Here is an account of a heating, ventilation, and cooling contractor who solved a problem by switching to Falken WildPeak all-terrain tires.
During this past winter in New England, the weather was wicked. Rather than dumping snow, our storms here in the Metro West area of Boston tended to be an inch or two of frozen slush, sleet, or straight-up ice. For heating contractors who have to arrive on site regardless of the weather conditions, getting work vans up and down steep driveways like mine was a constant problem.
HVAC contractor and business owner Taylor Christie has three work vans, one of which he himself drives every day. Given that the vans are basically one-wheel drive, he needed a way to gain traction. “The all-season tires were just not cutting it,” Mr. Christie told Torque News. “On any sort of icy or compressed snow surface, I was spinning my wheels, putting my vans at risk.” In past years, Mr. Christie would either tough out the winters on new all-season tires or swap to winter rubber. “Swapping became a hassle. Time is money, and I am straight out with work all year round,” he told us.
Then a tire retailer suggested that he try Falken’s new WildPeak A/T tire. The Falken WildPeak A/T earns scores of 9.1 for Light Snow Traction, 8.9 for Deep Snow Traction, 8.2 for Ice Traction, and an overall rating of “Excellent” in Winter/Snow. The WildPeak A/T3W earns the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, denoting the tire’s severe snow duty rating.
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Mr. Christie reports that the tires made a big difference on snow and ice. “These tires were a lot better in winter, and best of all, I can use them year-round without the hassles of swapping twice a year from all-season to winter rubber,” reports Mr. Christie.
Unlike most winter tires, the WildPeak A/T tires score very well for comfort and noise, earning an 8.9 score for Ride Quality and a respectable 8.2 for Noise from Tire Rack.
Contractors looking for a tire that can get them to and from a job site safely, regardless of the road conditions, would be wise to check out a new-generation all-terrain tire.
Note: This story is not an advertisement. No compensation from the tire manufacturer or retailer mentioned in the story was provided to Torque News. The tires mentioned in the story were paid for in full by Mr. Christie. They are not samples.
John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can follow John on Twitter, and TikTok @ToknCars, and view his credentials at Linkedin
Images of Falken WildPeak A/T tires courtesy of Taylor Christie.