donut king,
The brakes in your case were probably not set very hard. It is certainly possible to stop the tire completely while moving forward if you press hard enough, and truly skid the tire. I have left a few dark black streaks to prove that.
With aircraft tires, a few skids is all ittakes to ruin the tire, and a long skid will thin the tire and rupture it.
Landing with the brakes on could also ruin the wheel in some helicopters. One very inexperienced pilot at Sikorsky bent the gear on an S-58 by landing with the brakes on!
In S-76, a smooth hard brake application, without skidding the tire, is assumed in the running landings we do for certification. They are not cosmetic brakes, donut king, they will stop you, and will skid the tire if pressed too hard. Take care to let them cool, or you will warp the disks and the Chief Pilot will have a discussion with you!
Don't expect automobile performance however. Cars have better wheels and brakes, and so they should, so comparivively a car's brake effectiveness is very mch more noticible.