If your talking truck tires , Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs are the best tires I've ever owned . Winter driving is amazing with these tires . I live 5 minutes from the South Bend , In Tire Rack , we have gotten blasted with snow and cold the last 2 winters . Wrangler Duratracs will be the only tire ever put on my F150.

 

I bought my first set of winter tires at Roadway wholesale tire about 2 years ago and its a performing very well. I agree with you that Toyo open country Mt/at2 very suitable tires for winter because it's a solid on-road performance with extra ground allowance.

 

I am a firm believer in snow tires. I used to DD my truck with M/Ts, Got me where I was going in winter, but it was sketchy. I since had a couple 4cyl commuter cars for DD duties and my goal is to keep the truck garaged in winter if I can. I put my car in a ditch once because someone stopped short then went moving again, I gently went into the brakes but the car kept sliding so it was a slow-motion ditching. After that I put a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks and damn they were amazing. My 4cyl car got me up hills and everywhere else in the snow slush and did so safely. Best of all my truck stayed out of the salt.

 

Well, I'm Old School, so I will continue to say "Snow Tires", LOL...Just like "Harvesting" a Deer? or game in general? Crap on that, the first time I heard that I almost....well, "Bagged" my Deer, "Bagged" my limit works just fine for me. OK, rant over, LOL. I remember when I was small my Dad always used Studded Snow tires during the winter. And I continue that tradition today. I remember our old '74 Ranchero. Dad would literally plow out of the driveway when it got deep. And he would be out helping the neighbors who couldn't get out. We live in the 'burbs so our driveway is like about 350'-400' to the road. A few years ago I had a '91 Tracer LTS 5-speed. Been using Cooper tires for years, so I used Cooper Weathermaster ST II's studded on her. I went thru and around stuff that 4x4's couldn't all day. Loved that little car. Today I switch out to Cooper Discoverer M+S tires on the truck during winter. Been happy with those.







with the Cooper Cobras on her





with the Studded Weathermaster's





Comparison of the two tires. The Cobras are on stock Tracer LTS rims, the Weathermaster's are on stock steel rims.

 

Whatever winter tire you choose, look at getting them "Siped". This is a machine that makes a series of cuts in the tread about 2/3 of the way into the tread at an angle across the tires tread. It makes hundreds of little edges to bite when driving on ice. It makes a huge difference. Most people in Idaho are having this done and it works better than studs. Costs about $8.00 a tire. They say it makes the tires last longer as they heat up less. It has not ruined any tire I've had it done to or round off where the cuts are.
Best to have a set of winter tires and a set of summer tires. The good winter tires are soft and wear quickly on dry roads.
I get my tires siped before they are mounted when I buy them. I have had unsiped tires siped and the difference in traction and stopping was quite noticeable. Try it, it works great. You may have to call around to find a tire dealer who has a siping machine. They charge more to sipe used tires because they have to dig out any rocks in the tread so they don't ruin the cutters on the machine.
If you have a vehicle that does not need HD tires, the Goodyear "Winterforce" tires are excellent on snow and ice (especially siped). They are soft and wear faster on dry pavement, but the price is excellent. Using the Winterforce tires on a 1990 Blazer 4WD, I have never been stuck and when other vehicles are slipping and sliding going up a 10% grade with solid ice, I just drive right by them. Never slid off the road, but I do know how to drive in the crappy stuff, mostly common sense.