No thanks. I prefer the Nokians...and after 4 seasons of use commuting on black ice and riding in the Foothills...I'll still buy another set...if the set I use ever wear down. Sure the initial cost is high. However, the cost/time vs. benefit has been very good. No need to replace screws every season (screws wear out fast if you commute) and I can run low pressures w/o worry of screw heads pinching the tube.
And yes, I've done the homemade studded tire thing. I even used carbide studs, double layer of duck tape, and liners. They still don't work as well as the Nokian Extreme 294 and Mount & Ground I have now. As for the chains, just like automotive chains, they have a design speed limit, and are not recommended for black ice/paved conditions due to premature wear. And besides...they ride horrible on glare ice.
My friends and I did this in SLC a long time ago. Don't put the screws down the middle or they'll get driven back into the tire (and tube!) I'm running about 15 psi and the tire flexes at the contact patch so the screws grip. By putting them on the sides you get traction when cornering. Oh, yeah the #6x3/8" screws are a little hard to find- I checked Lowes and Home Depot in Boise and (and SLC) and ended up finding them at my local little hardware store.
