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FIRESTONE AGRICULTURE BLOG

Find useful information on farming tyres: technical information, sales advices, stock management, how to choose and user guide…
Rapid agricultural tyre abrasion on silex soil
19 April 2024

What is the best agricultural tyre for silex soil?

Choosing the best agricultural tyres for your tractors is a necessity, especially when you work on difficult terrain like silex or stoney land. There are unique challenges attached to working on these types of soil, which rapidly accelerate tyre wear and potentially impact the productivity of your...
Water ballast vs wheel weights for agricultural tyres
22 March 2024

Liquid ballast vs wheel weights

Your tractor tyre model determines your load capacity. Agricultural tyres are solid, but not sufficiently so to cope with any level of load and you must take this into account when it comes to choosing your ballast. Adding too much weight to your combination vehicle can effectively be...
Which agricultural tyres for mixed polycropping-livestock farming
21 February 2024

Reducing agricultural tyre costs in mixed polycropping-livestock farming

Just by adopting a few good habits, anyone can manage to reduce the maintenance or replacement costs linked to agricultural tyres with the aim of significantly extending the tyre wear life. For mixed polycropping-livestock farming systems, this makes even more sense, because using your equipment...
What are the best agricultural tyres for a farmers’ co-op
02 February 2024

Which agricultural tyres to choose for equipment sharing cooperatives?

The quality versus cost savings dilemma when choosing agricultural tyres for an equipment sharing cooperative is nothing new. Farmers belonging to these cooperatives are often tempted to opt for immediate savings when purchasing equipment, such as tyres, to reduce their contribution towards...
The most resistant agricultural tyre for working in the farm courtyard
08 January 2024

The most resistant agricultural tyre for working in the farm courtyard

When it comes to saving money, choosing a suitable agricultural tyre is crucial, especially when work in the farm courtyard is involved. Often standard tyres or supple models such as low-pressure tyres are used on a multipurpose basis, which will inevitably shorten their wear life faced with work...
Narrow tyres which are ideal for sowing and treatments
19 December 2023

Which narrow tyres to choose for autumn sowing

While it’s true that wide tyres are suitable for tilling to maximise traction, they will certainly be less efficient after winter sowing, to pass between the rows of young seedlings for the first treatments. A good quality narrow tyre will help you avoid squashing one or two rows every time you...
Quality control and agricultural tyre warranty
30 November 2023

Understanding and implementing my agricultural tyre warranty

When you discover a manufacturing defect in your agricultural tyres, often the first thing you ask is: “Is it covered by my warranty?” This question is legitimate, because a good warranty should cover the quality of your tyre equipment and protect your investment. A good understanding of the...
Storing my agricultural tyres outside will reduce their lifespan
16 November 2023

Winter period: advice on how to store my agricultural tyres

In the agricultural sector, the wear life of your equipment is essential, and tyres are no exception to this rule. This specific part of your machines’ equipment, if correctly maintained, can provide long lasting efficiency. The winter period however, which is often neglected, is of crucial...
Gauge to measure wear to my agricultural tyres
03 November 2023

How to detect and slow down wear to my agricultural tyres?

The efficiency of an agricultural tractor depends essentially on its tyres. How they perform is crucial in getting the job done optimally. However, tyres wear over time and with use. They have to cope with many demands and are placed under strain during your different campaigns or trips on the...
Vital technical points for agricultural tyres
17 October 2023

9 vital technical points in relation to agricultural tyres

While agricultural tyres may seem simple, their technicality and complexity go well beyond their physical appearance. They play an essential role in the performance of your tractor and can have a major impact in the event of problems. To ensure that you use your tyres efficiently, it is essential...
Choose your future agricultural tyres based on your activity
29 September 2023

7 key tips to help choose your future agricultural tyres better

Your tyres are the principal link between your agricultural machine and the ground. Depending on the tyre model that you have chosen and the quality of the tyre, it will influence the way in which engine power is transmitted to the ground. Choosing a tyre that is suited to your farm is therefore...
Hot repairs to a tractor tyre
19 September 2023

Hot or cold repairs for damage to my agricultural tyres

Repairing an agricultural tyre may be an economical solution which avoids a costly replacement tyre. However, you need to differentiate between the repair options available and only choose the most suitable solution to make sure that the repairs last over time. There is no point in makeshift cold...
Choosing agricultural tyres that are suited to your activity
06 September 2023

How to choose the most suitable agricultural tyres for your specific case

It’s true that all tyres look alike, encased in black rubber with a tread profile to grip the ground. Yet this simplistic vision does not take into account the research work carried out year after year by tyre manufacturers seeking to produce precision equipment. Each agricultural tyre has been...
Vineyard tyres to avoid soil compaction
18 August 2023

Vineyard tyres: why choose a tyre that is adapted to vine growing?

Vine growing is an extremely specific agricultural activity, due to the form of the crop, but also because of the type of soil or the steep sloping agricultural land. All these particularities make it necessary to have appropriate equipment to make certain that you don’t damage the vines with tyres...
Emergency agricultural tyre breakdown service following a puncture
31 July 2023

Emergency agricultural tyre breakdown service, what do you need to know?

A breakdown in your hangar, when you find a flat tyre in the early hours of the morning, is not at all the same situation as an emergency breakdown service for an agricultural tyre mid-operations in the field when you have a tight schedule and a full day’s work ahead. Certain breakdowns are...
Large-dimension harvest tyres for extensive soya farms in the state of Mato Gross in Brazil
18 July 2023

Why such an evolution in the size of harvest tyres?

During the past 15 years, there has been a major evolution in the size of harvest tyres. While the 650mm tyre size was the norm in the years 2000 to 2010, there is now a much higher demand for the 900 tyre size which offers real advantages and reflects a change in mentality and the size of modern...
Your agricultural tyre expert can help you optimise your results
21 June 2023

In which cases should I call in my agricultural tyre expert?

Your agricultural tyre expert or tyre suppliers are not only there to manage the replacement of a worn tyre. They can also give more information and advice which could help you save money, improve your work, your profitability and your productivity. A set of tyres that is better suited to your...
Wider agricultural tyres for a quick harvest
16 June 2023

Wider agricultural tyres for a faster harvest

Harvesting is a very specific operation with many different aspects to manage, one of the most important of which is work planning. As it is the outcome of an entire season’s work, it would be a shame not to be able to conduct the operation in the best conditions due to a problem linked to tyres....
Duraforce Utility tyres for agro-industrial activities
02 June 2023

Which agricultural tyre is the best suited to agro-industrial sites?

Certain agricultural tyres have been designed to resist harsher work than field crop farming. They have special features which will be beneficial in many activities or industries connected to farming in which loaders, backhoe loaders or telehandlers are used regularly. Certain tyres have indeed...
Narrow tyres to circulate easily between rows
22 May 2023

Narrow versus standard tractor tyres for spraying

What is the best choice of tyre for your tractor if you work with a sprayer in tow? Should you keep your usual wide tyre because it’s easier and quicker not to change tyres? Or must you absolutely change to narrow tyres to avoid squashing the crops? You might think that there is only a slight...
There is a greater load transfer to the rear axle when the implement is raised
05 May 2023

How does load transfer impact the rear tyres of a tractor?

The weight of your implement comes as an addition to the weight of the tractor and its ballast. But how do you know if the load transfer to the rear of the tractor is excessive? What level of inflation do you need to compensate for this load correctly, but without too much pressure which would end...
Reduce the bill by checking agricultural tyres more regularly
24 April 2023

Maintenance: how to reduce your agricultural tyre bill?

Reducing your agricultural tyre bill may involve buying low-end tyres or an exotic brand, but with the risks and disadvantages of this type of approach, which is only economical at the time of purchase. Alternatively you can opt for the appropriate preventive maintenance on a regular basis which...
Demounting tractor tyres
03 April 2023

10 traps to avoid when mounting and demounting tyres

You have chosen to handle the replacement of your tractor tyres yourself. This is effectively possible with the right equipment and a little bit of experience. However, there are many traps that you may come across, during both the mounting and demounting of your tractor tyres. We have listed for...
ARES tractor fitted with Performer 85 tyres
17 March 2023

The agricultural tyre with the best cost-performance compromise

Your main tractor is a central element of your activity. If you work as frequently in the farm courtyard as in the fields, it must be equipped with tyres that are suitable for multipurpose uses. Certain tyres have been developed specifically for crop farming with exceptional performance...
Tyre dimensions must take account of the size and weight of the implements
02 March 2023

Consequences of incorrect agricultural tyre size

Tractor power is not the only decisive criterion for optimal productivity. Although it is perfectly logical to give priority to power (in accordance with the size and weight of the implements used), there is another key factor that must be taken into account in order to get the most power from your...
A sturdy, durable casing for a quality agricultural tyre
21 February 2023

What are the secrets of a good agricultural tyre casing?

Unfortunately you can’t tell a good casing at the time of purchase just by looking at the outside of the tyre. This is something specific to this type of product, which all seem similar, yet it’s actually the technical level of the interior structure of the tyre that makes the difference: more...
Use of agricultural tyres for civil engineering work
01 February 2023

What is the hardest work for my agricultural tyres?

The tyres on your agricultural vehicles may be used for work that is too tough on them and which will shorten their lifespan. There is often a tyre model suitable for each type of job, but as you can’t buy as many different tyres as there are uses, standard tyres often end up being used on a...
Harvesting beet in wet conditions
20 January 2023

Managing soil recovery after the beet harvest

The self-propelled machinery used for harvesting beet represents 40 to 80 tonnes bearing down on tyres that will criss-cross over your fields, closely followed by tractors with trailers, weighing around 35 tonnes when loaded. Bearing in mind that excess soil compaction can lead to a loss of yield...
High-tech agricultural tyres can be an investment
06 January 2023

Think investment rather than purchase cost for your agricultural tyres

The tyre is often wrongly thought of as a standard consumable despite the fact that the quality of your work depends on how good the tyre is. A quality tyre has such an important impact that your productivity improves on a daily basis, whereas a low end tyre will slow down your production. There is...
Agricultural tyre check-up
20 December 2022

An agricultural tyre check-up; a good way to prepare the new season

Winter is the ideal season to review your fleet of agricultural vehicles, to check on mechanical aspects of course, for preventive maintenance purposes, but also to check all your agricultural tyres. It’s worth knowing that a large number of breakdowns at the beginning of the season tend to be...
The narrow Performer 95 tyre with its steel belt can bear more load than a standard model
30 November 2022

Agricultural tyres for narrow wheels: technicality first

There are very different levels of technology in narrow agricultural tyre models. The best allow you to increase load, reduce the number of passages across the field and save fuel and time. The development of a narrow tyre effectively requires a very high level of technicality, because this type of...
Specific tyres for telescopic handlers
18 November 2022

Agricultural tyres dedicated to telescopic handlers: real advantages

You are used to frequently replacing your telescopic loader or handler tyres, as these are fairly standard tyres which don’t cost as much as tractor tyres, and this is a lesser problem that you resolve easily by opting for the cheapest tyres. However, like any equipment placed under heavy strain,...
Mounting tractor tyres
28 October 2022

Advice for mounting and demounting tractor tyres

Mounting or demounting tractor tyres is a tricky operation, not due to complexity but because of the need to move large volumes and masses. This type of operation must be well prepared in advance to anticipate problems which could be costly if your new tyre were to be damaged, or if the tractor was...
Wear linked to use on an abrasive surface
19 October 2022

What are the principal causes of wear to my agricultural tyres?

You have to replace your agricultural tyres regularly as a result of wear, and this major investment will obviously be less painful if it occurs less often. As wear is the key on which the tyre replacement depends, the best thing would be to slow it down by defining what has the greatest impact on...
Front ballast
30 September 2022

Is your ballast really suited to your tractor tyres?

Your tyres have to bear your tractor’s load. Generally this means the weight of the tractor plus the weight of your implements, which represents a load that must be offset by the pressure in your tyres. When you have an implement whose weight is transferred entirely to the rear axle of the tractor,...
Compaction linked to trailers and harvesters
16 September 2022

Everything you need to know about soil restoration after the harvest

The harvesting job is finished but you would like to have better yields going forwards, so it’s important to look ahead and prepare to ensure the best possible conditions for future campaigns. Many factors are involved when it comes to improving your yields; those over which you have little...
Checking tyre concentricity
31 August 2022

Are there solutions for out-of-round tractor tyres?

Instability and tractor vibrations when driving accompanied by a lateral swaying motion from right to left may be the sign of a tyre with a manufacturing defect. This is known as run-out or out-of-roundness and corresponds to a slightly oval tyre shape. However, there are numerous causes linked to...
Unloading the harvester at the edge of the field
23 August 2022

Agricultural tyres: how to preserve your soil during the harvest

Your soil is crucial ; it can be highly productive and serve up good yields for many years, but there are some fundamental conditions which must be respected for this to remain constant. Among these conditions, avoiding soil compaction is certainly one of the most important and most difficult to...
Vulcanisation mould for FIRESTONE agricultural tyres
30 July 2022

What are the manufacturing secrets behind a quality agricultural tyre?

All agricultural tyre brands look alike. The tyres are the same colour, have a more or less similar lug design and you can find your size at all tyre manufacturers. Yet beyond the first glance, the differences are important and will change everything when in use, during work and over the tyre’s...
Maxi Traction Harvest tyres
18 July 2022

Save time with better traction from your harvester tyres

Your harvester’s traction capacity is directly linked to the quality of your tyres. Harvester tyres are particular, because they have to cope with significant cyclic loads depending on how full the harvester’s hopper is. If their design is the result of quality research and development, they will...
my agricultural vehicle’s lead ratio
30 June 2022

What affects my agricultural tyres’ lead ratio?

Your tractor’s lead ratio allows the front axle to pull slightly more than the rear axle and enables perfect drive axis synchronisation. If your tractor has a good lead ratio, it will be efficient and traction will be optimal. However, certain settings or the replacement of tyres may lead to this...
Maxi traction Harvest: Harvester tyres with good road handling capacity
21 June 2022

Which harvester tyre can improve comfort and preserve your health

Agricultural tyres are designed to be able to adapt to very different types of ground, of varying extremes if you compare very wet earth to a tarmacked road surface. The tyres are logically optimised to work in the fields, which is generally the main objective for agricultural machinery. This is...
Mechanical apple harvesting
31 May 2022

Fruit growing; golden rules on the choice and impact of the agricultural tyre

In an orchard, the frequent passage of machines between the rows, always at the same place, will inevitably lead to soil compaction which can have major consequences on water drainage and on the surface part of the trees’ root system. A good structure of the arable layer facilitates water...
Maxi traction Harvest tyres
20 May 2022

3 rules to increase the load on your harvester tyres by 70%

With standard tyres on your harvester, you will rapidly reach the limits in terms of bearable load or maximum pressure. These limits are a nuisance during harvesting and you will lose time emptying the hopper more often or sometimes have to stop operations if the trailer rotations are not correctly...
Excess torque may lead to the tyre rotating on its rim
27 April 2022

What causes an agricultural tyre to rotate on the rim?

The rims are mechanically fixed to the axle by various bolts to the hub, at the centre of the wheel disc. However, this is not the case for the tyre, which is only held in place by the internal pressure on the bead applied against the rim seat. In these conditions it is possible in certain cases...
Narrow tyre for a mounted sprayer
23 April 2022

Which agricultural tyre for which spraying operation?

As your spraying system is the most frequently used equipment after the tractor, it is essential to consider the impact of the tyres on your crops and on soil compaction in your fields. Whether you use a self-propelled system, a tractor-mounted or trailed implement, the question of the choice of...
Overloaded tractor tyres
31 March 2022

Tractor tyre overload: what are the 6 traps to avoid?

Your tractor is powerful, so you have chosen to work with bigger, heavier implements, as it seems obvious that the work will be done quicker and the number of trips back and forth across your land will be reduced. However, this reasoning is incomplete, because to ensure a real productivity bonus,...
Jacking up the tractor
18 March 2022

13 safety rules for operations involving agricultural tyres

We don’t generally give it much thought, but when we talk of accidents linked to tyres, we tend to think about speed on the road or the explosion of a tyre due to excessive loads. These two points seem to be under control, because everyone knows that driving too fast or loads that are too heavy are...
Break in the rim disc
28 February 2022

Why there are different types of rims for agricultural tyres

Why are there different types of rims and how do you work out what’s what? what is the link between the type of tyre and the type of rim? Are there rims that are better suited to my tractor tyres and why should I change, if my rims are still in good condition? Basically, all rims are acceptable,...
Wear at the centre of the tread caused by overinflation
17 February 2022

3 minutes to spot 10 abnormal wear points on my tractor tyres

Your tyres represent a major investment that you want to make last as long as possible. However, they are placed under considerable strain as a result of the work you do, the load, the type of ground or the environment which can rapidly have negative effects and lead to abnormal and premature wear....
Optimal traction helps you save time
02 February 2022

Improve your tractor tyres’ traction to save time

You have invested in your tractor to have engine power, which brings productivity, rapidity and longevity. However, without optimal management of your tyres you will have trouble transmitting this power to the ground to transform it into tractive force. Depending on your pressure settings, the size...
Fuel consumption test using an external fuel level gauge
26 January 2022

In which cases do my tractor tyres have the greatest effect on consumption

Fuel consumption represents a major expense item over the year at around 30% of total expenses, but you can reduce this amount simply by adopting good habits. Fuel consumption is very different from one farm to another and can be linked to many different factors such as the type of activity, the...
How to store agricultural tyres
12 January 2022

The best storage and handling rules for agricultural tyres

Your agricultural tyres are a very specific part of your equipment which can last longer if you take regular care of them. Certain precautions must be taken, particularly during the winter period, if you want to avoid bad surprises at the start of the new season. The weight and size of the tyres is...
Sturdier tyres for handling operations
23 December 2021

Which agricultural tyres to choose for handling operations and loaders

Each activity requires tools that are adapted to be sure of doing the job rapidly without encountering any particular problems, whether you are equipped with a telescopic handler or your tractor has a front loader, you must work with tyres which provide total stability and which will withstand...
Cleaning the tractor tyres for a more efficient inspection
30 November 2021

10 check-up points for your tractor tyres in 10 minutes

Your agricultural tyres are wearing parts which are placed under very heavy strain; they do not require particular maintenance, but a regular check-up and a good measure of vigilance can help you make them last much longer. It may not seem worthwhile, but if you get into the habit of doing a...
How to control tractor wheel slip
19 November 2021

Do you want to know all about tractor wheel slip?

Tractor wheel slip, if excessive, brings only disadvantages: it increases the number of hours you have to spend on each campaign, it increases your fuel consumption, it causes soil sealing, contributes to soil compaction and, lastly, rapidly increases tyre wear. Not taking account of your slip...
Checking tractor tyre parallelism
31 October 2021

Checking the parallelism of my tractor tyres in 3 steps

Misalignment is one of the most frequent causes of mechanical wear to tractor tyres. Checking parallelism is a simple and rapid way of identifying a geometry problem which will save hours of use of your tractor tyres after minor adjustment. When you discover irregular wear, the most common solution...
Firestone Maxi Traction Tyres
21 October 2021

How to change the size of my tractor tyres?

When you buy a tractor, it is designed for standard use, on a standard farm, and is equipped with standard tyres to optimise the overall cost of the machine The manufacturer cannot know all the details of your farm so the original tyres, designed to correspond to a maximum of users, are not...
Impact of agricultural tyres on soil
30 September 2021

How do my agricultural tyres impact soil compaction?

Excessive soil compaction can lead to a 20% to 50% loss of yield. This is therefore a major problem, even if it is not visible when you have finished working. It is due solely to the passage of your machinery. It is therefore a problem that you can manage, or even avoid if you have the right...
Maxi Traction IF tractor tyres
15 September 2021

4 essential tips to help you make the best choice of agricultural tyre

Do you know that your tyres, which are your main contact with the ground, can help you make better use or your tractor’s engine power? But for this you must choose the best adapted tyres for your actual use. The tractor manufacturer equipped your tractor with an average tyre which is suitable for...
5 keys to manage tractor tyre wear
28 August 2021

5 essential keys for better management of tractor tyre wear

Wear is generally the main reason for having to change your agricultural tyres, which represents a considerable cost for your farm. Just like all parts that wear, the speed at which your tyres deteriorate depends on their level of quality, but also and above all on your use of them: rare or...
FENDT 930 305HP tractor equipped with a 7 440 Kg seeder
13 August 2021

Key explanations on load and agricultural tyre ballasting

Your tractor tyres are designed to bear heavy loads, the weight of your tractor of course, but also your tooling, they are solid and highly resistant tyres. However, you know very well that this doesn’t mean you can mount any size of tooling or add mass indefinitely, the limits in terms of load and...
Economic contribution of agricultural tyres
28 July 2021

Which agricultural tyres will help me make the most savings?

It often feels like the only way to make savings with agricultural tyres is to negotiate cheaper tyres from your dealer. Think again! The savings you make on their purchase are nothing like what you could save over years of daily use. Since your tyre is an essential part of your vehicle,...
What tractor tyres should I choose to improve my yields
12 July 2021

How do I choose tractor tyres that will improve my yields?

The ground in your fields is a precious asset which must be preserved and maintained to obtain the best possible yield. With this objective, it is relatively easy to understand that you cannot invest in regular inputs to improve your yield, then damage your soil through excessive compaction, so it...
7 points to know to manage tyre pressure
28 June 2021

7 essential points for managing the inflation pressure in my tractor tyres

Little streams make big rivers is a French proverb which could be used as an image to talk about tyre pressure. Never changing inflation pressure seems to have no immediate consequences, but insidiously and with daily repetition, this tyre pressure problem has an impact on tyre wear, on fuel...
How worn can your tractor tyres be before you need to change them
21 June 2021

How worn can your tractor tyres be before you need to change them

The natural reflex, in response to a legitimate desire to save money, is to choose to use your tyres until they are threadbare, keeping them as long as possible in order to delay the moment when you have to invest in a set of new tyres. It’s true that each farm has its own financial priorities...
6 important things to know about your tractor tyres
11 June 2021

6 things you must absolutely know about your tractor tyres

Your agricultural machinery as a whole allows you to develop your productivity and obtain the best possible yields for your farm. By optimising your machines to get the most from their potential, you can improve your profitability and the return on your investment. Your tractor tyres, which are...
The right tyre pressure to protect your soil
02 February 2021

How to choose the right pressure for my tractor tyres?

You probably already know that adjusting the pressure in your tractor tyres can reduce wear and help them last longer. But it can also help to protect the soil in your fields and therefore your productivity, while improving your security on road. However, it is difficult to always have the right...
Understanding the markings on farming tyres
20 January 2021

How to understand the markings on your farming tyres?

It's often when the time comes to change your tractor tyres and choose a new model, that the markings and all the numbers on the sidewalls become important. However, when you fully understand these figures you can improve your tractor’s capacity, for example increasing the maximum load or improving...
Everything you need to know about water ballasting
04 January 2021

You want to know everything about water ballasting your tractor tyres

Ballasting is used to improve the stability of your tractor and provide efficient traction when your rear mounted implement is heavy or requires a lot of tractive force. The most common ballasting technique involves adding weights to the front to rebalance the load distribution over all four wheels...

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