What we'd pick
Automatic vs manual snow chains
Automatic vs manual snow chains comes down to one trade: price against convenience. Manual TractionX MX chains (MX120–MX180) are the cheapest way onto a TÜV-rated chain and fit almost any tyre once sized — but you lay them out and fit them by hand. Automatic TractionX AXchains (AX200, AX220) are self-tensioning: they pull themselves tight and re-centre as the wheel turns, which is what you want when you're fitting on black ice with numb fingers. Both lines are ABS-compatible and rated to TÜV GS and ÖNORM V5117. Here's the whole ladder, side by side.
- Rated to
- TÜV GS · ÖNORM V5117
- Two families
- Manual MX · Auto AX
- Compatibility
- ABS & TCS safe
Manual MX or automatic AX?
Same alloy, same certifications, same ABS compatibility — the split is how the chain gets onto the wheel and stays tight. Here's the honest case for each.
Manual — TractionX MX
MX120 · MX140 · MX160 · MX180
- Cheapest way onto a TÜV GS / ÖNORM V5117 chain — from ₹7,068 for the MX120.
- No special hub or wheel clearance needed; fits almost any tyre once sized.
- Field-serviceable — a broken link can be wired up and limped to camp.
- The right call if you fit them once before the ice and leave them on the icy stretch.
- You have to lay them out and fit them by hand, on the ground, every time.
- Doing that in gloves at −25 °C with numb fingers is genuinely unpleasant.
- Tension is on you — pair them with the Spiders retaining system to hold centre.
Automatic — TractionX AX
AX200 · AX220 · self-tensioning
- Self-tensioning: the chain pulls itself tight and re-centres as the wheel turns.
- Faster, cleaner fitment when you are stopping and starting on broken ice.
- Mesh-style net pattern spreads grip and cuts the side-to-side slip of a ladder chain.
- Lower vibration and noise on cleared tarmac between the icy sections.
- Costs more — AX200 is ₹15,280 and the AX220 ₹19,460 versus ₹7k–₹11k for the MX line.
- Needs adequate clearance behind the wheel for the tensioning mechanism.
- Fewer size options at the small end — the lightest Jimny-class rigs run the manual MX120.
Every TractionX set, sized and priced
Real fitment from the catalogue — confirm against your exact tyre width before you order. Manual sets at the top, self-tensioning automatics below, and the Spiders retaining system that holds a manual chain centred.
| Set | Type | Price | Confirmed fitment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 MX120The lightest, narrowest rigs — entry to the manual ladder. | Manual | ₹7,068 | Gypsy, Jimny, Bolero, Sumo, Safari (old), Gurkha (old), Thar (BS4) | |
 MX140Mid-size SUVs and the modern Scorpio-N on a budget. | Manual | ₹7,188 | Scorpio-N Z2–Z4, Fortuner (old), Pajero Sport | |
 MX160Full-size ladder-frame SUVs that want a manual chain. | Manual | ₹10,620 | Fortuner, Hilux, Endeavour, Alturas G4, MU-X, Gloster | |
 MX180The widest manual fitment — the broad-tyre, modified rigs. | Manual | ₹10,788 | Land Cruiser, LC Prado, Gloster (Top), Grand Cherokee, Modified Thar, Hilux, Fortuner, Endeavour | |
 AX200Full-size SUVs that want self-tensioning convenience. | Automatic (self-tensioning) | ₹15,280 | Fortuner, Endeavour, MU-X, Hilux, Alturas G4 | |
 AX220The heaviest, widest rigs — top of the automatic ladder. | Automatic (self-tensioning) | ₹19,460 | Land Cruiser, Prado, Hilux (AT build), custom 4×4s | |
 SpidersCold-weather bungee that keeps a manual chain centred and tensioned. | Retaining system | ₹3,200 | Pairs with any TractionX set |
Every set listed is rated to TÜV GS and ÖNORM V5117, ABS- and traction-control-compatible, and built from carburised multi-alloy steel (HV 720–780) that stays elastic in the cold that makes cheaper chains shatter. Fitment shown is from the product pages — link through for full specs and tyre codes.
Match the chain to the rig
The single most common mistake is buying by model name alone. Trim levels and aftermarket tyres change the section width, and the section width is what a chain actually has to clear. Read your tyre code off the sidewall first, then size to it. As a map up the TractionX ladder: the lightest, narrowest rigs — Gypsy, Jimny, Bolero and the BS4 Thar — run the manual MX120. The modern Scorpio-N Z2–Z4, the old Fortuner and the Pajero Sport take the MX140.
Full-size ladder-frame SUVs — Fortuner, Hilux, Endeavour, Alturas G4, MU-X, Gloster — sit on the MX160 for a manual chain or the self-tensioning AX200 for convenience. The widest manual fitment, the MX180, reaches up to the Land Cruiser, Prado, modified Thar and Grand Cherokee, while the top automatic AX220 covers the Land Cruiser, Prado, AT-build Hilux and wide custom 4×4s. If you are between two sizes, send us the tyre code rather than guessing — a chain that is a size too big slaps the wheel arch and can throw an ABS fault.
For a winter self-drive into Spiti or a cold-season Ladakh loop, the field rule is the same regardless of which family you pick: carry chains for at least the driven axle, all four on a serious crossing. The danger above Nako is rarely deep snow — the BRO keeps the carriageway broken open — it is black ice on the shaded, north-facing switchbacks and the river-ice near Kaza, where all-terrain tyres alone slide. Fit the chains beforethe icy stretch, not on it, and practise once in your driveway in gloves so the first real fit isn't at −25 °C with a queue behind you.
Automatic vs manual, answered
The questions we field before every winter departure — sizing, safety systems and which family to buy.
Buy manual TractionX MX chains if budget matters and you are willing to lay them out and fit them by hand: they start at ₹7,068 for the MX120, fit almost any tyre once sized, and are field-serviceable. Buy automatic TractionX AX chains (AX200 ₹15,280, AX220 ₹19,460) if you value fast, repeatable fitment on broken ice — they self-tension and re-centre as the wheel turns, so you are not crawling under the rig to re-tighten at −25 °C. Both are TÜV GS and ÖNORM V5117 rated and ABS-compatible; the difference is convenience and price, not safety.
Self-tensioning means the chain has a mechanism that automatically pulls itself tight and keeps itself centred on the tyre as you drive — that is the headline feature of the automatic AX200 and AX220. A manual MX chain has no such mechanism, so tension is your job; over a long icy drive a manual chain can creep loose or off-centre. That is exactly what the TractionX Spiders extreme-cold-weather retaining system fixes: it is a cold-rated bungee that applies uniform multi-point tension to keep a manual chain centred and locked in position. If you run the automatic AX line you don't need it; if you run a manual MX set on a serious crossing, it's worth carrying.
Yes. Every TractionX set — both the manual MX line and the automatic AX line — is explicitly compatible with ABS and Traction Control System (TCS) vehicles, and is rated to the German TÜV GS and Austrian ÖNORM V5117 standards. That matters because a poorly made or oversized chain can confuse wheel-speed sensors and trigger ABS/TCS faults. The mesh-style net pattern on the AX chains also reduces side-to-side slip, which keeps the system behaviour predictable on glazed surfaces.
Match the chain to your exact tyre size and vehicle, not just the model name, because trim and aftermarket tyres change the fitment. As a guide from the TractionX ladder: the MX120 covers the Gypsy, Jimny, Bolero and BS4 Thar; the MX140 the Scorpio-N Z2–Z4, old Fortuner and Pajero Sport; the MX160 the Fortuner, Hilux, Endeavour, MU-X and Gloster; the MX180 the widest manual fitment including the Land Cruiser, Prado and modified Thar; the automatic AX200 the Fortuner/Endeavour/MU-X/Hilux class; and the AX220 the Land Cruiser, Prado and wide custom 4×4s. Confirm against your tyre's section width before you order — if you're between sizes, send us the tyre code.
All three list the Fortuner in their fitment, so it comes down to how you want to use them and your tyre size. The manual MX160 (₹10,620) and MX180 (₹10,788) are the budget options and fit the standard and wider Fortuner tyres respectively; the MX140 also covers the older Fortuner. The automatic AX200 (₹15,280) is the convenience pick — self-tensioning and faster to fit on ice — and is sized for the Fortuner, Endeavour, MU-X, Hilux and Alturas G4. For a Fortuner doing a winter Ladakh or Spiti run where you'll fit and remove chains repeatedly in the cold, most owners prefer the AX200; for an occasional fit, the manual MX160 saves money.
For a genuine winter self-drive — Spiti in February, or a cold-season Ladakh loop — yes. The hazard is rarely deep snow, which the BRO keeps cleared; it is black ice on the shaded, north-facing switchbacks above Nako and on river-ice sheets near Kaza, where all-terrain tyres alone slide. Carry chains for at least the driven axle (all four on a serious crossing), fit them before the icy section rather than on it, and practise once at home in gloves. Pair the right TractionX size with a vented heater and a diesel pre-heater and the cold becomes manageable rather than dangerous.