Winter tyres?

[wildfowler.250]

So this is the first year I’m actually going to organise myself for getting some winter tyres. Do people tend to get the garage to order them in / buy from the garage? Or shop around and buy online then take them to the garage for fitting? I’m guessing the latter is cheaper?

 

I take it something weighted more towards wet conditions in the UK would be better for the limited amount of snow we get?

 

Any tips/experiences would be greatly appreciated. (Any recommended websites to buy from would also be helpful).

 

Cheers!

[AVB]

My tyre fitter, whose opinion I respect, said that winter tyres aren’t worth it in the U.K. as we don’t get cold enough weather for long enough. He also said there were better ‘cross climate’ tyres out there nowadays.  I put Michelin Cross Climates on my Tesla and they are excellent. 

[wildfowler.250]

Thanks! Interesting to hear that. I was looking at the Bridgestone blizzaks as they’re meant to be decent in the rain but £500 for 4 months of the year is a bit of a thought!

[GingerCat]

I use all seasons now. The mud and slush in the roads for half the year where I live make it worthwhile. They are 3pmsf marked so qualify as a winter tyre. Lots of all seasons have different bias, from more summer in the case of the cross climates to almost artic. European all season are not the same as us all seasons and can be considered what the yanks call all weather and not the 3 season that they deem all their all season to be. Confusing. The 3pmsf symbol helps out on this. 

The falken as210 I use are reasonable and ledictable over the last year I've had them for the driving I do.  Not tried on snow as yet but the snow testing is favourable. Type tyre review into Google and the first or second listed is a pretty good site with lots of testing and reviews. 

[matone]

Put a pair of Lassa Snoways4 on the car a few weeks ago,very impressed,smooth running and fuel economy has remained the same.From past experience with the same brand ,theyve always been exceptional performers in the white stuff but they still can`t get you past a road blocked by muppet drivers!!!!

 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 hour ago, matone said:

Put a pair of Lassa Snoways4 on the car a few weeks ago,very impressed,smooth running and fuel economy has remained the same.From past experience with the same brand ,theyve always been exceptional performers in the white stuff but they still can`t get you past a road blocked by muppet drivers!!!!

Sadly that is the deciding factor around here, the white stuff falls and just about leaves a covering and then most people just start driving around at 25 mph. 

 

The other small percentage can't seem to comprehend that it will become a problem.

 

Consequently those of us who can compensate and drive appropriately for the conditions get stopped by people whose abilities fail to match their expectations.

[WalkedUp]

I used to commute across the Snake Pass. In a hard winter it would be strewn with abandoned BMWs off the side of the road. Fortunately it was almost always passable, even when “closed accept for access”. 

[oowee]

3 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Sadly that is the deciding factor around here, the white stuff falls and just about leaves a covering and then most people just start driving around at 25 mph. 

 

The other small percentage can't seem to comprehend that it will become a problem.

 

Consequently those of us who can compensate and drive appropriately for the conditions get stopped by people whose abilities fail to match their expectations.

This about sums it up for UK.

Whenever I drive on snow using winter tyres in Poland or Slovakia I often have a que of frustrated drivers behind me as I cannot get it into my head that I can safely drive faster. 

[figgy]

It's not really costing you more to have winter tyres as you save on using your summer tyres they last longer. Initial outlay for two sets but same milage out of them if you get my meaning. 

I don't put them on my XC90 it's ok with the Michelin's it's shod with. Wife's car has a set of Pirelli sottozero 2 tyres and winter wheels so easy to swap over. Better in wet and cold conditions up here in the frozen north, if temps get to around 7 deg c winter tyres work much better than summer or the four season type tyres.

[dodgy dave]

drivings ok its the stopping i worry about

[old'un]

Been looking at replacing the tyres on my Jeep, road tyres are completely useless on a muddy field or snow, its my everyday drive so I did not want the problems associated with a more aggressive tyres, I have been looking for something that is good on wet/dry tarmac but will also give me a little more traction on snow and mud, so far these seem to meet most of my needs but I am still looking and reviewing other tyres... https://tyretradenews.co.uk/news/bridgestone-launches-weather-control-a005-evo/

just to mention price and fitting, believe it or not the cheapest price fitted was from Asda.

Mytyres...https://www.mytyres.co.uk/rshop/Tyres/Bridgestone/Weather-Control-a005/215-60-R17-100V-XL/R-377606

Edited November 2, 2020 by old'un

[TIGHTCHOKE]

47 minutes ago, dodgy dave said:

drivings ok its the stopping i worry about

And that all comes down to thinking ahead!

[B391]

if you have time have a look at these

 

[Vince Green]

When I lived in upstate NY absolutely everybody had two sets of wheels and tyres. About this time of year the winter tyres would go on but come the spring they couldn't get them off quickly enough.

Their winter tyres were like nothing you see in the post above, they were really chunky.

[udderlyoffroad]

3 hours ago, oowee said:

This about sums it up for UK.

Whenever I drive on snow using winter tyres in Poland or Slovakia I often have a que of frustrated drivers behind me as I cannot get it into my head that I can safely drive faster. 

Yep.

You need some forward momentum to maintain progress on snow/uphill.  Think of Clarkson's mantra "Poweeeeer", but with a dog squeaky toy underneath the accelerator pedal...

Slowing to a relative crawl, as Brits are want to do, will result in losing traction and/or steering.

[stu64]

www.tyreleader.co.uk

[Centrepin]

10 hours ago, WalkedUp said:

I used to commute across the Snake Pass. In a hard winter it would be strewn with abandoned BMWs off the side of the road. Fortunately it was almost always passable, even when “closed accept for access”. 

Few years back after a good snow I crossed the Snake from Sheffield.  Caravan in tow for a week in Wales. Loads of vehicles abandoned and buried in drifts. On driving into Glossop I was flagged down by a Police 110 Land rover. Asked where I had come from I explained and was told the Snake had been shut for days, "Impassable". Should learn to drive then I said. No signs out. Buried in the snow I was told. Police man just shook his head and said you might as well carry on now. 

Back on topic to tyres.

I prefer General Grabber AT3s for an affordable tyre in preference to my summer Pirelli Scorpions. I bartered with my local independent and had 4 fitted for £500. If they still did AT2s I'd have them, they where a little better but slightly noisier. If you can afford more try BF Goodrich all terrains. Harder wearing, slightly more noise than AT3s but have a super reputation.

 

 

 

 

 

[Stonepark]

20 hours ago, wildfowler.250 said:

So this is the first year I’m actually going to organise myself for getting some winter tyres. Do people tend to get the garage to order them in / buy from the garage? Or shop around and buy online then take them to the garage for fitting? I’m guessing the latter is cheaper?

 

I take it something weighted more towards wet conditions in the UK would be better for the limited amount of snow we get?

 

Any tips/experiences would be greatly appreciated. (Any recommended websites to buy from would also be helpful).

 

Cheers!

Wildfowler,

What motor are you wanting to put them on?

Stick some Yokahama Geolander A/T GO15 on your motor if you can, decent motorway performance, off road perfromance and 4 season rated with mud, snowflake and mountain symbols, with Eu 3PMSF brand as well.

I used to do the summer/winter change, but settled on these instead all year round since getting the Duster and had no issues.

 

[blackbird]

Put a set of LingLong Ditchfinders on not a bad tyre 😀😀😀

Edited November 2, 2020 by blackbird

[Jim Neal]

23 hours ago, wildfowler.250 said:

So this is the first year I’m actually going to organise myself for getting some winter tyres. Do people tend to get the garage to order them in / buy from the garage? Or shop around and buy online then take them to the garage for fitting? I’m guessing the latter is cheaper?

 

I take it something weighted more towards wet conditions in the UK would be better for the limited amount of snow we get?

 

Any tips/experiences would be greatly appreciated. (Any recommended websites to buy from would also be helpful).

 

Cheers!

What sort of vehicle are you talking about?  The answer would be a lot different for a sports car compared to a pickup truck!  My logic works thus:  standard all-season tyres are perfectly adequate on the road unless you drive like an utter loon!

For most of us there's only really two likely scenarios where your standard all-season road tyre will let you down, and they are are mud or snow.  If you don't drive your vehicle off-road, that leaves the once every two blue moons that we get any sort of snow to worry about, in which case keep things simple: keep your all-seasons on and get some snow chains!

[wildfowler.250]

Cheers gents, coming back to this a little late but I'm no further on with parting with money!

It's a vitara 2017 onwards model so more of a 'car' / crossover type than a 4x4. Under normal circumstances / no covid I'd go up and down the A9 a lot. Really probably something that works a bit better in the cold and rain rather than heaps of snow. Offroading is really limited to grass fields and verges really. I'm fortunate I can 'borrow' and old freelander most of the time from the old man if I need to go into a field ect.

 

Will have a look at all the tyres suggested. Torn between all seasons now and running two sets

 

 

Thanks!

[Stonepark]

6 minutes ago, wildfowler.250 said:

Cheers gents, coming back to this a little late but I'm no further on with parting with money!

It's a vitara 2017 onwards model so more of a 'car' / crossover type than a 4x4. Under normal circumstances / no covid I'd go up and down the A9 a lot. Really probably something that works a bit better in the cold and rain rather than heaps of snow. Offroading is really limited to grass fields and verges really. I'm fortunate I can 'borrow' and old freelander most of the time from the old man if I need to go into a field ect.

Will have a look at all the tyres suggested. Torn between all seasons now and running two sets

Thanks!

My geolanders got me through 6 to 12 inch of snow in places and 2 inch everywhere else heading west between Perth to Crieff and on to Inverary, 2 years ago in a respectable time (took 45 mins longer than normal) without any difficulties where every other vehicle on the road (that wasn't a proper 4x4 with BFG's or similar) was struggling, but like you  mainly used for up and down A9, A90 and A85, grass and stubble parks etc.

[GingerCat]

37 minutes ago, wildfowler.250 said:

Cheers gents, coming back to this a little late but I'm no further on with parting with money!

It's a vitara 2017 onwards model so more of a 'car' / crossover type than a 4x4. Under normal circumstances / no covid I'd go up and down the A9 a lot. Really probably something that works a bit better in the cold and rain rather than heaps of snow. Offroading is really limited to grass fields and verges really. I'm fortunate I can 'borrow' and old freelander most of the time from the old man if I need to go into a field ect.

 

Will have a look at all the tyres suggested. Torn between all seasons now and running two sets

 

 

Thanks!

I use falken as210's for pretty much the same use. Works well and I've driven about muddy fields perfectly fine, hit standing water and ploughed through without issue and don't worry about greasy roads too much. Its all down to the rubber really  and not so much the profile. Maxis do one that scored 5% behind the leader and some brand beginning with v that I cant spell are pretty good too. None of the premium brands are very much in front of the mid range, steer clear of economy tyres always.

Tyrereviews.co.uk is an excellent resource to start. 

[islandgun]

1 hour ago, Stonepark said:

My geolanders got me through 6 to 12 inch of snow in places and 2 inch everywhere else heading west between Perth to Crieff and on to Inverary, 2 years ago in a respectable time (took 45 mins longer than normal) without any difficulties where every other vehicle on the road (that wasn't a proper 4x4 with BFG's or similar) was struggling, but like you  mainly used for up and down A9, A90 and A85, grass and stubble parks etc.

Ive got Geolanders on my old Mitsubishi, we came through heavy snow on the A87 last Feb, no problem

[figgy]

I had At 2 on my ranger and changed to fallen land air tyres, the change was huge, the at2 were cack compared. The AT2 slipped spun in the wet, were useless in the snow and no good in mud. Very disappointed with them a friend swore by them on his x trail. The fallen gripped lots more in all conditions were quieter and gave better mpg. 

The geo squeelers were ok on the Subaru forester, very soft compound but worked better in cold and wet than summer.