Tires "Nokian Hakapelita 8": reviews, prices. Winter tires "Hakapelita 8": reviews

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Speaking of the harsh winter, many people imagine severe frosts, heavy snowfalls, snowstorms and snowstorms. However, for the driver, a harsh winter can mean very different weather conditions. Often this is a turning point between plus and minus temperatures, when the snow on the road either melts, turning into a dirty mess, or freezes, forming a slippery ice crust with numerous sharp protrusions. The main task in such a situation is the competent choice of automotive rubber, which will behave equally well in any condition of the road surface. One of the best options for such universal tires is the Finnish "Hakapelita 8", reviews of which we will consider closer to the end of the article. Let's find out why it is remarkable and why many drivers choose it.

Beginning of development and history of the series

In 2013, after four years of continuous painstaking work of designers, chemists and other scientists, it wascreated the eighth generation in the legendary tire series. It is this manufacturer that is considered the authority in matters of rubber, which is adapted to difficult climatic conditions.

Following a study conducted in the Nordic countries, it became clear that the main criteria for the quality of winter tires for drivers is their behavior on ice and snow. It is precisely for adaptability to sudden changes in weather, good grip and, as a result, increased safety, that drivers value Hakapelita 8 tires, reviews often confirm this.

The eighth generation was developed on the basis of its predecessor, launched on the market in 2009. During this time, the results of a lot of tests were collected and taken into account. It is worth noting that the predecessor was not bad at all, and was able to win prizes in testing from well-known automotive magazines more than 30 times in a span of just four years. Nokian Hakapelita 8, whose owner reviews are at the end of the article, has been striving to break this record lately.

Tread shape

As the company's management itself says, numerous checks have shown that for winter studded tires there is only one, the most successful principle of the tread pattern, and it is embodied in this particular rubber. We are talking about the directional symmetrical pattern that the Nokian Hakapelita 8 tires received. Reviews note the positive aspects of this development.

The fact is that it is he who allows you to most rationally spread the spikes over the entire surface, whichprovides a more secure grip on slippery surfaces. It also reduces tire noise on clean surfaces, such as dry pavement, for added driving comfort.

The main motto of the new generation

As the company's management puts it, the main goal of any winter tire should be the ability to move equally comfortably on any surface and in any condition of the roadway, whether it be slush, slush, loose or rolled snow, or even icy conditions, and winter tires "Hakapelita 8", reviews of which we will consider a little later, is fully prepared for such tasks.

The company was one of the first to start developing this type of tire back in the twentieth century. And he does not plan to slow down, rolling out more and more advanced models to the market. According to the head of development, the eighth generation is designed to provide the greatest possible safety for winter driving, while at the same time minimally damaging the road surface.

Testing new products

Before allowing users to enjoy the operation of new generation tires, they underwent a series of rigorous tests, during which absolutely all parameters were checked thoroughly. The purpose of such tests is to achieve the most ideal combination of rubber studs with its tread design. At the same time, the composition of the rubber mixture is brought, the tire design itself is being finalized. As a result, we can see a finished product that is able to fight for realharsh operating conditions. You can verify this by reading about "Nokian Hakapelita 8 SUV" reviews from reliable sources.

What did the tests lead to? Development of a new spike concept

Test results are not wasted, and four years is a long time, during which it turns out to try many options, from which you can later choose the most successful one. In our case, the new Eco Stud 8 technology turned out to be the best stud option. Its essence lies in the fact that the stud is not just securely attached to the rubber. Similar mounts have been used before.

In "Nokia Hakapelita 8", reviews of which are summarized in our article, under each spike there is a small pad of soft rubber. It is designed to reduce the impact of studs on the road surface, as well as improve traction on clean asph alt. In addition, its presence significantly reduces the noise of rubber, which inevitably appears due to spikes.

Unique stud arrangement

According to the developers, the location of each spike was rechecked for relevance in several ways. As a result, unprecedented results were achieved - each tire of the eighth generation has 190 individual studs, and none of them work out when idling. In this case, the saying about quality and quantity is irrelevant, because it is in this quantity that it is possible to achieve quite acceptable results. Yes, and the loss of a couple of spikesin percentage terms, it does not look so critical.

This was achieved thanks to a good balance of both longitudinal and lateral grip on ice. As a result, the predictability of the behavior of rubber on very slippery sections of the road has increased, even when maneuvering. In addition to other positive aspects, this arrangement allows you to increase the life of the spikes themselves until they are completely worn out or fall out even with an aggressive driving style, although reviews sometimes say the opposite about Hakapelita 8.

Improved tread design

Unlike the seventh series, in the updated model, the number of tread blocks has been increased, and their size has been reduced accordingly. In addition to being able to accommodate more spikes, this had other positive results. There are also more lamellas, as a result of which water and loose snow are more efficiently removed, and the grip on the road in the snow is enhanced, this fact is confirmed by reviews left by adequate drivers about Nokia Hakapelita 8.

The heating of the tire during heavy traffic has also decreased, and this has led to greater wear resistance. In addition to these indicators, drivers can please, albeit insignificant, but a decrease in resistance during movement, which has a beneficial effect on fuel consumption. Considering its modern cost, this will be a nice bonus, especially if the mileage for the season is pretty decent.

Specially developed rubber compound

SamoBy itself, to achieve good performance, it is not enough just to have a beautiful tread shape or a competent arrangement of spikes. In this case, a three-component rubber is used, which traditionally includes natural rubber, silica and rapeseed oil.

The third component is present in small volumes, and yet plays almost a key role. It is thanks to rapeseed oil at low temperatures of harsh Russian winters that the interaction between rubber and silica improves, which significantly increases grip with the road surface in extreme conditions, whatever it may be, which makes it possible to call Nokian Hakapelita 8 tires truly universal. Driver reviews also underline this point.

In addition, as mentioned above, these tires can reduce fuel consumption. According to the manufacturer's measurements, the rolling resistance has decreased by 5 percent compared to the seventh generation. And this is also the merit of a specific rubber compound.

Care for safety and convenience

In order to protect the tire owner as much as possible, a wear indicator is built into the tread. It is based on the principle of erasing numbers as the tread depth decreases. Unlike other manufacturers, which only inform about the fact of wear, on these tires you can see how many millimeters are left without taking any measurements. When the last mark from the Nokian Hakapelita 8 disappears, the reviews of which we will now consider, this is an alarming bell that it is time to change the rubber, since its characteristics are far from the original.

Added a more extended information zone on the side of the tire. It can be used to enter the main parameters when replacing, for example, what pressure was maintained during operation and on which wheel which tire was installed. This information will definitely come in handy when installing rubber next year.

User reviews

Many comments left by users divide drivers into two camps. The reason is that some people simply do not know how to handle winter tires, using an aggressive driving style on a clean, dry road. Otherwise, of the positive points regarding Nokian Hakapelita 8, the reviews note the following:

• Good stability with adequate driving style.
• Good flotation on loose and thawed snow.
• Rarely burrows even with inaccurate actions on the part of the driver.
• Good grip on ice due to the large number of spikes.

Of the minuses, the main one can be considered a rather high cost, which not everyone is willing to pay for a set of rubber. Of the other negative points of "Hakapelita 8", the reviews stand out as follows:

• Fragile spikes. They do not fly out completely, but their sharpened tip breaks off or licks off.
• Pretty high noise level, despite the noise reduction technology, when driving on a clean highway.

Conclusion

Rubber "Hakapelita 8", reviews of which we reviewed, will be a great help to those who are used toleisurely and thoughtful driving, as it is designed to overcome any difficult situations that may develop on the road due to adverse atmospheric phenomena. The high cost is fully justified by the increased safety while driving, and there is nothing more important than this. In addition, by purchasing these tires, you can be sure that with moderate driving you will have enough for at least 2-3 seasons.