Nokian winter tires

[Thunder chicken]

Anyone running Nokian tires (tyres)?! There are 2 different tread patterns, one with extra siping for ice and one without. A friend has a similar tread on a pay loader and likes them. I have R1’s on my rig now but really don’t need the ag tire traction for my use. R4’s would likely do me ok, but I do use the machine all winter on icy roads here and think the Nokian would offer the best traction on snow/ice and a nice ride in the summer. The R1’s are horrible on snowy roads, even in 4wd. Chains are not an option! I do a lot of road travel pulling a dump trailer.
Thanks for any advice

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That is probably the best tire out there, they are not cheap but they work extremely well!

A lot of people use the same tire on there autos for mountain driving.

Your not going to want to run that tire in the spring, summer and fall, they are too soft of a tire and you will just wear them out to quick.

 

[JeffL]

Ran the auto version on wife's VW when I was in Michigan. Best snows in my opinion. Little car was unstoppable.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Never heard of them around here. Run Firestone Winterforce Radials on both buggies year around. Great tires. Wear long, good traction in snow, mud and dry pavement. Firestone R1's on both tractors.

 

[200mph]

Is this the tire you're referring too?

https://www.nokiantyres.com/heavy/tires/tire/nokian-hakkapeliitta-tri/

It looks like it would be a great choice for cold winter conditions.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Is this the tire you're referring too?

https://www.nokiantyres.com/heavy/tires/tire/nokian-hakkapeliitta-tri/

It looks like it would be a great choice for cold winter conditions.

Tread pattern is exactly what we have on our new Kubota GS850 side by side.

 

[Thunder chicken]

That***8217;s for the insight so far.
Yes that link is what I***8217;m looking at. There is the NOKIAN TRI, which is the same as the NOKIAN HAKKAPELIITTA TRI without the extra siping.
Being on pavement lots is not ideal for any tire I guess but the R1***8217;s are useless here in the winter on the road. We get packed snow and -30 here. Working in snow they are not bad but the packed roads are slippery, especially with a loaded trailer pushing you down a hill!

 

[200mph]

Thunder Chicken,

Have you priced out what a set of 4 tires (& maybe wheels) will cost? I'm assuming they make the tires in sizes that fit your tractor.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That***8217;s for the insight so far.
Yes that link is what I***8217;m looking at. There is the NOKIAN TRI, which is the same as the NOKIAN HAKKAPELIITTA TRI without the extra siping.
Being on pavement lots is not ideal for any tire I guess but the R1***8217;s are useless here in the winter on the road. We get packed snow and -30 here. Working in snow they are not bad but the packed roads are slippery, especially with a loaded trailer pushing you down a hill!

Winter pavement is not as hard on them as summer pavement is.

And the Hakkapeliitta is so worth the extra for the siping!

 

[Thunder chicken]

Thunder Chicken,

Have you priced out what a set of 4 tires (& maybe wheels) will cost? I'm assuming they make the tires in sizes that fit your tractor.

I just got a price back, on the TRI 2 version. (Not siped). For a set of 4, about $6500cdn for just the rubber. That’s a lot of snow to plow to make that worth it! I can stay in my yard once the snow comes for that kind of coin, for the amount of work I’d be missing out on. Once the R1’s are wore out, it’ll be an option, but that’s a ways away at a couple hundred hrs a year.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I just got a price back, on the TRI 2 version. (Not siped). For a set of 4, about $6500cdn for just the rubber. That’s a lot of snow to plow to make that worth it! I can stay in my yard once the snow comes for that kind of coin, for the amount of work I’d be missing out on. Once the R1’s are wore out, it’ll be an option, but that’s a ways away at a couple hundred hrs a year.

Just sipe your R4's, several on here have done it and reported great improvement.

 

[ItBmine]

Ran the auto version on wife's VW when I was in Michigan. Best snows in my opinion. Little car was unstoppable.

The Nokian's seem to be a very good winter tire for tractors and loaders. But I put a set of Nokian Nordsman's on my wifes Jetta last winter and I have now switched back to Michelin X-Ice. They are far superior.
Even a set I ran all summer still perform better than the NEW Nokian's.

Funny thing about the Michelin X-Ice. I pulled a razor blade size piece of steel out of one and listened to the air leaking. I took it to tire shop for repair, they could not find a leak and I still have that tire sitting here from 3 years ago and it has not lost a pound of air? LOL.

 

[Thunder chicken]

Just sipe your R4's, several on here have done it and reported great improvement.

I’ll take a look, thanks. However, i have R1’s. I’m not sure extra siping in the tread lugs would do much for traction on snow packed roads, but ya never know I guess!

 

[BAP]

Look at other brands. Many are making Radials that look more like a cross between a turf tire and Ag tire that do well in snow and mud. Many payloaders and backhoes are using them. I was skeptical at first about them, but when we bought a loader with them on, it was amazing how much better they did over R4 tires.