The new Nokian Hakkapeliitta A10 studded tires (700 X 35) arrived on Monday. Got them mounted last night (without tools, I might add) and gave them their first test runs last night and on this morning's commute. Given we had 24 inches of snow over the weekend, it was a good test.

The 72 carbide studs really do a nice job on hard packed snow and ice. Not once did I feel that I didn't have adequate control of the bike, even climbing the short 17% grade back to the house last night. Of course you can't hot dog on them and ride carelessly, but if one is moderately attentive and careful, they really make riding much better. Took the bike through an unplowed parking lot (unfortunately the store for which the lot was built went out of business), and they weren't great in 20+ inches of snow, but that's not how I'll be using them.

I also wasn't sure how I was going to like the ride given their weight, sidewall stiffness, and tread depth. There is no doubt that you're not on a typical road tire, and you do take longer to accelerate. However, the ride feel is more comfortable than I thought. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that the recommended tire pressure is only 58 psi. Finally, I was thrilled that there was more than enough clearance under my SKS ESGE mudguards. All in all these are going to make the commute for the rest of this winter much more enjoyable.

I'm entering my fourth winter on my Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106 tires in 700x35, and feel about the same as you.

Those are the tires I mounted for a commute Monday. Unfortunately the road surface was a mixture of wet pavement and very uneven 1 - 3" ice pack and 2 - 5" loose slush. That grabs the front wheel and tries to wrestle control of the steering making the ride very strenuous. I did not adjust my brake pads and one jammed into the rear tire, sapping my energy until I noticed after a couple miles later. I thought I had become quite weak.
On smooth snow, snowpack, or glaze / black ice these tires are incredible. The bike will leave cars spinning out and sliding sideways as I pedal slowly away

We don't get enough snow to justify the funds for studded tires. Just out of curiosity, is braking with them a lot different than with regular tires?

Braking on ice or packed snow is different than on a dry road surface regardless of the tire. If anything the studs make braking a bit more controlled and/or predictable.

Once you have them you will not want to be without them.

Hardpack over refreeze is the hardest surface imaginable to ride on. The ruts in the refreeze try to make your wheel follow them, and the hardpack on top shifts out from under the wheel without warning.

It takes patience and finesse to manage this surface. If you try to brute force it, it doesn't work quite as well.

When I encounter it, first I slow way down, shifting to my granny. Spinning like crazy helps maintain, and regain balance. Then I shift my weight back on the bike, so the front is as unweighted as possible. This lets it shift side-to-side without throwing me around. Finally, I keep my grip and upper body loose to go with the flow.

This seems to work remarkably well. The hardest part is that it runs counter to my first and natural reaction, which is to strongarm it and tough it out. That never ends well for me.