of people are in the same situation. We only have a few days of snow per winter. I don’t want to put on winter tires just for those few days
It takes around one minute each side to mount the snow chains if you have trained a few times, and you can completely mount them without moving the car forward or backward, which is essential when you are stuck. I drive with studded winter tires (Nokian Hakkapeliitta 10) which are great, but when you put on the snow chains there’s nothing stopping a front wheel drive car from going anywhere.
Even RU-vid's algorithm agrees that this is one of the best channels out there! (Sorry, it was the first thing that popped in my head) But, it is TRUE!
I fitted Continental AllSeasonContacts for this winter as we usually get very mild one. And if course, we got snow for two weeks straight 😂 but the tires are really doing great job so far! I am really happy the all seasons improved so much over the years that I don't have to be afraid to use them in snow at all, especially with AWD SUV.
I live in Canada and I run a combination of UHP summer tires and proper winter tires on my RWD BMW. With how wildly changeable our weather is, I keep a set of tire socks in my car in the event that a freak snowstorm blows through while I'm on my summer tires. They've saved me a couple of times, but I wouldn't want to rely on them as anything more than a "get out of jail free" card.
Great review! I carried and used chains when I had a 2wd car with Micheline alpine tires. I had to use the chains (diamond like in your test here) several times to get up a steep incline near my house. Now I have an awd with hankook winter icept evo 2 tires, I haven't had to drive in extreme winter conditions with this setup yet and I'm hoping I don't need an additional traction device. The challenge in the past has been 4 to 6 inches of heavy wet snow right at the freezing point. This saturated snow is extremely slick and creates a barrier in front of the tire and even a bit of spin wasn't enough with the 2wd. The taller tire and awd may very well be able to do the job as the rear tire can follow the track that the front has cleared and get the needed traction.
I was in the austrian army as a truck driver. In my training we did put on snow chains countless times and it also was a way of punishing us later on. So somehow now I really like snow chains 😅 I have winter tires (Pirelli Sottozero) on my car and I am consithering to keep snow chains in my trunk. The Problem is that I don't really need them. Maby onze in two years. 😅
Nice review, very informative! A few years ago when I was driving a FWD sedan, I considered (and shopped) the orange cable ties from Amazon, and I'm glad I never got around to ordering a set. Lol.
I would love for you to test different snow chains. Price from them can be crazy wide. They are Snow chains at 20€ (1st contact - Contact II) to 469€ (König K-Summit XXL n°77). Yes both of theses chains are not for the same kind of tire/car, but it's just to demonstrate the point, you can still find very cheap and very expensive chains from the same size of tire.
For here in the Peak District of the UK I'm very happy with my current set-up - a 2006 Subaru Outback on Goodyear Vector 4-Season Gen3 tyres with a full set (4) of snow chains as backup (along with the shovel, rope, blankets etc, etc as I'm a pessimist) I have had the chance to try the tyres on hard packed snow at minus 10C last winter and minus 6.5C this winter and had no need to deploy the chains. As is usual with UK weather the cold spells were book-ended with about plus 15C with rain showing the value of decent, true (3PMSF rated) all-season tyres for the UK. As for the chains, practice in fitting is well worth the effort - despite being an old f@rt I can get all 4 chains on in 10 minutes. I refresh my memory of the job in the autumn when the weather is pleasant so I'm not going to fool about trying to do it reading the instructions if I ever have to do it for real by torchlight. Tip#1: There is a good chance the colour coding of the chains differs from those in the instructions - not something you want to find out when deploying them for real. Tip#2: Keep a decent head-torch and gloves in with the chains.
I live on the edge of the Peak District and wished more drivers were as prepared as you are. I set off in the snow one day to go to work, but was met by a wall of traffic that was trying to get from Bakewell to Buxton. I turned around and got stuck behind more people stuck at Owler Bar outside Sheffield. I was the only person with a shovel in their car! Luckily a snow plough turned up and the driver also had a shovel, so he and I dug 12 cars out just so I could get home!
@@tlangdon12 Thanks for the reply. I have the same frustrations. I can't believe there are people living in this area that seem to have zero appreciation of what it takes to keep moving when it snows. It's not helped by manufacturers sending out brand-new AWDs and 4x4s on extreme summer tyres. Some new neighbours treated themselves to a new AWD SUV thinking that this was going to work for them but after the first couple of centimetres of snow fell they became fully paid-up members of the automotive branch of the Totvil and Dean appreciation society until they bought some new appropriate tyres.
Nice video to see, as much as some of us want the right tyre in the car for the job most of us don’t have a lorry following around with different sets, so when you driving though the Alps or Norway and going from Sun to snow, chains can come in handy. The RUD Centrax chains are a lot easier to fit and remove and are pretty heavy duty too.
It's so good to see a proper comparison like this, really shows how inept an all season tyre in winter! 2 cents from us living in a place where winter exists - if you know you might hit snow, get WINTER tyres! Yes it's some money and some hassle, but cheap ones will do and you can have them ready on a cheap old set of steel wheels ready to swap quickly when the snow comes. All-seasons and summer tyres are hopeless on snow, do not risk it. Snow chains are cheaper and completely ubiquitous here, for gnarly terrain they're amazing as you've clearly proved. Hassle to put on, although gets much quicker with practice. These ladder things actually seem great, never seen them before but look like a great alternative to chains! Rest is junk as expected.
This is interesting because I have very different results: I have used snow socks in harsh winter conditions in Switzerland before on a 1 series BMW with RWD only. Despite having had new Michelin Alpine winter tyres, I couldn't get up the steep hill (around 10%) to my house in the mountains. With the snow socks on, it wasn't a problem at all... Even from a total stand still, I would get enough traction to get up the hill.
All wintertires arent made for the same conditions. The Michelin Alpine is refered to as a "middle european wintertire" here in the nordics, made more for rain and frosty roads, with occasional slush and snow. If you have harsh winters, and live in an alpine region, you need nordic winter tires, which are specifically designed to work best on snow and ice.
This is the first (1) time i read or see anyone successfully using a snow sock. In all the tests i saw and read (mostly german and austrian) the snow socks always desintegrated realtively quickly and didn't provide any traction advantage over normal winter tyres. @eriks and @nilshenrikkvale7174: here in the alps often times people have to put snow chains onto winter tyres because of the inclines or ice. And in most of these situations even nordic winter tyres aren't superior anymore: Collegues of mine use a awd VW bus with studded nordic winter tyres. And yet due to the conditions on the mountain they have to drive up and down they have to put on snow chains additionally frequently. Their predecessors wet up and down that mountain for 30 years and always made sure to have good studded winter tyres, awd or before that 4wd, and diff locks, and good snow chains.
I have personally driven cable chains, real chains, and tire socks. And I have fitted them on hundreds of other peoples vehicles. I really appreciate your testing, but I have a few thing to add from my experience. First, on cable chains, notice the round spring-like guard/traction pieces over the cross cables. With ice on pavement, I have seen these spin under the tire providing a minimum increase in traction. I towed a vehicle up a moderate hill that it could not climb it on its own with the cable chains. A driver with more ice/snow experienced likely would have been able to get up the hill with cable chains, but in my view chains need to work for the inexperienced driver too. Second, cable chains can only take a little abuse. If you are using chains in bad conditions, it is likely you will do some tire spinning -- though I guess it is much less likely with today's traction control. I've seen a lot of broken side cables on cable chains as they just can't handle much tire abuse before they break. Once broken, they are basically impossible to repair. Personally, I don't recommend cable chains, but will say they are a lot better than nothing. As you say, the diamond pattern chains are complicated. But once you have practiced how to install them, they are faster to install than cable chains as the vehicle doesn't need to be driven onto the carefully aligned chains. Like you mentioned for the cable tie type, the diamond chains can be instilled when the vehicle is stuck -- I think this is a big advantage. I also recommend that all chains -- cable, diamond patter, or the old fashion ladder-style chains -- be re-tightened after moving the vehicle a few feet. With ladder-style chains (cable or real chain ladders), you can often make this final tightening on just the outside adjuster. But if they are particularly loose, you will need to tighten the inside adjuster first. This is annoying because you must move the car to get in just the right position so you can reach the inner adjuster. The diamond pattern chains are easier to tighten. Because they are easier to tighten, I think there is a better chance they will be tightened properly and thus there is less chance they will be banging on the car when driving.
@tyrereviews I only have limited experience with snow socks. I used them over my Yokohama Geolander AT G015 tires (which you tested in a recent video). I've only used them a couple of times. The conditions were untraveled deep snow (probably around 1 m deep) with my tires inflated to just 5 psi -- not typical road conditions. 🤣 The temperatures was around freezing with snow that packed and polished easily into a very slippery state (with traction little better than ice). The snow socks (actually I think mine are the white ISEE brand ones) made a noticeable improvement in traction, but not an astounding improvement. I've only ever tried them in this "snow-wheeling" context, not on maintained roads. I would agree that durability is not good on the snow socks. I was considering getting a set for my wife's new-to-her car (a Volvo XC40 Recharge), but your review came in the nick of time. Based on the ice performance you saw, I think I'll get her real chains. FYI -- If you are interested, the use of snow chains when snow-wheeling in deep snow is very tricky. Under the right conditions they will improve traction, but at a greatly increased risk of getting stuck. When you are driving on top of 1, 2, or 3 meters of snow, you don't want the tires to dig. If you dig holes, you end up with the frame bottomed out on the snow. Tire chains can dig holes really fast. 😖 I got the tire socks 2 years ago to see if I could improve traction without digging holes so fast. They seem to do okay at this, but they are not so spectacular that I go to the trouble of putting them on and taking them off very often.
" have seen these spin under the tire providing a minimum increase in traction" You mean like in braking the part in contact with the ice may be the rubber? Or it also affects other conditions?
@@fredherbert1312 No, sorry about my poor description. As you can see at 9:41, there are a series of spring-like pieces on each cross-cable (other brands use little rolled tubes of sheet metal). Under the right/wrong conditions, these can act like rollers under the tire. I haven't seen it often, so I'm guessing a little about the cause. But I think it takes a combination of: a tire without an aggressive tread (an aggressive tread would hold the rollers in place), the road surface being hard, like a thin layer of ice over pavement (this keeps the rollers from digging in), and the cable chains not being real tight (this allows the tire to spin more easily inside the chain).
I live in a place where theres severe snow once a year. Mild to moderate maybe 3 4 times, so a total of 5 times a year I need snow and ice traction. Changing summer tires to winter and back once costs as much as a pair of snow socks over here, not to mention storage of the unused tires (most people don't have garages). I started out using snow paddles (spike spider) worked very well, pain to carry around, moderately easy to put on and remove. Snow tires are best except the price compared to how many days I actually need them. Chains are great but extremely hard to use and hard to carry around (especially after you take them off, all wet and dirty). Auto socks are the easiest, I've used them in the exact circumstances mentioned in the video, a ski trip or two. Easy to put on when needed, easy to take off when you don't. Still messy to carry after removal. Excellent performance, I don't think I've ever driven them on clean ice, but that doesn't happen in this country. So my conclusion is I use summer tires and have a set of snow socks for use the few times a year I need them. On longevity: yes they do get damaged easily if you run them on an uncovered road but they continue to function until they are completely destroyed, still haven't been able to kill one pair.
I found some snow socks that were the correct size for my car in a Charity Shop (Thrift Store) for £1 ($1.25) about ten years ago so snapped them up. They got me out of snowy situations on a couple of occasions, but I would agree about their wear resistance. Once I had to drive about 300 yards on a road without snow to get to a point where I could safely stop to remove them, and you could see that they had been scuffed by this short drive. Much further and I expect they could have been ruined. I didn't realise how poor they would be on sheet ice, so the video was really useful. Luckily I'm not likely to encounter enough ice to have time to fit the snow socks. Great video!
Those who don't know, there is TIRE GRIP spray, alternative of chains and socks, its a spray can, yellow sticker with blue top, search online, you spray it on a thread, not on side like tire shine, it forms a fresh rubber layer and improves traction, always in my trunk in winter, did used a couple of times on all season tires, worked very well, suggest to try...
Great video. I would have wanted to see real Michelin winter tires + Passanger cables combined. That's the kind of setup you sometimes have to use for extreme winter conditions and it would have been nice to see a demonstration about that kind of performance.
Michelin Xice Snow is amazing, i used that from october 5 to late november, best ever non-studded winter tires. But, mostly i use studded Michelins, still the best.
@@pflaffik Yeah, I'm currently running a set of X-ice North 4 and I wouldn't want to have anything worse here in Finland. Last gen studded Michelin is definitely better than Nokian Hakkapeliitta set I previously had and those were not bad winter tyres either.
I had great success with snow socks on my front-wheel drive Mazda, but found them impossible to fit on my BMW because of the tight access through the wheel arch. Great review - definitely some things to avoid on this list!
I'd say, with snow chains you need to practice fitment before you need them. It's worth spending a bit of time practicing, it'll save time when your hands are cold. Even reading the manual will save you hassle.
Great Video content and will be a 'must-watch' for many I expect. As an Ex UK Military individual (30yrs), with many a Norway & Alaska winter exercise under my belt, arguably allowing a basic knowledge, I found the following.. 1. Plastic Ties (Abundant in the Military & stronger than ones shown!) work for emergency, get me out of a situation for 10m to 50m. The issue is plastic in cold becomes brittle and snaps quickly. 2. Cable Ties with studs & straps, never used! (Maybe a better version for civilian plastic cable ties!) 3. Snow socks (Cars, not really 4x4's) will get you home for a journey maximum 30 miles, realistically 15 miles before tearing, ripping & coming off, depending on road gradients (Not great for real-world driving on steep gradients for any real distance), depth of snow and ice. Issue is, as soon as you hit normal parts of the road (tarmac), they then disintegrate very quickly. This means only use when a full covering of snow is on the road surface and not designed really for ice, due to this reason. 3. Metal ladder Cables, work well, easy to put-on, but as highlighted, not as good as full snow chains. For the average/normal driver as a safety snow/ice device stored in the boot (trunk) for an emergency, then as the video highlighted, it would be the best choice for most people and easiest fitting. 4. Snow Chains (Carried by all Military vehicles when exercising in snow/ice areas, especially with Temps ranging from -0 to -50 Celsius +) can not be beaten, on & off road. As video highlighted, best to pre-fit ideally inside a garage or covered area, before driving-out into bad snow/ice conditions. 5. Winter tyres, especially winter tyres with metal studs, can't be beaten and saves so many issues for 'on-road' driving (Still need snow chains if going off road). It is why our family vehicles we change from summer to winter tyres (My Son & Daughter vehicles, we keep on UK All Season tyres), depending on type of winter, usually between mid November to late March-early April in Northern UK. A very informative video with good sound advice.
Hey Jon! When you eventually get around to testing mud tires, do a test with a set fitted with chains. A lot of the old timers here in Alberta’s oil field still swear by them for getting out of mud and myself personally have seen them do some real work even when fitted to more street friendly tires and would love to see them compared.
Talk to pretty much any logger. Real thick gooey mud will plug up even the best tire, which is one of the few times you WANT spin, to fling the mud out of the treads. You get a skidder and you put ring chains with 3" lugs on all 4 tires, mud isn't plugging those up.
I'm sure chains on a winter tire would be no worse than chains on an all-season tire, which would be no worse than a summer tire. The underlying tire might help, but all things being equal, I think this test does a good job showing the added traction with the devices.
If you’re not dressed warm enough to stay outside 10-15 min, that is a problem. Anyway, about the diamond chains. I’ve had to use them only once and they were very easy to install. And they were awesome. All you have to do is practice installing them a couple of times in summer time. And be a little careful when you put them in the box so they aren’t all tangled up already. When you go to places with extreme conditions and weather you have to be prepared. If go in jeans and have no idea how your tools and equipment work.. well… And yes. Snow tires make a tremendous difference. I drove a Mustang for 5 years. In Wisconsin
Let me start by saying thank you for doing this test, educational! The method to put the chains on is to drape them over the tire, reach behind and hook the inside ends together, then connect the outside portion. Drive the a short distance and snug them up. Most chains like these come with some rubber tensioning circles to keep the chains snug. They should take about two minutes to put on per tire. The cable ties should go on the same way.
Got given the snow socks at my old job and have used them many of times over the years for someone in the UK they are perfect for the occasional dusting we get and work perfectly getting you up that hill everyone else has abandoned their cars on
I have a different brand of ladder cables and haven’t had to use them but a handful of time but boy am I glad I had them I usually run studded snow tires but ended up on a road that even they were struggling to deal with so threw on the chains for extra safety and it’s such an improvement
Spikes-Spider snow chains are the best. Very quick installation and all the advantages of snow chains. Easy to remove as well. Not cheap & bulky to stow.
Best setup is a good set of winter tires, and konig xg chains. If the snow is deep, or you are stuck, you can drive and/or get diamond chains on. Chains are so enjoyable in deep snow. Yes they are frustrating at first, but do it once and with the konig, it auto-tensions. Super handy feature to make chains easier. Take the unplowed lane!
Hi! I'm from Texas, USA and I drive a BMW X3 (AWD of course). Since I do vacations every year in Colorado, I fitted my X3 with Sport All Season Tires. They ended up behaving INCREDIBLY well in light ice/snow conditions for road driving. And when approaching a more extreme Scenario, I carry a set of 4 SnowSocks. I've used them once only when going through a Blizzard over a mountain pass. As soon as we were back at lower altitude and the road was less steep and a bit more 'watery', got out of the car, took the snow socks off in like 5 seconds, and kept going. I'd say winter tires + snowsocks in the trunk of the car (if you live in a cold-weather place) is great and GOOD all-seasons + SnowSocks is awesome for those like me who drive 1000 miles to get to the mountain and then for improved traction or emergency situation, I can get off the car and install something SUPER quick. I had snow-chains in SouthAmerica (originally from there) and goooshhhh they were a nightmare!)
I also live in texas and am currently considering like some chains for my car, as far as I've seen snow here isn't that bad it's the ice I'm more paranoid about. After the 2021 freeze and the seemingly yearly freezes at this point probably a good thing to get something rather than getting caught lacking. Snow tires would be nice but not worth the price for using em for a week out of the year since i don't travel much.
I had a situation like 12-13 years ago going on a winding road to the mountains. Winter tires fitted Continental Winter something (the current model at that time). FWD vehicle with No stability control inly ABS. As I was going up, the road had snow and Ice on different side of it, depending on the corner with a lot of uphill U turns. And also clear asphalt. At this point I had socks (but different than those in the test) and chains, but chains are forbidden on asphalt in EU. The car was struggling as it had no traction control system and the differential was doing it's thing when one side is on asphalt and the other is on mix of snow, Ice, slush. Also on the shady side it was all snow and on the sunny side a mix of asphalt and snow/slush ans sometimes Ice in between. The choice was only the socks. And they did perfectly, the car was in control in the corners and was pulling up. The main goal was to get up and down in a couple of days safely and responsibly to my family in no hurry. Try chains on clear asphalt or only on one side - it's not nice at all and it'squite dangerous too as when they snap on asphakt they could tare upnthe underside and could even damage a brake or a fuel line. That is why they are forbidden on asphalt. So thank god for those socks and for getting them from the local hardware store. Yes nower days in order for a manufacturer to sell a car in the EU it's mandatory to have traction control and stability control. And in this situation a car with winter tires and stability will probbably not struggle as much. From that moment I ditched the chains and have only socks in the trunk, that I have used on 2 more occasions and have some wear and tare but will last at least a couple of more.
I love snow socks! I can just throw them into my trunk and forget about them, they don't take any space, and they're good enough to get me out of tough spots when the winter tires fail. Or if I get stuck on a mountain pass with all-season tires after a freak snowstorm in late April.
The diamond chains are reasonably easy to put on if you practice at home a couple of times before a situation occurs. Living in the countryside in Sweden, I have used such chains many times and for deeper snow (which I would have liked you to test) they are extremely competent. I have driven a rear drive Volvo 245 with chains in snow so deep that I had to stop a couple of times to get the snow off the hood to see properly. I plowed through without any problem. I had a 2,5 km unplowed forest road before getting to the public road on my way to work and I got pretty good at mounting/unmounting the chains. Maybe the deeper snow isn't something that many experience, but that is when the proper chains are unbeatable IMO.
Exactly. Chains are really the only thing guaranteed to keep you going when you drive from hard pack to a 2-foot deep blanket of snow. This can happen when an overnight blizzard has blown a deep layer of snow on the road, and the plowman hasn't cleared your village road yet, and you need to get to work or take the kids to school. And once you've put them on a couple of times, it really isn't that hard. They also last a long time and can be fixed by replacing broken chain links with new ones, so they are my choice, too. Hälsningar från Finland!
The braking results show a very important point: even with the best traction devices on your heaviest axle, you're still using only two tires to stop the car whereas the winter tires will use all four of them. It becomes particularly obvious when you look at snow acceleration vs braking: acceleration only uses the front tires in any case, and it shows that winter tires have a somewhat similar grip to chains and socks, but then under braking you can apply that grip to the whole vehicle instead of just a part and the difference grows, a lot. Bonus: you are also giving ABS twice as much reliable data to work with so it's more likely to avoid misdetecting the actual vehicle speed.
Thank you for this comparison! Very useful! Because of your test i bought hankook rs3 and it is very good tire for winter (in this price range, in real life not catalog hankook is cheaper 20-40$ per tire than Michelin, continental etc., it is not worse in safety ) 😁
We can do this over and over. Moral of the story is: There is no substitute to a good winter tire! End of the story Ps: thank you very much for another insightful video. Greetings from snowy Canada 🇨🇦
@@noobasdfjkl Very loose snow and 20cm deep is enough to get stuck even with snow tires. Hard packed snow no problem like in the video, but if tires start to dig themselves in, then doesn't really matter if they're winter tires or not. Not that I'm saying winter tires are useless, they are in my eyes very much a must in winter season or cold season with a lot of rainfall (mid October to end of April).
It is not uncommon for some mountain passes to require chains or socks on cars, no matter what kind of tires they have fitted. Just about one week ago, Snoqualmie Pass in WA had that requirement active. In one direction, you were allowed with winter tires only with AWD/4x4, but in the other direction, it was chains mandatory, period. I'm sure a fresh set of Blizzaks on a 2WD car would have been fine for a non-idiot driver, but WSP were up there in numbers writing $500 tickets for it. So sometimes the legal requirements exceed the physical requirements.
Around here NOBODY is deciding whether to get winter tires or chains. Everybody has winter tires (although not the nordic ones). Everybody is deciding what to get IN ADDITION to the tires if you're about to get stuck....
Lived in Sweden 15 years. No question. Get a set of winter tyres. Best investment ever. Never needed snow chains (nightmare to put on) not the other gimmicks. Plus your summer tyres last twice as long and you don’t have a smashed up car upside down in a ditch in the forest!
I absolutely recommend the ladder chains. Pretty simple to get on, just a couple of adjustments needed, and they drive pretty smooth on mixed road conditions. But yes, snow tires are the way to go. Drove a sports car with winter tires and never had an issue. Add the security of the ladder chains and you will be gold!
I live in WA state and drive a FWD hatchback with a limited slip differential on Blizzak WS90s to go skiing. One issue I run into is when some mountain passes say that chains are required UNLESS your car has 4WD/AWD. So many people with Subarus and other AWD vehicles have crappy all-season tires (what you'd call "3 season") and yet they are legally allowed to drive during these storm conditions despite the fact that their braking and handling will be much worse than my car that has proper winter tires. Your tests in this video also show that for starting up an incline, proper winter tires are as good or better than chains on a FWD car, so again it feels unfair that I would need to use chains on top of my snow tires. When it comes to ice braking, it's also unfair to demand 2WD use chains when a 4WD car with crappy tires will struggle to brake even worse on ice, but they don't need chains. I feel like the rules should be more flexible like both 4WD/AWD and 2WD needs chains unless you have 3peak M+S winter tires.
I'll agree with the nature of US all seasons, which is what I've mostly used for 25 years of severe North Dakota winter driving. Even the best all season just never measure up in snow, and love to slip on ice. Blizzaks' weren't just a minor improvement, but a world of difference, as your tests show. I still use all season on my 88 F150, which has always done extremely well, but only because of four wheel drive and engine braking. Considering how cheap I can get 235/75/R15's and spare steel wheels, I'm seriously considering a snow tire for them as well. The steel ladder looks like a winner, and something I'll look into. I'd also say, for those of us in heavy snow, that those fancy off road/snow/mud recovery boards might be an excellent idea if you get REALLY stuck. Sometimes there is no replacement for a shovel and boards in your trunk, especially when you get in deep enough that trying to put things on the tires gets really difficult. I think the one outlier in my experience would be my 1979 Lincoln. Even with worn out US all season tires, it would never get stuck. Climbed up steep grades of bumper high slick snow like it was nothing, probably one of the very best 2WD cars you could ever hope for in those conditions. I suppose weight distribution and gearing play a larger roll than we think. Then again, I run 28 PSI on the tires on that car, which is another matter of discussion entirely....
I learned how to drive on snow and ice in two '78 Ford's, a Fiesta (TOTAL mountain goat on AS tired, snow or ice) and a LTD Country Squire with a Posi rear end. It went where I told it to go without fail. Your '79 Lincoln had friends in the FoMoCo lineup.
Peerless ( the tire cables in the video) also make a much easier to install auto tensioning tire chain system they're about double the cost of the ladders (cables). But it's up pretty good consideration.
As an older adult I've driven 4WD/AWD vehicles for many years. As a younger man who was an avid snow skier, I drove a 2WD Toyota wagon and a 2WD Mazda wagon. I prided myself in being able to install traditional snow chains in the dark in just a few minutes. With a little practice it's not very difficult. I kept some coat hanger wire and pliers to tie down any loose ends, hardware store rubber straps to take out the slack. When the afternoon slush on the road turns to concrete crust or black ice on the evening road, chains are unbeatable. 4WD/AWD is great, but it's not going to help you stop on ice.
The auto socks are superb. Got me out of some tricky uk situations in the past. You just have to remember to take them off before hitting the motorway 🙈🙈
I picked up a pair of snowsocks a few years back to supplement my X-Ice3s for the niche case where I encounter snow that's particularly deep and fluffy and need a big contact patch.
This is a really good video, based on evidence. I live in Cheshire, England. If I ever need better snow and ice grip than my set of Continental Winter Contact tyres, I would probably have to change my 4WD car to a snow cat. I shall probably never need to do so. The only snow cats deployed annually in England are in Buxton, Derbyshire.
Love the X-Ice snow, and I really abuse them since Denver has a crazy shoulder season. One time it was 80 degrees in the city when I was driving up to go skiing and I hit a blizzard on the way back
@@tyrereviews I live near chicago, so snow is not that extreme here. It usually gets plowed and salted by mid day. By the way, I bought Michelin crossclimate 2 based on your reviews. Loving the tires and looking forward to some snow.
I can tell you, studded winter tires are the best solution, if your country allows them. Up here in north sweden we have winter 5 months of the year, ice is a daily thing to deal with. They brake great, get back traction after you've lost it, and generally make snow and ice on the road a non-issue. Winter tires are great in snow, but ice is just a different beast. You need metal to bite.
My snow chains came with a laminated sheet with specific directions. I can install them in about 3 minutes on two of 4 tires. Practicing before the frigid conditions helps a lot.
yep my first use of snow chains in anger was while stuck on a steep incline in the dark in some rather unpleasant weather but having practised it in the garage previously it took me just a couple of minutes - unpleasant but far from the times here.
