Skid steer tire studs are extremely useful for any contractors who use their skid steer loader in winter weather. That’s why the eTerra skid steer tire studs are designed specifically for heavy equipment. Previously, people would use screws or ice racing studs as skid steer tire studs, but the results could only charitably be described as “mixed.”

The eTerra skid steer tire studs, also called Grip Studs, use a screw-in design with a hex head that extends down past the carbide. This means when carbide begins to wear out, you can still remove the studs easily.

This solves the problem with using screws as tire studs. The screws aren’t hard enough to last, and when the head wears off, they’re stuck in the tire with no way to remove them. With no head on them, the screw works its way into the tire and pop it.

But the eTerra skid steer tire studs can last for several seasons, because of all the carbide they’re made with. So even as the carbide begins to wear down, there is still a hex head remaining, which allows for easy removal at the end of the season. In fact, some Grip Studs have racked up 600 hours of use, and can still be removed and used again.

Ice racing studs have short carbide inserts that don’t last as long as the eTerra skid steer tire studs. They cost just as much as the eTerra Grip Studs, but don’t last nearly as long.

All you need to install the eTerra skid steer tire studs is a powered screw driver, or a cordless drill set to the slow setting, and the supplied installation tool. Removing the studs is just as easy as putting them in. And they’re completely reusable, so make sure you keep them somewhere you can find them again for next winter.

A stud should have 3 mm of the stud above the tire surface for optimal traction, and the installation tool can be adjusted to provide the 3 mm projection, so be sure to measure your tread depth correctly. You should also make sure you count the number of contact patches on your tire and plan out the number of studs and where you’re going to place them.

The standard length of the eTerra skid steer tire studs is 30 mm (1.18 inches), which gives you 1 inch of tread penetration. So you need to make sure you have enough tread to accept tire studs this long.

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