WeissSock snow socks

Atomic Pineapple

Anybody ever use these?

They dont look like much but if they do as they claim they may be handy if we experience a winter as bad as last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1xjo3FU0fU

http://www.snowchains.co.uk/main/weisssock.htm#

tipptom

Think a lot of people are saying if you have rear wheel drive you may need the four done,for me its a little to expensive then for an experiment.

biko

From Pistonheads about BMW/Merc.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=45&t=793651&nmt=Snow%20Socks

Price aprox 70 GBP with cheaper knock-offs available on ebay.

TestTransmission

I'm considering a pair of these as I'll be doing a good bit of early morning driving over Decemeber/January due to work.Was there a previous thread on these last week here?

vibe666

i was seriously contemplating getting some for my pajero.

i got a bit of a scare last year as my 4WD was out of commission (which left me with a rear wheel drive jeep) and i've been looking at something to have in the car in case it gets really bad and those 'snowsocks' look perfect.

i got great traction in 4WD the year before when it was snowing and spent quite a bit of time pulling stuck cars up hills and out of ditches etc. but last year was really bad and i think i could have done with more than just the 4WD (even tho i didn't actually have it) when it was really bad.

BlackWizard

Anyone know of any cheap knock offs?

I've been putting this off for weeks now but the weather is getting colder. They'll take two weeks to deliver so we'll be in December by then.

Need to get 4 cause of the car being rear wheel drive. Otherwise I wouldn't be so penny pinching. Sure even the knock offs must be better than normal tyres?

I remember my Dad using a blanket once to get his car out of trouble. Same idea basically, so I know it works.

listermint

Last year I put x2 200 Litre bags of compost in the boot of the E46 and took it handy. I suffered no problems.

Snow socks.... I dont think we have the necessary climate for the extreme.

BlackWizard

Even if they get me home from work once a year safely I don't mind. They can be kept for years. I don't plan on keeping compost in my boot all the time But it would work I guess.

Last time we had snow I got caught out 3 times. Spent over 4 hours sitting on that N4. I seen a few Mercs and BMWs completely struggling to get up the most minor hill. My car is automatic too which won't help my cause.

I think in Ireland they are for the "oh ****" moments we get once a year and not a seasonal thing.

Anan1

biko wrote: »

From Pistonheads about BMW/Merc:

wrote:

I also carry a shovel, tow rope, blanket, water bottle, jerry can of petrol, de-icer, bottle of champagne and expensive chocolate:

vibe666

listermint wrote: »

Snow socks.... I dont think we have the necessary climate for the extreme.

i take it you were out of the country last winter then? atrocious weather for weeks, plus a lack of sufficient grit (or gritters) = lots of accidents and roads like ice rinks.

i don't think anyone is suggesting that you drive everywhere on them all winter, but there were several times last winter when i would have been a lot happier with more traction crawling home at sub 20km/h speeds in thick snow slipping all over the road, and these do the job cheaply and easily.

maybe you live somewhere where the gritter lorries were out 24/7 for the whole winter, but a lot of us don't and i'm sure we'd much rather make it from A to B on those necessary journeys in relative safety.

Ush1

I'm interested in these aswell. Also, does having a heavy load in the car really help with traction that much?

Matt Simis

Ush1 wrote: »

I'm interested in these aswell. Also, does having a heavy load in the car really help with traction that much?

Makes it easier to get rolling but harder to stop and control a spin, so IMO, not really a total solution like proper Tyres (and not socks) are. I was in an AWD 2.6ton car on Summer tyres in Winter 2 years ago and it was extremely hard to take roundabouts and stop, but very very easy to pull away when everyone else was stuck.

I would presume AWD/4WD vehicles need Socks on all wheels too. And um, Socks cost more than Part Worn winter tyres... still dont see the attraction.

Ush1

Matt Simis wrote: »

Makes it easier to get rolling but harder to stop and control a spin, so IMO, not really a total solution like proper Tyres (and not socks) are. I was in an AWD 2.6ton car on Summer tyres in Winter 2 years ago and it was extremely hard to take roundabouts and stop, but very very easy to pull away when everyone else was stuck.

I would presume AWD/4WD vehicles need Socks on all wheels too. And um, Socks cost more than Part Worn winter tyres... still dont see the attraction.

Well I'd be more wary of not being able to stop than not being able to take off so I'll give the compost bags a miss I reckon.

Matt Simis

Ush1 wrote: »

Well I'd be more wary of not being able to stop than not being able to take off so I'll give the compost bags a miss I reckon.

Well, if you have a fast RWD car, Id still put weight in the boot. Loosing the tail of the car is unpredictable, but for braking you have some element of control on how slow or fast you are going.

Del2005

Matt Simis wrote: »

. And um, Socks cost more than Part Worn winter tyres... still dont see the attraction.

Socks are easier to store then 4 tyres!

shaunsweb

Question: I have a rear wheel drive merc and am getting a set of those Weissenfel winter socks on Saturday. Do i need to buy 4 or would I get away with 2?

thanks in advance for your help

R.O.R

shaunsweb wrote: »

Question: I have a rear wheel drive merc and am getting a set of those Weissenfel winter socks on Saturday. Do i need to buy 4 or would I get away with 2?

thanks in advance for your help

Only on the driven wheels, or so I understand.

What size tyres are they to go on?

biko

As I understand it - you need four.
2 to steer (fronts) and 2 on the driving wheels (rears).
FWD just need 2 as the same wheels are used for steering and driving.

R.O.R

R.O.R wrote: »

Only on the driven wheels, or so I understand.

What size tyres are they to go on?

biko wrote: »

As I understand it - you need four.
2 to steer (fronts) and 2 on the driving wheels (rears).
FWD just need 2 as the same wheels are used for steering and driving.

2 different answers to the same question

Your answer makes sense biko, but if you check the film in draffodx's OP at around 1.27 you'll see a glimpse of a 3 series with socks only on the back wheels.

mullingar

Here is a 10% discount code for snow socks I used on Micks Garage:

http://www.iloveshopping.ie/retailers/micks_garage/offers/10-off-snow-socks.html

MGSNOW048

I got a pair delivered for around €68.

Tabnabs

Thanks mullingar, just ordered a pair with that discount.

Victor Meldrew

R.O.R wrote: »

2 different answers to the same question

Your answer makes sense biko, but if you check the film in draffodx's OP at around 1.27 you'll see a glimpse of a 3 series with socks only on the back wheels.

I have just ordered a pair.

I've used full snow chains on the rear wheels only of a Chevy Trailblazer a few years back and they were fine. Noisy, but fine. And easy. on serious snow.

So I'd imagine a pair of socks the back of a BMW would do the job just fine.

As for automatics, our FWD renault auto (no traction control) saw us through last winter when the manual volvo (Dynamic Skid control system) was annoying and useless. Nothing in it on the tyre front,

Haggis The Dog

just posted on another thread...saw some snow socks in B&Q liffey this moning for 69.95...do you think they are worth getting?

loughan

As a "get me home" option I'd recommend a pair, I had to use in the north last February. No problems on 4" snow until I got to clean motorway. They were cut up a bit though (10%) - not sure how they'd last on intermittent snow / ice on road. Excellent for pulling off on snow, even with hand brake on to test traction.

Fr0g

Are there any issues with having winter tyres all year round? I don't want 2 sets and I need to replace two tyres now anyway.

loughan

I ordered a set of Nokian WR G2 yesterday on net, they seem to have a good reputation for current weather conditions and are excellent in rain. I needed tyres anyway so I figured it was worth a punt, €20 premium each over "Summer tyres" I have a long daily commute over mixed roads so I'm hoping they arrive soon.

Derby47

Got to use these snow socks on my car yesterday, fwd, worked great for me, no wheelspin, no issues, ordered them just in time from uk last week. I wasn't able to get home for a week earlier this year so needed these or a 4wd!

MayoForSam

Thanks for the discount code up above, just bought a pair from micksgarage for €69. My missus is very wary of travelling on the local roads as they are lethal in spots, hopefully these plus a few 40kg bags of coal in the boot will reduce the risks.

This cold spell is going to be around for a while and as it's only November, the snow socks might just prove to be a good investment for the rest of the winter.

Matt Simis

Fr0g wrote: »

Are there any issues with having winter tyres all year round? I don't want 2 sets and I need to replace two tyres now anyway.

Just grab a cheap set of alloys or steel wheels and get a smaller set of winters (cheaper) for the winter period. That way you will get far longer life from both sets of wheels (saving you money).

You can run Winters all year here, but you will take excessive wear in Summer and some people report poor handling on smaller, narrower sets in the hotter summer temps (not me as i have wide 18" Winters).

Philip42

I'm thinking of getting a set of these for the missus..how long are they likely to last? I'm talking about the snow socks...I hear a lot of "get you home" option for them..does this mean they get you home once and then they're Donald Ducked? I wouldn't see that as good value! 70 quid for a couple of days..a full priced pair of winter tyres would surely make more sense?

cjmcork

used my snow socks for the first time this morning, gotta say they are the job - a pain in the butt to take off (lost a nail down to the bone - so ladies with fake nails and nice manicures should steer clear).........wondering if you could leave them on overnight instead of going through the taking them on and off rig-ma-role...........

shaunsweb

Got my Snow Socks on Saturday and drove around Wexford Town trying to find a hill that my car would not go up. Couldn't find a hill. They were excellent and my car negoatiated the toughest of roads with worst snow on them with no problem at all.

Then drove to Dublin this morning. Got as far as the Ashford bypass and had to remove them because they shredded (after 2 days usage).

Moral of the story is; they are good for small journeys but for daily commute of a few hundred miles, they may have a very short lifespan.

Matt Simis

shaunsweb wrote: »

Got my Snow Socks on Saturday and drove around Wexford Town trying to find a hill that my car would not go up. Couldn't find a hill. They were excellent and my car negoatiated the toughest of roads with worst snow on them with no problem at all.

Then drove to Dublin this morning. Got as far as the Ashford bypass and had to remove them because they shredded (after 2 days usage).

Moral of the story is; they are good for small journeys but for daily commute of a few hundred miles, they may have a very short lifespan.

What brand are they and do they have a Mileage rating? My gripe with Socks has always been the very situational and temporary nature of them, you cannot predict when you need them and they arent designed for driving about on, but even Im surprised we already have a report of them falling apart.

R.O.R

They are only supposed to be used on Snow. When you get to clear tarmac then they need to be removed, or they'll shred.

mullingar

...and they are only designed to go 50 kmph max!

Stevie Dakota

shaunsweb wrote: »

Then drove to Dublin this morning. Got as far as the Ashford bypass and had to remove them because they shredded (after 2 days usage).

Did they not come with instructions? I don't think the fault lies with the socks here!

R.O.R

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Did they not come with instructions? I don't the fault lies with the socks here!

Pertinent parts being:

Safely drive: do not exceed 50km/h, do not make sudden accelerations or stops.

The use on carriage without snow it is the cause of rapid deterioration of the device and has a negative influence on the behaviour of the vehicle.


I suspect Google translate has brought us the above gems, direct from the original Italian

MarkoC

Im glad finally people giving feedback about this magic product, because most people here thought that the socks will replace the winter tyres

They are only for extreme conditions where you really got stucked. Get winter tyres !

opinion guy

MarkoC wrote: »

Im glad finally people giving feedback about this magic product, because most people here thought that the socks will replace the winter tyres

They are only for extreme conditions where you really got stucked. Get winter tyres !

Ok I will. Send me a some money to buy them with please!

MarkoC

opinion guy wrote: »

Ok I will. Send me a some money to buy them with please!

WHAT ?

In Estonia where the average wages are 3-4 x smaller, unempoyed ppl geting only 60 euros a MONTH and no rent allowance people mahage to buy winter tyres and have to fit them every year, and then you coming here to ask money from ME for your own safety ?

What the hell is wrong with people like you ?

Go ahead, buy 4 paair of sock during 2 months, winter tyres will last you at least 2-3 winters and will come out cheaper !

peltor

Sorry guys its spikes-spider for me, tried them out tonight on experiment as i will be selling these where a 4WD and a tractor failed (steep up hill extremly icey with a sharp left hand bend near top) Have to say very surprised with grip went up no bother on 08 Avensis. when on dry road 30 seconds off into boot and on my way, pricey but very happy . Will be making you tube video tomorrow to show people

peltor

MarkoC wrote: »

WHAT ? winter tyres will last you at least 2-3 winters and will come out cheaper !

People in Switzerland have the same set of spikes spider for over 25 years hard to beat that

TouchingVirus

MarkoC wrote: »

WHAT ?

In Estonia where the average wages are 3-4 x smaller, unempoyed ppl geting only 60 euros a MONTH and no rent allowance people mahage to buy winter tyres and have to fit them every year, and then you coming here to ask money from ME for your own safety ?

What the hell is wrong with people like you ?

Go ahead, buy 4 paair of sock during 2 months, winter tyres will last you at least 2-3 winters and will come out cheaper !

Price for these tyres? Price for fitting these tyres?

There's nothing "wrong" with opinion_guy, he's just expressing a (valid) point that some people are choosing the socks because they cannot afford a full set of winters (~€200-€300 not including fitting which could be €80). Estonia and Ireland, apples and oranges.

MarkoC

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Price for these tyres? Price for fitting these tyres?

There's nothing "wrong" with opinion_guy, he's just expressing a (valid) point that some people are choosing the socks because they cannot afford a full set of winters (~€200-€300 not including fitting which could be €80).

Well, depends of the tyre size, good 14" tyres 260 delivered + 60 yoyos fitting makes it 320, spare steel wheels or cheap sec hand alloys, not more than 100 quid and you can drive like you normally do every day in summer time. I know its hard to understand if you have no experiences with these things.
About 400 yoyos investment is at least 3 years investment in Ireland for your own, your family and therefor also other drivers safety. If bigger car and wheels it comes out about 6-700 eur imvestment if you want to keep the tyres on spare wheels.

Ok i make a quick comparison here.

Play football on the gravel without socks, painful right ? Same is for the car driving with summer tires on ice.
Now put socks on and play again football on the gravel, way better right ? not so painful anymore but still slow and the socks wont last long, exact same with these socks advertised here for cars.

So put on the right shoes and roll on

gerire

I want to point out that the main time i use the roads is either at 5am on the way to start work at 6 or at 6 am and on the way home.

so the 2 worst times to be on the road.

On friday night after a night shift a 20 minute journey took 50 minutes. LETS GET T|HIS STRAIGHT I ONLY DROVE TO GET HOME.

After a sleep i bought the snow socks

On saturday driving to work at 10 with no socks i had 3 bad slips sideways. During my nightshift i put on my soocks. Snd left work on very bad roads at 6. i made the same trip as the night before with a trip half way up the dublin mountain with a grateful colleague and still less than the night before....

This was a great purchase imo.

i left on sunday night, dodgy back roads to sstart, a load of n11 - m50, yeah the road was ok but just keep it under the limit and you'll be grand.

For the bloke who has seen the socks wearing away. WTF how far are you driving and on what type of roads?

TouchingVirus

MarkoC wrote: »

Well, depends of the tyre size, good 14" tyres 260 delivered + 60 yoyos fitting makes it 320, spare steel wheels or cheap sec hand alloys, not more than 100 quid and you can drive like you normally do every day in summer time. I know its hard to understand if you have no experiences with these things.
About 400 yoyos investment is at least 3 years investment in Ireland for your own, your family and therefor also other drivers safety. If bigger car and wheels it comes out about 6-700 eur imvestment if you want to keep the tyres on spare wheels.

Ok i make a quick comparison here.

Play football on the gravel without socks, painful right ? Same is for the car driving with summer tires on ice.
Now put socks on and play again football on the gravel, way better right ? not so painful anymore but still slow and the socks wont last long, exact same with these socks advertised here for cars.

So put on the right shoes and roll on

A needless point to make, I never said socks were better than winter tyres. It's all about the money, if we all had money to burn we'd all be driving on winters. If we were used to this snow and ice malarky we'd be buying winters and budgeting for them where necessary.

Road users in Ireland are really only reaching the stage now where we realise it'd be a damn fine idea to drive on winters in ..Winter! Just look at how hard they are to find from stockists here, a lot of people don't sell them. So when one comes to the realisation that winter tyres would be marvellous, what's not so marvellous is the €320+ cost associated with the initial outlay. Sure, it's for 4 years and that works out at €80 a year, but that doesn't help you in year 1 when suddenly you've to find an extra €320+ from somewhere. Finding an extra €70 for Winter Socks though..that's doable for most people.

MarkoC

TouchingVirus wrote: »

Finding an extra €70 for Winter Socks though..that's doable for most people.

You see, heres my point, local people think here that the socks will replace the winter tyres and driving on them all day long, so in that case the socks will last only couple days if even that and if we have 2 months dangerous winter icey and snowy time, how many pairs of socs we need ? Overall its all up to people themselves. Weird thing here is that most people trying to go for cheapest option which actually comes out dearer.
We used to say, im not so rich to buy cheap crap
Just read the feedback about the socks and winter tyres and the choice is yours, simpel

TouchingVirus

MarkoC wrote: »

You see, heres my point, local people think here that the socks will replace the winter tyres and driving on them all day long, so in that case the socks will last only couple days if even that and if we have 2 months dangerous winter icey and snowy time, how many pairs of socs we need ? Overall its all up to people themselves. Weird thing here is that most people trying to go for cheapest option which actually comes out dearer.

I dunno about you, but if I spent €70 on a pair of socks and they shredded I wouldn't be so quick to buy another pair.

Just read the feedback about the socks and winter tyres and the choice is yours, simpel

Once again you seem to think I'm under the illusion the winter tyres are inferior to socks. I can't really be clearer, I agree with you. However you seem to be of the opinion that it's as simple as going to an ATM, pulling out €320+ and getting the job done. For most people it isn't, money is limited and socks will get them out of a fix.

Some people will stick with the socks, you're already beat the drum about winter tyres in here so why not just leave it out? Your point is made, but you need to realise people will still choose the socks because it is what they can afford right now.

Knine

So have had a very quick read through the thread and just had a few questions

If I go out and get winter tyres, do I have to take them off again in the summer? how do they help you out in the snow/ice?

Do all tyre places stock them or are they difficult to get?

The few times I have been driving in the snow has scared the hell out of me.......:eek:

cjmcork

as above, questions re snow tyres - can you use them for long journeys (repeated Cork / Dublin???)

Anan1

Knine wrote: »

So have had a very quick read through the thread and just had a few questions

If I go out and get winter tyres, do I have to take them off again in the summer?

Yes, the easiest thing is to mount them on a second set of wheels.

Knine wrote: »

how do they help you out in the snow/ice?:

They grip much better

Knine wrote: »

Do all tyre places stock them or are they difficult to get?

I bought online, but there are people selling part-worn ones here.