I’ve been running hakka q’s for two winters. They are 185/55/15 and I found them on ebay for about 50 bucks each new. They are excellent tires but unless you find a good deal I think they are near the most expensive. I drive about 2000-3000 miles/month and they are looking pretty good after 2 winters, plenty left for a third. Snow/ice/slush/wet/whatever performance is great and the do surprisingly well on dry pavement. You’d think they would feel squirmy because you can move the sipes around with your fingers but they are pretty solid. Also very quiet.
I’d say mid november is a good time to put them on. I got caught on summer tires in the first storm last season, about a week before thanksgiving. That was a nightmare.