UKH

Anyone have experience of using winter tyres?. I drive a ford galaxy and live in rural Devon.

Car all working perfectly but tend to go through tyres.

With many wet muddy lanes are there any advantages or disadvantages to running winter tyres? (Non studded)

Advice appreciated.

In reply to gymwear:

Yep I use them, been on since November. Bit early maybe but they are good in the wet too. They make a huge difference in the snow and ice.

In reply to gymwear:

This is an old chestnut of UKC and you'll get a plethora of opinions.

I live in the Alps at 1200m so switch between winter and summer tyres on both my cars every year.

Advantages: you've got less chance of crashing/getting stuck - they really make a difference in snow meaning I hardly ever need to use my snow chains
Disadvantages: you have to switch them twice a year. I pay my local mechanic to change them but you can get some steel rims and do it yourself if you're so inclined.

Your climate in Devon probably doesn't get cold enough regularly but I may be wrong. I think 7ºC is the point where winter tyres start to work better than the all-weather equivalents (the rubber is a different compound, as well as the tread pattern).

In reply to gymwear:

Not winter tyres as such, but I've just switched to Michelin cross climate tyres and have been really impressed with the grip in the wet and slippery surfaces.

In reply to gymwear:

Mine are sitting in my workshop waiting for the first snow and or ice.
My standard tyres work perfectly well in the cold but dedicated winter ones make a massive difference in snow.

In reply to Dax H:

> Mine are sitting in my workshop waiting for the first snow and or ice.

> My standard tyres work perfectly well in the cold but dedicated winter ones make a massive difference in snow.

I'm pretty much the same, I usually have them on for three months of the year so get two winters out of them usually. I've not put them on yet as its been so mild. I drive on B and poor A roads in North Wales with an average of 80 miles a day and wouldn't be without them now

In reply to gymwear:

Put them on every year. two trips to the alps and they're great over here when the temp drops below 7 degrees

In reply to gymwear:

I live in Somerset but have regular commutes to North Wales and Scotland

I run two sets of wheels. Summer Tyres on Alloys and Winter Tyres on Steel.

Winter Tyres go on at end Oct and Summer ones around April. Costs £5 per wheel for the garage to swap so for £20 I get them to do it and save myself the hassles

For me it is essential as I need to be able to drive in snow. Would I do it if I remained in Somerset? probably yes as they are better in the cold even with no snow on the ground

In reply to gymwear:

Yes, definitely worth it. I have winters on steels for my yeti and rate them highly.

Don't dismiss getting a set second hand, ideally tyres and wheels. There are bargains out there. I got 4 vw steels with 4 winter tyres that had had about 4000 miles on them for £150.

In reply to Run_Ross_Run:

I recommend Uniroyal Rain Expert. Had them on my older cars and my wife's. Better grip, slightly higher wear, good for the generally wet but not excessively cold winters.

Compacted snow is not usually a big problem in most of the UK, and where it is its not just better tyres that you'd need. It's driving on the slush from salted roads.

In reply to gymwear:

Had them for a few years and the difference is great, cost is low and the only thing that would stop me putting them on would be if I wasn't planning on keeping the car for any more than a year or so.

Currently running cooper studdable (without studs) weather master and way more impressed with them than any other winter rubber I've had. The handling in the wet is superb and they've lasted very well. Started last winter with 8mm tread and after about 10k miles I tested them with a tread guage and they read 8mm. That's on a 4x4 estate.

I don't use the road as a race track so my need for expensive summer tyres is minimal, usually get cheap mud and snow/all season tyres for the summer and spend a bit more on winter tyres. Think the coopers were about£100 a corner fitted on new steelies (as I couldn't find any second hand ones for my car). Putting them on Nov-Apr should last me 4 years or more likely as they get more worn I'll wear them into the summer. Once you're down to 3mm they aren't winter tyres anymore imo, at least they wont do much for you in snow.

In reply to gymwear:

i also use Michelin Cross Climates, they certainly work better in the snow than any summer or 'all season' tyre i've ever used, but the thing you'll notice everyday is how much better they are on cold, wet roads. that, for me, is the clincher... i'm in not-exactly-Alpine Worcestershire, i drive about 25k a year both doing the boring school run type stuff and regular trips to North Wales, Lakes, Peaks, Scotland - i'm very, very happy with them, and i'll probably just keep them on the whole year - though we'll see what their wear rate in the summer is like.

for my size wheel/tyre - 215/55/16 - they are about £5 more than a decent Michelin/Dunlop/Uniroyal summer tyre - and they have the same summer performance as those tyres, they just do the winter stuff as well...

In reply to gymwear:

I generally put my winters on when the clocks go back in autumn, and take them off when they go forward in spring. This year I did leave it a little later to put them on because the autumn was so warm.

We've had very little snow and ice around here so far this winter, but as others have said one of the great things about winter tyres is how much better they perform when the road is both cold and damp, when it is actually running with water, or when there are large, difficult-to-avoid puddles. Winter tyres can just plough through standing water where a typical summer tyre would be aquaplaning badly.

As others have advised, I have my winter tyres on a set of cheap steel wheels. This means that I can swap them over myself, rather than having to get a tyre shop to swap tyres between rims. A secondary benefit to using cheap wheels in winter is that you (and your wallet) won't mind so much if things do go a bit pear-shaped and you damage the rim eg by sliding in to a kerb, running through a deep pothole hiding at the bottom of a winter puddle, or generally having an unexpected altercation with a chunky bit of winter road debris lurking in the slush.

All the above said, I am thinking of fitting a set of Michelin Cross Climates come the spring, when my summer tyres will be due for replacement anyway. (I'll probably keep the winters, though, in case we ever have snow again like we did in 2010 - there isn't enough clearance to fit snow chains to the standard 17" alloys on my car.)

In reply to Philip:


My local tyre place put those on my car. When they wore out I replaced with Bridgestone All Season. They look like proper winter tyres, have worked fine in snow/mud/wet/dry and wear/drive well (although I don't drive with a heavy right foot), and I don't have to swap/store them each year.

In reply to gymwear:

We have a second set of wheels with winter tyres and change them ourselves twice a year. The car is rear-wheel drive and I find the winters make a notable difference once the average temperature has dropped below 10C, particularly when the roads are wet or slippery.

Apart from the cost of buying them in the first place, no disadvantages that I can think of.

In reply to gymwear:

They're handy in cold weather even without snow or ice, but they do wear out quicker than summer tyres. PLus you need to change all 4 to get the full benefits when breaking. I had a Galaxy once and just had winters on the front (which wear quickly as you know) it worked OK but not recommended.

In reply to iksander:


I enquired about that and was told that insurance companies and accident investigators alike take a very dim view of mixed summer and winter sets.

I have winter tyres on a quick rear wheel drive car and they do make a difference in the cold and wet as well as snow. I just have winter tyres of the same dimensions as the summer ones. Wife's car is stupid fast and rear wheel drive - she has a proper full set of winter wheels - the winter back tyres (and wheels) are narrower than the summer set (all four tyres are the same dimensions for winter - increases the ground pressure at the back). On summer tyres, it would be undriveable in the snow, but with them it's fine.

In reply to gymwear:

Check these bad boys out
http://www.michelin.co.uk/tyres/michelin-crossclimate

One of a new generation of all season tyre that can handle the winter properly, but performs better than winter tyres in the summer. Also good on noise / efficiency.

In reply to yorkshireman:


If it's consistently above 7 then you'll actually wear out your winter tyres pretty quickly. So they're most useful where it's consistently cold in winter.

They make a massive difference in snow and ice, but probably unnecessary in Devon where some good all seasons would likely be good enough. All seasons are crap in heavy snow and ice, but how often do you get that?

If you do purchase them, and you are planning on keeping your current vehicle for a few years, it might be cheaper to get a set of cheap wheels for winter, and put the tires on them so you don't have to pay to have them switched twice a year.

Remember to mark which is which so you can rotate properly when you do switch.

Where I live, there are many foolish people who think all seasons are fine for the low temps, ice and snow. You see them crashed or driving at 20 mph on the highway.