Winter tires pinned for studs, but without studs

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Corollaman

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How much worse are winter tires pinned for studs (without studs in them) then true studless winter tires that were designed to work without studs? I've noticed the last couple of years a lot of new winter tires pinned for studs, but being sold without them.
 
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I've run both. Appreciate the quiet of not having the studs.

When I was on ice, the studs didn't have any appreciable effect.

What they do do is bust the ice up a little at a time, which benefits the guy behind you.

I run about the cheapest winter tires I can find new. Champiro Ice Pros or Cooper Wx Masters.
 
Longer braking distances on ice, for the studded tire without studs, compared to a studless tire.
 
use studless tires.

The studdable tires pinned for studs typically use harder compounds since they have to accommodate the studs and are designed to work with the studs.

If you're not going to use studs, use a studless tire like the Dunlop Winter Maxx or Nokian R3.

If you are going to use studs, use the Hakka 9, which features two different kinds of studs on the same tire, and they are less damaging to the road surface than normal studs. Plus, the studs are installed at the factory. Most studded tires receive generic studs from the tire shop.
 
I use the General Altimax Arctic studded in all my vehicles. I have Used Blizzak and X-ice in the past. I switched over to studded tires about 7 years ago and will never go back to studless. I spend a lot of time driving glare ice and or frozen bridge decks. I never slip a tire with studs. Some of my co-workers have abandoned their 4X4's w/ snow tires in favor of compacts with studded tires for their winter commutes and summer tires come spring. To a man they say that the compact w/studs is much more stable and more cost effctive. Buy whatever brand winter tire that makes you happy, Nokians, General's etc, whatever they are and if you are serious about winter safety...studs.
 
Russians did a test and they found that on warm ice (32F - 0C) the studs help but on cold ice (I think it was 5F - -15C) studless are better.
So it depends.

KrzyÅ›
 
Originally Posted by eljefino
I've run both. Appreciate the quiet of not having the studs.

When I was on ice, the studs didn't have any appreciable effect.

What they do do is bust the ice up a little at a time, which benefits the guy behind you.

I run about the cheapest winter tires I can find new. Champiro Ice Pros or Cooper Wx Masters.


Seriously?

Although the studs are rather short there is no way, imo, they would not help while driving on ice compared to a vehicle that didn't have studs.

As to the OP's question, I have ran stud ready tires for years now without issue.

I believe most companies, like Cooper, just add the holes rather than just make them specific for Provinces and States that are legally allowed to use studs?
Where I am in Southern Ontario, they are illegal, but I believe if I go North to Sudbury or beyond, they aren't and are likely encouraged.
 
I'm torn between the new Cooper Evolution winter tire with studs, and the Blizzak WS80 for a 02 Camry with simple 205/65-15's. I want to fly through the snow and ice. $36 less for the studded tire, but in the winter it comes down to more than price.
 
Originally Posted by Traction
I'm torn between the new Cooper Evolution winter tire with studs, and the Blizzak WS80 for a 02 Camry with simple 205/65-15's. I want to fly through the snow and ice. $36 less for the studded tire, but in the winter it comes down to more than price.


What has been your experience with studded vs studless tires for your winter conditions?

If you're going to use a studded tire, get the Nokian Hakka 9. Their studs will do less damage to the roads.

Otherwise, get a studless tire like the WS80 or the Nokian R3 or any other studless.
 
I think there is so much variation that a simple statement can't be made about tires unstudded but pinned for studs vs studless.

Put another way, while it may be true that some studded tires have harder tread compounds, it's also possible for them to be very soft - on the order of studless tires. It's going to depend on the individual model.
 
Just an fyi, studded work great on ice - but the studs are useless once they get rounded off which will happen fast if you drive them on surfaces without snow/ice.
 
Originally Posted by Pew
Just an fyi, studded work great on ice - but the studs are useless once they get rounded off which will happen fast if you drive them on surfaces without snow/ice.


In general, a worn studded tire is superior to a worn studless tire on ice.

Quote
"...Brake tests on smooth ice in VTI's tyre testing facility indicated, among other things, the following:

New tyres: Nordic non-studded tyres yielded 25% longer braking distances than studded tyres. European non-studded tyres yielded roughly 50% longer braking distances than studded tyres.

Worn tyres: The worn studded tyres yielded roughly 25% longer braking distances than did the new studded tyres. Nordic non-studded tyres yielded roughly 10% longer braking distances than studded tyres. European non-studded tyres yielded roughly 30% longer braking distances than studded tyres.

The differences between the tyre types diminish when they are worn but, despite major deterioration, worn studded tyres still clearly grip the ice better than do worn non-studded tyres...


https://www.vti.se/en/news/major-test-a-lot-to-think-about-when-choosing-winter-tyres/
 
I used to work with a fellow who lived in coastal northern Norway. Nothing but ice on the winter roads there. He said that standard practice there was to have the shop install new, sharp-edged studs every winter. No problem for them, it was an every day job. On this side of the Atlantic it's unheard of, absolutely can not be done. Go figure....
 
Originally Posted by Ken2
I used to work with a fellow who lived in coastal northern Norway. Nothing but ice on the winter roads there. He said that standard practice there was to have the shop install new, sharp-edged studs every winter. No problem for them, it was an every day job. On this side of the Atlantic it's unheard of, absolutely can not be done. Go figure....


I kind of wonder about this statement.

Studs are supposed to wear at about the same rate as the tread rubber. That way there is always the proper amount of stud protruding. Tires studded by the factory are done this way - and tires studded by the tire shop are supposed to use the appropriate studs. (They come in different wear rates!) Putting in new studs every winter, not only seems counter productive, but a waste of money.

On the other hand, maybe this was a long time ago - before they paid attention to the wear rates of studs.
 
Originally Posted by CapriRacer

I kind of wonder about this statement.

Studs are supposed to wear at about the same rate as the tread rubber. That way there is always the proper amount of stud protruding. Tires studded by the factory are done this way - and tires studded by the tire shop are supposed to use the appropriate studs. (They come in different wear rates!) Putting in new studs every winter, not only seems counter productive, but a waste of money.

On the other hand, maybe this was a long time ago - before they paid attention to the wear rates of studs.


Yes. Unfortunately the studs tend to round-off. When that happens, the studs are virtually useless.
 
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