Authored by: Tractor tyre expert | 21 June 2023
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 activity, your type of farm or simply your vehicle could radically change the results that you will obtain. Your situation is effectively specific and the tyres originally fitted on your machines are standard products meant to suit everyone, but certainly not adapted to your particular case.
Your agricultural tyre expert can advise you generally on the different tyre technologies that will be suited to your farm.
He will identify with you the exact need in terms of tyres which correspond to your particular situation: fields far afield, mixed crop and livestock farm, very big farm, lots of transport by road, handling operations, type of soil, climate in your region…
Each agricultural farm is different and there are many different tyre setups possible depending on your machines, your activity and your environment.
The audit of the tyres belonging to your fleet of machines is a precious way of optimising the efficiency of your agricultural farm.
Often the tractor and the implement purchased at the same time for a precise purpose are associated without necessarily taking the tyres used into account.
By reconsidering this approach and including your tyres, it is possible to adapt your machine and improve its efficiency.
This will allow you to increase the load, to reduce slip, to improve traction, to reduce tyre wear and optimise the use of your machine overall.
The aim of the audit is to optimise the use of your implements and machines, using more suitable tyres based on the type of crops, your soil, your activity and other different farm related factors.
For example, field crops may require tyres that are capable of working at low pressure, which offer better traction and better protection for your soil to guarantee the preservation of future yields.
It is important to ask yourself whether your current tyres correspond to the load represented by your implements.
Your tractor’s original tyres may not be the most efficient for your farm.
In addition, using the same tyres for different types of operations may be a bad choice if you are hoping for an optimal wear life.
By calculating the hourly cost of use, it is possible to identify how to optimise your equipment further.
Tyres play a key role, because the technology used may increase the capacities of certain implements or machines.
The configuration of your new machine is certainly optimal for the average use identified by the tractor manufacturer, but are you certain that it corresponds to your farm, to your soil, to your activity?
By studying the case beforehand with your specialist, you can adapt the tyres on this machine to your specific situation before making the purchase and therefore obtain a machine with a better setup which will really help you to improve your yields.
The power of the tractor is not the only key element in obtaining optimal productivity. Another factor is often neglected, which is the size of the tyres. This plays a crucial role, as it is the tyres that transmit engine power to the ground.
If the tyres are not suitable or if they are not big enough, they will not be able to use the power of the tractor optimally, leading to a loss of traction, premature wear and productivity that is below your expectations.
By working with tyres that are too small, you risk many unpleasant factors, such as slip on wet soil. If the tyres are not the right size, they will not have a sufficiently large surface to grip hold of the ground and bear the weight of your implements, which can damage your soil and increase rolling resistance as well as your fuel consumption.
It is quite common to choose a machine with its specific implement for a type of operation, without thinking about the tyres that are fitted on this machine.
Yet agricultural tyres, just like implements, are highly specific. They have been designed by the manufacturers to excel in a precise activity.
That is the reason why you should carefully analyse with your expert whether your current use of each machine is adapted to the activities that you carry out.
The result of this task of refocusing the right tyres on the right activities will allow you to reduce wear, fuel consumption and slip and to improve traction while gaining efficiency during each of your operations.
The unique characteristics of each type of tyre contribute to the optimisation of efficiency, of productivity and to improving your yields. Here are the main families of tyre for each use:
For field crops, the tractors are often much heavier and more powerful, which can lead to soil compaction.
Low-pressure tyres with a large volume of air are designed to preserve the soil and increase traction capacity, which saves time and reduces fuel consumption.
Firestone’s Maxi Traction tyre is designed for very powerful tractors for use in field crop farming.
For farms that manage both crops and livestock, the tractors must be more versatile.
Tyres destined for these activities have specific features, such as longer lugs for better traction in the fields and a reinforced casing to cope with the difficult conditions encountered when working in the farm courtyard, such as handling operations which require frequent turning on the spot and good resistance to wear.
Firestone’s Performer Extra is designed using a compound that is resistant to wear for an extra-long wear life.
For spreading or spraying activities, preference should be given to narrow tyres.
These tyres are designed to offer controlled suppleness which gives the tractor stability, even in the presence of long boom arms or movement of liquid in the tanks. In addition, their tread is often reinforced to resist wear and extend the tyre’s wear life.
The Performer 95 has a steel belt which allows it to work with a heavier load.
Heavy-duty work, civil engineering work or handling operations require particularly robust tyres.
These tyres often have a multi-layered reinforced casing, which provides greater resistance in the sidewalls than low-pressure tyres which are dedicated to field crops. They also have a thick layer of rubber to resist tears and perforation.
The Duraforce Utility provides excellent adherence and perfect stability for a tyre that can work at an inflation pressure of 5 bar.
Establishing good relations with your tyre retailer when you buy your new machine or your new implement will ensure that you can count on them (you know them already) to step in as rapidly as possible on the day when help is needed.
There are many benefits to maintaining good commercial relations with your agricultural tyre retailer:
Turning to an agricultural tyre expert is essential if you wish to optimise efficiency and productivity on your farm.
Your tyre expert can help you choose the best tyre size based on your specific needs, which is crucial in optimising the efficiency of your machines.
They can also carry out audits to ensure that your tyres are well suited to your type of farm.
In addition, when in need, a good relationship with your expert will make a rapid and efficient repair service more likely, thus limiting lengthy stoppages.
Overall, good relations with your agricultural tyre expert are based on two-way communication, attentiveness, availability, professionalism, efficiency and mutual trust.
It’s an investment in time that can turn out to be highly beneficial for the success of your farming activities.
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