I have steel OTT which are like ice skates if you get them going sideways on any type of surface---even on hot asphalt in summer. That said I live in SE Michigan. I quick look around town shows that anyone who plows parking lots on a large scale--- which can be very slippery-- use before salting all use large Caterpillars with the ASV tracks. The other guys without SSL use larger front loaders with 12' push boxes. These tracks compared to other tracks have smaller openings beteen the tread blocks which capture snow and that is what provides the grip to the snow---like modern M/S-type snow tires which aren't deep-treaded but have small pockets to capture snow. The other thing to consider is plowing with a SSL is very slow and can be very dangerous if your plow doesn't have a trip feature. I used to plow with a pickup and a BOSS V-plow. I lost an account to a team of plowers that had a two tucks and a SSL with a smaller push box. I plowed the site next to it while they did my old site. Those guys were tripping over each other so they finally let the SSL do the job. I was in and out of my site next door, did the one across the street-- and the SSL was still working a half hour later on that same job which used take me about 15 minutes by truck plow. And was he pissed! I think he knew I did the account last year because he kept looking at me--if looks could kill. But that's what happens when they try to undercut you by $5 on a $60 job.
