Snow Tires vs. Chains vs. Snow Socks: One of THESE Provides The Best Snow Traction!

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#car #winter #snow

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
0:21 What snow tires are we running?
1:00 Test #1: Snow Tires (Control Test)
2:23 Test #2: All-Season Tires
5:25 Test #3: K&K Snow Socks (on 2 tires)
8:54 Test #4: K&K Snow Socks on all 4 tires
10:34 Test #5: Snow Chains
13:40 Full results and closing thoughts

[jngobngo]

Used the snow socks once last year and my 35 minute commute was easy compared to other cars, no brainer

[maxkendal]

I bought some snow socks a couple of years ago. I was working in an area that was having constant snow and was on a steep incline (South of England). Great for getting you out of trouble but not fora journey. I keep them in the car for that extremely rare occasion.

[Artyomthewalrus]

Part of the problem with them cable snow chains is they don't have constant contact with the ground, especially when braking. I think the results would be very different with a quality set of diamond pattern chains.

Throw them on ice, and they'll blow all other options out the window

Although I'm in the boat of always running winter tires, and then having chains as a backup ontop of that for real extreme scenarios where you actually need to the bite into ice. No point going half measures with snow chains

[joshuaa.]

Something I noticed about chains is that they churn up the snow and ice for better traction for other drivers coming after you, which is an unintended benefit. I find myself thanking the drivers with chains when I drive after them. We had a brief one day snowfall followed by a half-inch ice storm and having the ice churned up by chains was very helpful.

[KPHVAC]

If you only get occasional snow I highly recommend the Michelin CrossClimate 2 tires. A real all season tire that is also snow peak rated is awesome! I got mine last winter and they are perfect for Western Washington state.

[joeyg]

It would be interesting to see these tests performed with studded tires too.

[jacobmiller]

So the socks would be pretty useless in slushy/ice conditions? Pretty much anytime you dont have loose dry snow, since they need to pick up snow to work

[jguild]

One thing I’d like to see is how socks compare to chain on ice, especially the kind of ice you’d get in a freezing rain situation. We don’t want to drive in freezing rain, but some of us live in rural or semi-rural locations where an emergency may compel us to try to drive to the hospital when conditions are sub-optimal.

[Tactical_Pterodactyl_Knives]

Snow socks work amazing. Had a 2012 sienna up a in some 11" deep snow but the roads were plowed and it did incredible. No loss of traction taking it easy. Insanely fast to install and remove, and so much less noise and vibration than chains!

[DrekiTech]

Would have liked to see the performance of all weather tires with the 3 peak snowflake that can be ran year round.

[treswright]

Great video. Living in Colorado, I am tired of seeing big tracks and SUV’s think they have snow traction when any small car with snow tires is safer.

I have a 200 Land Cruiser with 3PMSF AT tires and I have a Volvo v60 with a Hakkapeliittas. The Volvo is far far better in the snow.

[JeffreySeyfert]

The first test you ended it at the back bumper I believe.. the second text you ended it on the front tire . You need to be pick one point to go to and second thing you need to know where you need to apply the breaks at . If you go over by 5 feet that is 15 feet added on . If you apply 5 feet before you stop 15 feet sooner .

[robertboudreau]

Thanks for the video. I would like to add, even in pavement in very cold weather, stoping in all-season tires is not best. As you mentioned rubber in all-season get rigid therefore stoping in longer than winter tires. From December 1 to March 15 winter tires are the only legal tires allowed in Quebec.

[JarmelSingsKaraoke]

🎉🎉🎉TOMMY ..CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT 🎉🎉🎉

[aliciabartezaghi]

I checked Amazon customers reviews on these K&K and general complaint is that the inside seam tears off and the band rips/wears out after one use and adhering to instructions.
USD 120 for a couple hours use is too expensive.
A durability test before recommending the item would be excellent.
Thank you and saludos desde 🇺🇾 Uruguay

[jerryrupe]

Not trying to be critical here, I respect and appreciate all that Tfl does they bring us a lot of good information. On the other hand snow tires will not melt in hot conditions, I'm from NW Ohio and moved to south Florida and ran my snow tires for 2 years before replacing them. I didn't plan on moving back to the snow belt and wanted to at least get my money's worth from the tires, figured they'd wear down pretty quick but after 2 yrs they still had 50% life left. They are Artic claw and phenomenal. Also snow cables are good but there's no comparison to snow chains. Chains out preform cables in both acceleration and braking by far.

[Bdub]

I'm in Idaho and run Cooper AT3 4S tires year round on both my AWD Element and 4WD Vitara. Highly recommended.

[GTFORDMAN]

one advantage snow chains have over snow socks is that Snow Chains can be used in the mud aswel!

[JonathanHitchcock-mt]

Great video! I’m from central WI and drive a rwd Chevy Colorado with no G80 locker. I don’t have winter tires but find I get around just fine 90% of the time. In the 10% that I don’t I carry a set of truck claws in the bed of my truck. They’re amazing. Not something to drive around in, but rather something to strap on to get unstuck or climb an icy hill. They’ve never failed me. I’d love to see a comparison video that includes them to see the results vs other chains, cleats, socks, etc.

[kubi]

I suppose it makes sense. The socks are essentially a crazy amount of siping. They just don't seem practical to have to take on and off depending on the conditions and speed, but definitely nice to have as an easy option to keep in the car during winter. I still prefer snow tires since there's less to think about as they stay on all winter. And it's not uncommon here to have random snow difting across and otherwise dry highway and always the chance of black ice.. in addition to the periods where the highways are snow packed for days or a couple weeks straight.