If you live in a part of the country that sees hard winters with lots of snow and slush that might stay on the roads for a week at a time, you already know that winter driving is a real headache. It’s even worse after an ice storm, or when the snow and slush on the roads gets frozen over into a hard sheet of ice that makes traction near impossible even with winter tires.

Sometimes you don’t have any choice but to get out in it, just to get from point A to point B, and that’s when you need a set of winter tires that you can depend on to get you there instead of leaving you in a ditch somewhere along the way. On an icy road, the only thing you can depend on to not leave you stranded (or worse) is a set of tires with metal or plastic studs to dig into an icy surface and deliver some real traction. That’s where the Venom Power Ice Hunter comes in.

Venom Power is known for their heavy-duty light truck tires, and the Ice Hunter is purpose-built for the worst winter weather, with a whole set of features and design elements that enhance traction and performance when no other tires can get the job done. But don’t just take our word for it, let’s dig in for a deeper look with this Venom Power Ice Hunter review.

Features and Benefits

Here are just a few of the innovations that the Venom Power Ice Hunter offers to get you through icy, difficult winter road conditions:

• Advanced winter rubber formulation stays pliable for improved traction at subfreezing temperatures without compromising the tire’s durability
• Unique asymmetric winter tread design with a combination of angled grooves, lateral grooves and a single zigzag groove for great performance on dry pavement as well as unbeatable traction in snow and ice
• Increased sipe density and “ripple” pattern for hundreds of extra biting edges that dig into snow and slush
• Grooves are designed to evacuate water from the tire’s contact patch for resistance to hydroplaning effect in standing water or slush
• Large shoulder blocks are designed for improved lateral traction and control while cornering
• Three Peak Mountain Snowflake rated for severe winter service
• Pre-drilled for easy installation of studs, where permitted, for traction in extreme winter conditions
• Low rolling resistance for savings at the gas pump
• Reinforced internal structure for enhanced load capacity

Pros and Cons

So, is this the right tire for your ride and budget? Before you decide, let’s take a look at the tire’s strengths:

PROS:

• Confident traction and handling on dry pavement
• Traction in snow, slush and ice are unbeatable
• Ride quality and road manners are better than many all-terrain tires
• Can be pinned with studs, where permitted, to further enhance traction in severe winter weather

Unfortunately, no tire is perfect and that’s the case for the Ice Hunter too:

CONS:

• Noisy, especially when pinned with studs
• Cannot be used when temperatures are consistently above 45 degrees Fahrenheit
• Not backed by a limited manufacturer tread life warranty

SimpleTire’s view on Venom Power Ice Hunter tires

Probably the first thing we should address here is that the Venom Power Ice Hunter isn’t a hybrid tire of any sort - it’s a dedicated winter tire that’s designed for severe winter conditions, deep snow, nasty ice buildup, and slush. If you expert the Venom Power Ice Hunter to perform like an all-terrain tire, you’re in for a letdown. However, the Venom Power Ice Hunter can get you through rough winter conditions far, far better than an all-terrain or all-season tire.

Let’s start with the tread formulation of the Venom Power Ice Hunter. All-season and all-terrain tires will stiffen up and lose traction in subfreezing weather, but tires like the Ice Hunter are designed to stay pliable and continue to deliver the grip you need (think about a hard rubber hockey puck or a bushing vs a flexible rubber boot). The flip side of this is that winter tires shouldn’t be used when daily temperatures are above 45 degrees, and should be swapped back out for all-season or all-terrain tires.

The combination of ripples, closely-packed sipes, and an innovative groove pattern all work together to dig into snow and slush and claw their way through, and the pre-drilled holes for placement of studs are there in case you’re unfortunate enough to encounter ice on your daily rounds. Please remember that studded tires aren’t legal in all states (they’re pretty rough on pavement surfaces) and are only legal in certain months in others. Check your state laws before purchase.

Now, as to the cons. Yes, the Venom Power Ice Hunter tends to be noisy, especially when studded. Remember that this is a specialty tire that’s only intended for use a few months out of the year before you switch back to your usual tires again. And no, it can’t be used in warmer temperatures (see above) and doesn’t come with a manufacturer’s treadwear warranty – most winter tires don’t. But if you’re in need of a tough winter tire to get you through the most difficult conditions without breaking the bank, the Venom Power Ice Hunter is a great candidate.

Vehicles the Venom Power Ice Hunter is a good replacement tire for

• Chevrolet Suburban
• Ford Explorer
• Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Nissan Titan
• RAM 2500
• Toyota Tacoma