Do I need winter tires?
With winter around the corner a lot of people are wondering if they should spend the money and buy a new set of winter tires. So, do I NEED winter tires? The short answer is no. Should I have winter tires? ABSOLUTLY! There is no comparison between all season tires and winter tires.
Yes, you can get by with all season tires. At least I did, for 20 years. I never rear ended anyone or spun out of control and ended up in the ditch. But after trying winter tires for the first time a few years ago, I will never go back. The added traction they provide is amazing. No more spinning at a stop sign, or sliding through a stop sign. No more getting stuck in 4 inches of snow and having to push to get traction. The benefits are endless. It should also be mentioned that in some provinces winter tires are mandatory.
When the temperature drops (7C is the magic number) all season tires start to lose traction. The rubber that all season and summer tires are made from starts to get hard at 7 degrees. Once the temperature gets really cold, they freeze solid. Winter tires are made with a rubber compound that stays soft, even in extreme cold. Winter tires also warm up a lot faster than all season tires. They are engineered for the cold.
Not only are winter tires made from a rubber compound that stays softer in extreme cold, the tread is designed for snow and ice. Winter tires have these things called sipes. Little “cuts” in the tread. These little cuts give a winter tire hundreds (or thousands) of edges to bite into snow and ice. All seasons simply do no have this. Winter snow tires try to hold onto the snow, in the tire tread. Believe it or not, snow on snow traction is very good!
Your going to want to choose a winter tire based on the winter conditions you encounter most of the year. If you have a lot of ice but not much snow, a winter tire more designed for ice is the better choice. For lots of snow, one designed for lots of snow is better. You get the idea.
Do I need studs?
Some winter tires are also designed to have studs. Little metal “screws” that go into the tire and provide an even better grip on ice and hard packed snow. In my experience, they work amazing on hard pack snow. But, on a dry road they actually reduce traction. By a lot in some cases. If you do most of your driving on dry roads/highways, I would not recommend getting your tires studded. They do work amazing on hard pack snow though, really really good!
Once you are researching winter tires online, you will find a lot of x brand is better than y brand. In my opinion this is like Ford vs Dodge vs Chevy. People like certain things. Any winter tire will be vastly superior to an all season tire in the winter. Yes, some are better than others. However, the difference in tests is small. I wouldn't get to caught up in it. Just buy yourself a set and your done! Just remember to put your all seasons back on when the temperature is consistently above 7C. Winter tires wear out very fast in warm weather!
So, do I need winter tires?
No, but you wont regret it if you do! Stay safe and happy driving!
For anyone in the Rainy River District, I recommend checking out Stratton Service. They have great prices and fantastic service. They can get pretty much any tire you want. Give them a call, you won't regret it!
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