Comparison Test: Best All-Terrain A/T Tires For Winter, Snow & Ice

[Heimkehr]

Only 16% of people in northern states use them.

Most people think that slipping and sliding in winter is normal

I'm not validating the quoted figure, but a lifetime of living in this region allows me to confirm that winter tire usage is indeed less than what it should be.

I'm reminded of snowblower sales trends. Every year, like clockwork, they'll be on display for months on end, only to be withdrawn for seasonal storage, or sold out overnight when a sober weather forecast finally gives folks religion on the subject.

Snowblowers can easily cost more than a set of winter tires (or even a wheel/tire set), and require the same or similar storage footprint. Why the latter is neglected when the former isn't is an interesting case study in consumer preferences.

Sponsored

 

[Jay_NM]

Not sure if these guys appreciate you calling them “idiots”. So please contact them directly and do a video with them comparing what you have - to their not optimal all-round KO2s. Their multiple contact information in their comments section. Sounds like they are open to anyone on this forum or anywhere meeting up to challenge theories and practical snow wheeling for knowledge vs talk. C’mon crappy KO2s vs anything you got. Not me - them. Hit them up and let us all see a comparison video vs all this random talk of mine is better than yours nonsense.

Why the discussion about K02s? They have been replaced by the improved K03s and aren’t sold anymore.

 

[Jay_NM]

I'm not validating the quoted figure, but a lifetime of living in this region allows me to confirm that winter tire usage is indeed less than what it should be.

I'm reminded of snowblower sales trends. Every year, like clockwork, they'll be on display for months on end, only to be withdrawn for seasonal storage, or sold out overnight when a sober weather forecast finally gives folks religion on the subject.

Snowblowers can easily cost more than a set of winter tires (or even a wheel/tire set), and require the same or similar storage footprint. Why the latter is neglected when the former isn't is an interesting case study in consumer preferences.

Most people don’t want to buy and store an extra set of wheels and tires.

 

[Snacktime]

Most people don’t want to buy and store an extra set of wheels and tires.

The truth is most people can't afford a second set of tires or even used tires. I have seen people sleeping in Walmart because it the only 24/7 store open in the middle of a cold front.

Not sure if these guys appreciate you calling them “idiots”. So please contact them directly and do a video with them comparing what you have - to their not optimal all-round KO2s. Their multiple contact information in their comments section. Sounds like they are open to anyone on this forum or anywhere meeting up to challenge theories and practical snow wheeling for knowledge vs talk. C’mon crappy KO2s vs anything you got. Not me - them. Hit them up and let us all see a comparison video vs all this random talk of mine is better than yours nonsense.

You need more life experiences, youtubers are not a good source of information. They are idiots and they have my phone number sadly. Seems I am the 1-800-I can't install portals help line in Sacramento.

 

[BRuby]

Haha! As suspected all BS talk and no video for our entertainment. A question about KO3 vs KO2s was posed - and are still available - so KO2s are still relevant.

 

[jadmt]

Most people don’t want to buy and store an extra set of wheels and tires.

I recently bought a set of 37's and already had 2 different sets of 35's and I was going to keep both sets of the 35's and my wife was like "do really want two sets of big tires in the garage........i was like yes....but I did get rid of one set.....it is a sickness....

 

[Jay_NM]

Haha! As suspected all BS talk and no video for our entertainment. A question about KO3 vs KO2s was posed - and are still available - so KO2s are still relevant.

I guess some places are selling out old stock. KO2s aren’t manufactured anymore.

 

[2nd 392]

I guess some places are selling out old stock. KO2s aren’t manufactured anymore.

I wouldn’t get any discontinued but still available tire. Should they become unrepairable a replacement will be increasingly difficult to find with time.

I ended up replacing all 4 on my Lincoln with a couple years of tread left due to one unrepairable tire, no match. Perhaps an extended search would have found one….
I needed a tire Now.

 

[Reinen]

I'm not validating the quoted figure, but a lifetime of living in this region allows me to confirm that winter tire usage is indeed less than what it should be.

I'm reminded of snowblower sales trends. Every year, like clockwork, they'll be on display for months on end, only to be withdrawn for seasonal storage, or sold out overnight when a sober weather forecast finally gives folks religion on the subject.

Snowblowers can easily cost more than a set of winter tires (or even a wheel/tire set), and require the same or similar storage footprint. Why the latter is neglected when the former isn't is an interesting case study in consumer preferences.

I'm not validating it either. AI came up with that and it sounded ballpark accurate-ish to me.

The snowblower thing is easy. It's all about laziness. Snowblowers eliminate manual work while winter tires amount to a little extra manual work.

 

[Reinen]

That's assuming you have the room to store two sets of tires. And you never swap them out too early or too late in the season. You're screwed when a snow storm hits and you have the wrong tires mounted.

If I lived somewhere that justified winter tires I'd go that route. Colorado definitely wasn't cold enough for that though. Not by a long shot. A/Ts were good enough in the snow, even KO2s. Absolutely not the best in snow, but good enough. Ok at everything but mud.

Colorado isn't exactly a northern state though, unless you're high up in the Rockies. Neither is Utah but I'm nearly always 1-2 mi in elevation. I'm talking Wyoming & north, upper Midwest, New England.

South of that and temps are too borderline. You just have to accept that your AT tires are inadequate for the occasional spells of winter conditions, but nobody ever does.

 

[Ratbert]

You just have to accept that your AT tires are inadequate for the occasional spells of winter conditions, but nobody ever does.

In the five years of having a Wrangler in Colorado, there was a single time that A/Ts weren't sufficient. Once. It was a bomb cyclone. Leaving home in those conditions, no matter what tires you had, would be stupid.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

I'm not validating the quoted figure, but a lifetime of living in this region allows me to confirm that winter tire usage is indeed less than what it should be.

I'm reminded of snowblower sales trends. Every year, like clockwork, they'll be on display for months on end, only to be withdrawn for seasonal storage, or sold out overnight when a sober weather forecast finally gives folks religion on the subject.

Snowblowers can easily cost more than a set of winter tires (or even a wheel/tire set), and require the same or similar storage footprint. Why the latter is neglected when the former isn't is an interesting case study in consumer preferences.

What's a snowblower?

 

[Jay_NM]

What's a snowblower?

I use my Kubota to plow snow.

 

[Heimkehr]

Most people don’t want to buy and store an extra set of wheels and tires.

Agreed. I wasn't fond of the idea myself, but Mother Nature forced my hand.

The truth is most people can't afford a second set of tires or even used tires.

I'd agree that that particular expense could be too much for people of modest means. That "most" folks couldn't afford a set of snow tires probably isn't true, though...not when there's a plethora of late-model vehicles to be seen everywhere. The same crowd that is wheeling 75" TVs out of Costco can easily manage a set of Blizzaks for their GMC Terrain.

My as-delivered cost for a set of four new studded General Grabber Arctic snow tires, mounted and balanced on new wheels, was just $1,400.00. That figure is little more than a Jeep accessory order that is just getting started.

 

[WillysMeow]

You'd be mistaken. I really, really liked them when I had them. I wanted to replace them with KO3s, but KO3s weren't out in an appropriate size / load roading. So yes, you're wrong.

Instead I bought Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/Ts. They're significantly better in every aspect other than being slightly worse in road handling. Anecdotally, of course.

I'm still trying to figure out how you can possibly think that back to back timing tests are anecdotal.

Years ago the new and improved BFG KO2 ATs worked great in 33x12.50/15 size on road even in snow and slush, but I drive appropriately and understand that my Turk can't stop or change direction instantly in inclement weather or even dry and sunny. When we went deeper snow wheeling, I chained up the front tires and trail breaker was a dude with a badazz Jeep and Boggers. The BFGs sidewalls are ok but not great either, especially in the wet a tree root, sharp stick or rock will gut them instantly. Sewed up a couple of them with safety wire and a handful of SafetySeal tire plugs...got us to Buck Island and camp and then had to change out for the spare.

Goodyears have weak sidewalls IME, seen many more of them on and off the trail with sidewall failures from a stick or sharp rock, hard pass on any Goodyear tire.

Now that there are so many newer and better tires, I'm not sure what my first replacement tires will be after the stock LT285/70R17 MTs wear out.

Sponsored