Extra Load tyres: Increase the load for mixed crop-livestock farming

Mixed crop-livestock farming leads to special requirements for your tyre equipment. Frequent manoeuvres in the farm courtyard, often on hard surfaces, combined with regular activities in the fields, require multipurpose tyres capable of bearing heavy loads during handling operations, but without compacting your soil. Extra Load tyres appear to be the ideal solution by providing the sturdiness necessary for intense handling tasks while making it possible to work at low pressure in the fields. Extra Load tyres are designed to adapt to your mixed crop-livestock farming operations.

In this article we look at how to work efficiently with a big load transfer to the front axle during use with front loaders and how to choose suitable tyres to maximise tractor performance in the fields.

1. Why choose a tyre technology that allows heavier loads in mixed crop-livestock farming?

In mixed crop-livestock farming, the agricultural activities are very varied and require high-performance, multipurpose tyres. Thanks to their robust casing and a greater load capacity, Extra Load tyres are the key to optimising your equipment and improving performance levels:

Resistant tyres for handling operations with a front loader

When using a front loader or bucket, the weight carried is transferred to the tractor’s front axle.

This can lead to significant deformation of the tyre casing, punctures or burst tyres if the model is not sufficiently sturdy.

In the long term, this will generate premature wear as a result of the numerous manoeuvres with a loaded tractor.

The capacity to work at very high pressure

The tyres used for handling with a front loader must be able to cope with a very high inflation pressure.
Increasing the tyre pressure effectively improves load resistance by reducing the risk of crushing the structure of the tyre.

This contributes towards improving the stability of a tractor with a heavy front load for lifting operations and limits tyre wear.

2. Your tyres must have a reinforced casing construction

The key elements of a reinforced casing

For your handling work to take place in the best possible conditions, give preference to radial structure tyres with a high-resistance construction.

Here are a few characteristics to check for:

• Reinforced casing structure
  The casing is the structural framework of the tyre, which is what ensures shock absorption and load resistance.
  The more reinforced this structure is, the more easily the tyre will be able to manage high pressure or loads, resist deformation and cope with impacts.
  The casing is made up of several layers or rubber and overlapping interwoven fabric.
  The calendering inside the tyre is the first layer of butyl rubber visible, which ensures good airtightness and resistance to pressure.It’s the air maintained inside the casing which bears the load and not the rubber.
  The higher the load requirement, the higher the volume of air in the tyre needs to be, which is why a high quality casing construction is so important.
• More resistant rubber compounds
  The materials used to produce the casing, the sidewalls or the tread must also be more resistant to abrasion, hernias and tears.
  This sturdiness increases wear resistance, extends the tyre’s lifespan, reduces the risk of punctures and limits replacement costs.

• More solid sidewalls
  Tyre sidewalls are generally supple and therefore sensitive to strain and torsion. A good casing has sidewalls that are supple and solid at the same time.
  This solidity is important during work involving tight turns or sudden changes in direction with a loaded front bucket in livestock buildings or sheds.
• Durable tread
  A reinforced tread reduces the risk of perforation, improves vehicle stability and guarantees a longer lasting tyre.

3. Extra Load tyres that are efficient for the management of lifting operations

Versatility

Mixed crop-livestock farming involves a wide variety of tasks: from transport by road, feeding cattle, cleaning out stalls, to the management of organic waste and manure.

These tasks require versatile tyres that are capable of working at a higher inflation pressure to cope with variable loads.

Obviously, they must also be suitable for work in the fields with other characteristics that are just as important.

Load capacity

Mixed crop-livestock farming involves handling heavy loads, such as bales of hay or feed sacks.  

Reinforced XL tyres specially designed to cope with higher inflation pressures as well as load transfers are indispensable for the safety and stability of the tractor during these operations.

Wear resistance

Repeated manœuvres in livestock bulidings often involve back and forth movements, tight turning circles, frequent scraping on the ground or on-the-spot turns hich cause damage to the tyre rubber and lugs.

Tyres designed for livestock farming, with their thicker, more abrasion resistant rubber compounds, lead to longer tyre wear life and better performance levels.

4. XL tyres which are just as efficient in the fields

For most medium-sized mixed crop-livestock farms (herd of around 70 cows, crop surface of 60 to 120 hectares) work in the fields is generally carried out with average power tractors (between 100 and 135 hp). They are equipped with implements suitable for the size of the cultivated land, which is generally between 15 and 20 hectares for corn or silage destined for animal feed. In addition to being suitable for livestock farming, the tyres must be very efficient in the fields. 

Here are where your priorities should lie:

Low pressure and soil protection

When it comes to working in the fields, it is recommended that you reduce tyre pressure to limit soil compaction.

A pressure of between 1.1 bar and 0.8 bar depending on the load and speed will be perfect if you use a 115 hp tractor equipped with implements that are suitable in terms of tractor power.

This allows for a larger contact patch between the tyre and the ground, resulting in a reduction of compaction and better crop development.

Adaptability to requirements in the fields

A tyre that is efficient in the fields must make it possible to reduce slip, offer good traction and have a good self-cleaning capacity. 

Its tread must have optimised lugs which improve motricity. 

These lugs must be engineered to limit soil disturbance, evacuate earth correctly and ensure efficient transmission of traction power horizontally.

To reduce the slip ratio, your tyre must be able to work at low pressure. If the contact area with the ground increases by reducing pressure, more lugs will be able to grip the earth over their full length to reduce the slipping effect.

Driving comfort

Whether for working in the fields or for transport, your tyres must adapt to all situations.   The must have a multipurpose profile to minimise vibrations and noise.

This particular design guarantees a pleasant driving experience for the farmer, whether on the road or in the fields.

5. Multipurpose XL tyres specially designed for mixed crop-livestock farming

Reinforced resistance for a longer lifespan

Thanks to its ultra-resistant rubber compound, this high-tech tyre has a 20% longer lifespan than its predecessors.

Its robust design makes it particularly well suited to intensive handling operations, especially when using a front loader.

Uncompromising traction

Despite its solidity, the Performer 85 Extra Load still remains highly efficient in the fields.

Its unique dual angle lug design guarantees optimal adherence and powerful traction on all types of terrain, even on very soft ground.

Versatility for all applications

The Performer 85 Extra Load tyre is available in a wide range of sizes and adapts to all types of tractors and agricultural operations.

Its high load capacity, linked to its resistance to high pressure (up to 4 bar for certain sizes) makes it a highly versatile tyre for all applications, from working the land to transporting heaving loads in livestock farming buildings.

For more information on tractor tyres

With Firestone, you have the guarantee of tractor tyres that deliver a real advantage, and that in choosing our brand, you can work worry-free. 

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