Blizzaks for my Snowblower?

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Why is it that snowblowers do not have real ice/snow tires on them from the factory? All the snowblower tires I have seen have tread designs that look like they are made for mud, not snow and ice. I have not seen a snowblower tire tread design that looks anything like that on an automotive winter tire.

I may just put some carbide studs in my snowblower mud tires. But at over a dollar per stud, the cost can add up fast.

The tires on my 24" Sno-Tek dig through the snow satisfactorily, but when they touch the icy surface below, traction is poor, especially going uphill.

Here are some studs I found with a search.
http://www.maxigripstore.com/maxigrip-ice-studs-hm11/

Anybody here use studs on their snowblower tires? How did they perform? Any downsides other than cost?
 
I've never seen studs for snowblower tires. My dad sold Ariens and John Deere snowblowers for many years and typically sold each new unit with a set of chains. Those who didn't initially buy the chains were back after the first snow fall to get them. I use them on my 30+ year old Ariens model 724 and they are very effective.
 
Little hex head sheet metal screws worked wonders on my ATV for plowing the pond. I just put short ones into the lugs so that they wouldn't penetrate into the belts. No need for hardened metal on ice with a snow blower, you won't wear the cheap screws out in a decade. Put them in with the tire warm so you can sink them in a little and get a little tension on the rubber so they won't back out. I even run them on the tractor, just up a few sizes and even they don't wear too much, even ground into gravel with 3 tons on them.
I suppose if you like them, you could glue them in, I take them out in the spring.
 
I've never seen studs on a snowblower, only chains. Doesn't mean you couldn't do studs though I guess. I would not use studs or the V-Bar type chains if you have a nice driveway surface, they will scratch the [censored] out of it.
 
My 24" 2-stage will hardly move on the east coast without chains, that includes my boots LOL I was lucky and found some used chains for the small tires on eBay. When it comes to studs in those small tires, it may be labor intensive in correlation to the selling price to a manufacturer. It also limits an up-sell of a $100 set of chains.
 
The tires that come with snowblowers today are called "Snow Hogs" and are supposed to be for snow,and not dirt like the old "Turf Saver" tires the old ones had.At least that's what the Chinese makers (Carlisle?) claim.
Use chains at all times,though.
 
I have the "snow hog" tires on my 15+ year old snapper 2 stage snowblower, and have a large area of gravel driveway/parking lot that I clean with it, and am careful to not scrape down so low as to throw gravel, and it works great. When my older snowblowers had the turf type tires, I needed chains, but haven't used or missed the chains since the new (15 years ago) snowblower.
 
Originally Posted By: Sluggo0018
I've never seen studs for snowblower tires. My dad sold Ariens and John Deere snowblowers for many years and typically sold each new unit with a set of chains. Those who didn't initially buy the chains were back after the first snow fall to get them. I use them on my 30+ year old Ariens model 724 and they are very effective.


Will chains scar a concrete driveway?
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Why is it that snowblowers do not have real ice/snow tires on them from the factory? All the snowblower tires I have seen have tread designs that look like they are made for mud, not snow and ice. I have not seen a snowblower tire tread design that looks anything like that on an automotive winter tire.

I may just put some carbide studs in my snowblower mud tires. But at over a dollar per stud, the cost can add up fast.

The tires on my 24" Sno-Tek dig through the snow satisfactorily, but when they touch the icy surface below, traction is poor, especially going uphill.

Here are some studs I found with a search.
http://www.maxigripstore.com/maxigrip-ice-studs-hm11/

Anybody here use studs on their snowblower tires? How did they perform? Any downsides other than cost?


Don't mess around. Just get chains.
 
Never had a need for chains or studs on any snowblower I've ever used. Wouldn't want them anyway as I'm sure that scratch the concrete with any wheel spin. Since there is no differential on mine, the tires slide or spin anytime you turn it. I also seal my concrete so ice and pack snow generally peels right off of it, and make a point of not driving on or packing the snow in as much as possible. It means keeping up with every little dusting, but thats OK.

The tractors at work with chains for clearing the sidewalks gouge the sidewalk pretty good every winter.
 
Does the snowblower have enough weight on the tires to make the studs dig into the ice and grip?

My fights with a snowblower have only been on gravel drives and not in icy conditions. Sure is a workout!
 
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