Do you use winter/all-season tyres on your car?

[FB.]

As title:
Do you use winter/all-season tyres on your car?

I'm curious.

[veggiechicken]

I don't change the tyres for winter

[muckdiva]

I used to when I had more of a journey to work but now I just have some of those pull on thingys from Halfords.

One thing about the winter tyres is that you can forget to change them and they wear out very quickly on hot roads - expensive mistake!

[burnie]

My SUV has intermediates on all year as I do go off road all year round.

[Can the Man]

I use the same type of tyres all year round

[Kirk]

Same tyre all year.
Also I recall one person fitted winter tyres, somewher informed his insurers and had his policy cost increased as they counted it as a modification. And he was requested to pay the rate for a modified car.

As he said utterly stupid but to an insurer you have modified the car and I suppose could therefore use it for none standard purposes.

[Bren In Pots]

I use the same type of tyres all year round

Me too, don't think I know anyone who changes theirs.

[Nicos]

A few of our neighbour's change their's as we live in a very hilly area and our roads aren't salted.
We don't change ours...they're too flippin expensive!!!!!

[ESBkevin]

I have a set of winter tyres I used for 3 winters on my Octavia and Carol has winter tyres on her little Clio. Carols son used to be in the trade so swapping cost nothing and you only got to wear out one set of tyres at a time anyway. The timing for the swap is critical, the main difference is the flexibilty of the walls in low temps, once ambient temps creaps up around 8C, winter tyres start to feel 'wallowey" (technical term) but in the cold they definately grip well and typically have deeper tread for snow/wet grip.
BUT modern tyre manufacturing by well known brands has negated the benefits to a degree, so if you have Mitchellin/pirelli/continental etc. tyres with decent depth of tread you may not notice a huge improvement with winter tyres. If you live in the sticks or do huge high speed miles it can't hurt a bit to have winter tyres. There are two benefits, one is to get going in the snow and ice, the other is stopping in the cold and wet. In breaking most of the loss of speed takes place in the final 10%+ of the breaking distance, so going another 10ft means you hit whatever quite hard!
Whatever you do, use the best tyres you can afford, it's all you have between you and the tarmac and being cheap can cost you dearly.

[mrbadexample]

I change mine. After going straight on at an icy corner on my estate and dinking a neighbour’s car some years ago I bought a spare set of wheels and fitted them with winter tyres. I drive a old Volvo S60 which was truly awful in icy or snowy conditions. The difference is remarkable. I’ve had the car 12 years so a worthwhile investment. Takes about half an hour to swap the 4 wheels twice a year.

Of course, they are of little use when the car in front hasn’t got them and it’s blocking your way.

[mothhawk]

I change mine. After going straight on at an icy corner on my estate...

Is that a typo, MBE, or are you landed gentry?

[nickdub]

I live up a steep hill but money is also a factor - so if I can get some winter tyres cheap on Ebay I will swap them on, but if not I'll risk it. Some years we get no snow and you can get around easily on any tyres - some years you are off the road for a few days anyway unless you have a 4x4 or a tractor.

So there are a lot of variables in this, particularly where you live, and how much of a problem it would be if you couldn't drive anywhere for a few days.

[veggiechicken]

^^^^ Same here, nick. I live on a steep hill. If it snows the only traffic to get through are 4 wheel drives and people on skis/toboggans.
I just batten down the hatches, keep the fire lit and stay indoors. Fortunately, I don't have any work commitments that mean I need to travel each day.

[Stan79]

I work with two Germans who both have two sets of wheels for their respective cars... they swap their winter wheels (dark grey/black) with winter tyres onto the car at this time of year and then off and onto their silver alloys with summer tyres on at some point in the spring. They swear that it makes a difference.

We live in the middle of nowhere and in the snow at the start of the year i wish i'd had a set to try... but we bought a 4x4 a at the end of last year in case it snowed and that was great with summer tyres on it so there seems little point having the faff of winter tyres on my car. I will just buy a 4x4 when my estate car needs to be moved on... its only done 125000 miles so far so a while to go yet!

[FB.]

I work with two Germans who both have two sets of wheels for their respective cars... they swap their winter wheels (dark grey/black) with winter tyres onto the car at this time of year and then off and onto their silver alloys with summer tyres on at some point in the spring. They swear that it makes a difference.

We live in the middle of nowhere and in the snow at the start of the year i wish i'd had a set to try... but we bought a 4x4 a at the end of last year in case it snowed and that was great with summer tyres on it so there seems little point having the faff of winter tyres on my car. I will just buy a 4x4 when my estate car needs to be moved on... its only done 125000 miles so far so a while to go yet!

Quote from video:
Two BMW X1 vehicles, one is front wheel drive with winter tyres, and one four wheel drive with summer tyres fitted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atayHQYqA3g