König has long supported operators working in winter road maintenance and snow-clearing services.
The König snow chain range for snow removal vehicles includes high-performance products engineered using premium materials and advanced manufacturing processes — the result is a complete selection of chains designed for every application and vehicle type.
This guide highlights the key differences between the models in the König Professional range to help you choose the most suitable chain for your snowplow, truck, tractor or earth-moving machine.
König Professional snow chains for snowplow operations
The models in the König Professional segment designed for heavy-duty winter service include:
Below you’ll find their main features, common characteristics, and what makes each one unique.
Premium steel: superior durability and performance
All König professional snow chains are made from K-Premium Steel, a specially alloyed steel that ensures optimal machinability throughout the production process and superior durability on the road.
Two key processes make this steel unique:
1. Carbo-Cementation
The carbo-cementation process takes place in specific ovens where the material is first heated, rapidly cooled, and then reheated at a lower temperature to remove impurities from the previous thermal shock. With this process, König ensures that the necessary hardness both on the surface of the links and at the core. These characteristics are essential to guarantee long-lasting and durable products.
2. Galvanising
The galvanising process of König snow chains is based on the electrolytic process that coats the surface of the chain, which has previously been treated with the carbo-cementation process. The zinc-plating process (also called galvanising) is essential for the protection of König snow chains; it provides excellent protection against external chemicals, such as salt and other substances present on the road surface when using the chains.
Traditional assembly and tensioning system
All chains in this segment feature a traditional three-hook mounting system:
- 1 hook for the inner side chain
- 1 or more central hooks for the tread chain (depending on model)
- 1 hook for the outer side chain
This hooking system ensures continuous chain coverage across the tread, which makes driving the vehicle more comfortable and guarantees reliability even in the most extreme situations and long-term use.
The tensioning of the snow chains in the snowplow segment is managed through a side chain puller, also made of special steel, which is tensioned using a specific tensioning lever.
Tread designs for every vehicle and application
Different tread designs provide different levels of traction, durability and coverage. Choosing the right tread pattern is essential for maximizing performance based on tire size, vehicle type and the intensity of snow-clearing operations.
König offers three main tread types:
- Double-diamond tread → Impact, DR, DR Light
- Triple-diamond tread → DRS and selected Impact/DR/DR Light marked with suffix TD
- Net tread design → Super Impact
Double-diamond tread
When we consider snow chains designed for cargo trucks, this normally uses a single diamond tread. Here, with the same tyre size, König snow chains for snow removal double the number of tread elements (double diamond), providing excellent traction on trucks, earth-moving machinery and agricultural tractors during winter snow clearing services.
Triple-diamond tread
The triple-diamond design is the ideal solution for vehicles equipped with wide-section tyres, where the double diamond design would only ensure the presence of the hexagonal pattern in the central portion of the tyre tread. The triple-diamond design succeeds in wrapping tyres with a wide section and guarantees optimal grip and perfect stability on larger vehicles. The classic sizes on which König offers triple diamond solutions are earth-moving tyres (e.g. 20.5-25, 23.5-25, 26.5-25) and agricultural tyres (e.g. 600/65-34, 600/70-34, 520/70-38, 600/70-38).
Net design tread
When, on the other hand, the severity and intensity of the work requires a chain that “leaves no exposed areas of the tyre in contact with snow or ice, the net tread is the most dense solution available and is able to completely cover the tyre, guaranteeing the best distribution of forces over a much greater number of links than other tread types.
Link technology: three types of traction links
König professional snow chains use different link configurations to deliver specific levels of traction and wear resistance:
- Simple link configuration → DR Light
- Icebreaker reinforced link configuration → DRS and DR
- Reinforced link with welded wear bars configuration → Super Impact and Impact
Simple links configuration
The simple link represents the idea of a chain in the common imagination: a succession of horizontal and vertical links, without any additional elements to increase its traction and resistance to wear. The strength of this type of link is certainly the lightness and manageability of the finished product. These characteristics make products using the simple links configuration suitable for less heavy and demanding uses that potentially require rather frequent mounting and dismounting.
Links with icebreaker reinforcements configuration
These links incorporate reinforced horizontal sections that increase ground contact points and offer:
- excellent traction
- up to 50% more wear volume
- longer service life in continuous operations
Links with ice-breaker reinforcements and welded wear bars configuration
The most advanced link configuration, featuring:
- reinforced icebreaker elements
- welded wear bars on both horizontal and vertical links
This design provides maximum traction in extreme conditions and doubles the wear volume (+100%), ensuring unmatched resistance to abrasion.
D-Profile link design for maximum traction and flexibility
The tread links of König snow removal chains are made with a D-profile. This means that if we take a tread link and section it vertically, we can see the D-profile on the section.
The specific design of the link construction wire represents the best compromise between traction and smoothness of the links:
Traction – Square outer profile
The D angles are on the outer side and work against the ground. Thanks to this aggressive geometry on the outer side, the chain can dig better and have a better impact on snowy or icy ground.
Smoothness – Rounded internal profile
At the same time, the links must also be free to move in dynamic conditions. Thanks to the round internal profile, the connection between the links provides superior mobility by ensuring better elasticity and greater resistance to sudden stresses.
Available Wire Diameters
Professional snow chains in the Snow removal segment are available in different chain sizes to meet the needs of every tyre, vehicle and operator:
- Super Impact → 7.00 mm, 8.00 mm, 10.00 mm
- Impact → 5.50 mm, 7.00 mm, 8.00 mm, 10.00 mm
- DRS → 10.00 mm
- DR → 4.50 mm, 5.50 mm, 7.00 mm, 8.00 mm, 10.00 mm
- DR Light → 4.50 mm, 5.50 mm, 7.00 mm, 8.00 mm, 10.00 mm
Use our Professional Configurator to identify the perfect chain for your snowplow or machine.
For technical documentation, installation instructions and advice on avoiding common mistakes, visit the König Professional Support Center.