Winterforce tires

[old farmer]

Hello, I was looking at Winterforce tires on the net. People like them and the price is good too. The reviews I read were all on the tire seller's site, so a tad biased maybe. Do any of you have these tires, and how are they? Opinions please!

 

[obbop]

http://www.epinions.com/pr-Tires-Winterforce_M_S_Tire/display_~reviews Four reviews over in the neighborhood above. I've used them for two winters. Both winters were unusually mild with much less snow and ice than average so it is hard to rate them. I did drive a bit on some snow and ice and the tires seemed to hold the road well. Of course, on really slick ice you have to keep the speed way down and I did. Four Winterforces on a 4x4 long-bed truck. 350 pounds of sand over the rear axle. Seemed to provide adequate grip though I do not rush when road conditions are sub-par or bad. Braking felt good as did acceleration. The Winterforce tires are "directional" with an arrow on the side to show how to mount them on the vehicle. Tread pattern looked aggressive, as if they would "bite' the snow well and there is enough width to the tread so the snow is tossed out of the tread to assist in maximizing traction. Lots of little snipes that are supposed to assist in ice traction though the Blizzaks are said to be superior on ice. Having driven on ice so slick that 5 mph was too fast I will never trust a tire fully to provide more than bare minimum traction on the really slick stuff. These tire are studdable though I seldom see folks outside the most rural areas using studs anymore. Nice to have the ability to stud if your needs/demands/laws allow it. For the price I paid (forget the exact price but was less than many other local snow tire offerings) I believe they are a good value. THey go on around a month before the first expected "real" snow and come off around 2 to 3 weeks after the chances for a last "real" snow fall. The tires work well enough for my needs on dry roads. I don't hot rod or push the envelope... just loaf along, taking my time, more of a Zen-like driver than the constant rush rush rush of the masses. Thus, my tires do not have to offer the bestest this and that to keep my conveyance in an upright position. No complaints here. With two winter season's wear the tires look almost new. The tread IS kinda' soft, as it should be to assist in snow and ice driving. This softness does allow faster wear but, as I stated, I poke along thus maximizing tread life. I expect at least 3 or 4 more year's use out of these tires, perhaps more. Can't think of any negatives. I bought 4 steel wheels just for these tires so they do not undergo the stress of yearly mounts and dismounts. This adds to longevity.

 

[jmacmaster]

Its an excellent snow tire, especially when studded. It gets mostly very good reviews on tirerack.com.

 

[rjundi]

They're abysmal on wet and dry pavement. However snow they work decently for a winter tire.

 

[jmacmaster]

quote:

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Originally posted by rjundi: They're abysmal on wet and dry pavement. However snow they work decently for a winter tire.

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And on what do you base this statement? It is not at all supported by the numerous reviews of the tire on tirerack.com. Have you used this tire? Snow tires, as a group of tire, will not give you dry pavement and wet pavement traction that summer tires, or even all-season tires, will. Its a trade-off. But then, you don't run snow tires in the late spring to early fall. You can't have it all. That's why you only run snow tires in the winter. Think about what you're saying before you spout off. In addition to which, I've run some snow tires all year long and have gotten adequate warm weather traction.

 

[williar]

They seem to me to be great in deep snow, and very good on packed/ice. And half the price of the Haakpelitta (sp) 2s. I'm planning to buy a set soon for my Audi.

 

[Brikhead]

I'll be entering my 3rd Winter season w/Winterforces(non-studded)on my Volvo. I have about 15k miles on this set and there's still plenty of tread left. They're OK for a non-performance Winter tire. So far, I've only encountered 1 snow/ice covered hill that I couldn't climb. If I had studs it would probably be a different story. They are a bit ~<i>NOISY</i>~ on dry roads....enough noise for me to be yearning for my ultra-quiet Yoko Avid Tourings by the end of March. But they handle wet roads about the same as my Yokos, which isn't saying much.

 

[Thatwouldbegreat]

Studded Winterforce are good for the money, and perform quite well in snow and ice for the first 8K to 10K, then they lose winter performance quickly. I also notice they often start to wear the outside treadblocks after 10K. They also spit studs at that mileage. They are still driveable as an all season tire for another 10K max. I have used them on 2 Subaru Outbacks, A Honda Element, A BMW 325ES, A Chevy K1500 pickup with snowplow, a Chevy Corsica. I have used Brisgestone Blizzaks, Nokian Hakka 1'a with studs, and Gislaved Nordfrost with studs. I like the Nokians and Blizzaks best. The Winterforce are quite good for the price, but they are not a super bargain because they wear somewhat quickly.