Well, I will go ahead and give the Mr. Tuffys a try and see what happens. I'll plan on checking for chafing a time or two this winter at least rather than naively riding assuming the best with the Rhinodillos.
Another tidbit is that the middle row of studs seem to wear down to the point of not being effective in about the same mileage as the studs causing flats. After 1500 miles on the front, I notice they aren't doing as well on ice, but still work fine enough on the rear. And by the time I've gotten the rear flats, they aren't doing so well there either. The thought crossed my mind to swap the inner and outer rows of studs, but that would be quite a job...
So then I lament about how quickly the tires are shot compared to the cost, but then realize it's still well worth it for all the hours I do get out of them (and out of the house, and no gym membership, and...)