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I've been watching this thread to see where it would go. It's obvious I need to clear up some misconceptions.
There are 2 types of siping.
1) The type put in the tire mold by the tire manufacturer. It produces a thin gap.
2) The type put in the tire AFTER it has been manufactured, typically at a local tire shop. It is simply a knife-cut through the rubber and, in theory, doesn't remove any rubber. It does NOT produce a thin gap, nor does it affect any other physical dimension of the tire, such as footprint size or shape. This is commonly referred to a "Aftermarket Siping".
But what does it do for tire performance? Unfortunately, there are lots of false claims about aftermarketing siping.
Advantages: Wet traction, snow traction (both due to the increased edges). These are significantly better than non-siped tires.
Disadvantages: Tread wear, dry traction, rolling resistance (all due to the increased movement of the tread elements). Of these only treadwear is significantly affected. Dry traction and RR are only slightly affected.
Neither better, nor worst: Durability (as in tire integrity), Ride quality (although there may be some loss of directional stability as the tire encounters grooves and ruts), road hazard resistance. That because the tread doesn't really affect those properties.
I honestly can't see doing this to a new tire. First, it will void the manufacturer's warranty. Second, If wet and snow traction are a concern, buy tires that already have good properties in this area.
But I can see doing this to tires that have lost some traction due to wear (deceased tread depth and lack of siping). This is really about extending the life a bit for economic reasons.
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