Snow Tires

Do you need Snow Tires for your UTV?

With winter fast approaching, it’s time to get your ride ready for cold weather. One thing many people consider is the benefit of having snow tires for their machine. While snow tires may give you an edge on freshly fallen snow or unmarked trails, most UTVs will do just fine on snow packed trails or heavily ridden areas. If you only use your UTV occasionally during the winter, good all terrain tires or mud tires will get you through the winter. However, if you ride heavily all year, live in places where it is really snowy or are using your UTV for your livelihood, you may want to consider a nice set of snow tires.

 

Pros

There are some definite advantages to using snow tires if you ride a lot in the winter. When you’re in deep snow, you want to stay on top of it. You don’t want to dig in or make a hole. In many ways it’s like riding on sand. Wide tires with paddles usually work well. Whereas deeply lugged tires usually dig too deep. Snow tires usually are made of softer rubber than other tires, which help them grip the ice and snow more efficiently.

 

Cons

There are also some setbacks to consider when looking into snow tires. First you’ll have to change your tires every spring and fall. This can be inconvenient and it can be a bit risky. You don’t want to damage your beads during the mounting process. It may be worth it to get an extra set of rims, which brings us to our second drawback. Snow tires are expensive. Again, if you’re not planning on riding much, consider all terrain tires. Not very many manufacturers make snow tires, so your options may be limited.

 

Options

Here are a few choices to consider. Many of these are all terrain tires that work well in other conditions, but that excel in the snow.

 

• KENDA BEAR CLAW TIRE https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/1448/5375/Kenda-Bear-Claw-Tire These tires have paddle-like tread that’s not too deep, and the tires are available in 12-inch widths. This makes them pretty good in the snow.

 

• MAXXIS BIGHORN RADIAL https://www.maxxis.com/catalog/tire-16-110-bighorn-radial# These all-terrain tires are popular for mountain trail riding year-round. They make good snow tires because their tread pattern, size and shape give them good snow performance.

 

• INTERCO AQ-02 – AQUA TORQUE TIRE https://www.powersportsid.com/interco/aqua-torque-tire-mpn-aq-02.html Traction in mud, snow and sand is fantastic with this tire and even with the aggressive design the tires give a smooth ride. The paddle tread is great in the snow.

 

• ITP HOLESHOT HD https://www.itptires.com/products/product-detail/productname/holeshot-hd These tires have a stepped shoulder knob design that helps them perform well in the snow.

 

• SEDONA BUZZ SAW RT https://www.sedonatires.com/product/buzz-saw-rt-tire/212389 These tires have a tread design that is similar to a paddle design. They also have good width that can help your machine stay moving atop the snow.