Authored by: Tractor tyre expert | 21 February 2024
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 for very different activities has much more impact on the tyres than at farms which only grow field crops.
You effectively need your tyres to withstand heavy loads during handling operations on hard ground, but also to cope with intensive transport by road, and of course to be efficient when working the soil in the fields.
In this article we look in detail at a few habits that will allow you to double the wear life of your tyres and have a real impact on your profitability.
A rapid visual inspection of your agricultural tyres before each campaign can help you save precious time and avoid costly breakdowns in the middle of the fields.
It’s worth bearing in mind that most breakdowns are the result of an earlier problem caused during previous operations.
By detecting potential problems before leaving the farm, you can take preventive measures to repair the fault if this is an easy task, or ensure the necessary maintenance to keep your tyres in good working order.
Minor repairs will allow your tyres to keep going for many more hours of work, whereas a burst tyre during operations will necessitate the replacement of the tyre, which is a far less economical solution.
By inspecting the sidewalls and the tread of each tyre, you can easily detect cuts or traces of impact.
If these cuts are minor, they are not a risk, but deeper gashes or hernias, even small ones, require immediate action to prevent the tyre from rupturing during operations.
Take a close look at the lugs of your tyres to identify any pronounced wear at the front, at the back or on the sides. This may be due to:
If you find abnormal or irregular wear to the lugs, correct your parallelism and pressure or carry out additional checks.
This will prevent the problem from getting worse and leading to a breakdown.
Adjusting agricultural tyre pressure settings before each task, based on the work to be done, will ensure the durability and the efficiency of your tractor during operations.
Wear is normal over time, but it increases when the tyre is not working in optimal conditions.
By adjusting pressure regularly, you can slow down wear and increase the working life of your tyres.
There is a specific inflation pressure that corresponds to each different type of activity.
Depending on whether you are working in the fields, at the farm or in transport, you must adjust the pressure in your tyres to obtain the best efficiency from your tyres and extend their lifespan.
In mixed polycropping-livestock farming activities, the use of a front loader will exert considerable pressure on the front tyres of the tractor. This cyclic load transfer can make pressure adjustments tricky and dependant on the type of handling operations to be carried out.
For manoeuvres in the farm courtyard and livestock buildings, opt for higher pressure (around 2.4 bar or more depending on the size, if your tyres can) to make sure the tractor is stable during lifting and travel on hard ground with heavy loads.
The recommended inflation pressure for transport by road is between 1.6 and 2 bar.
By increasing the pressure on the road, you reduce rolling resistance on the asphalt surface, which is abrasive. This prevents overheating and premature wear to the tread, especially at high speed.
On the other hand, reduce tyre pressure (between 0.8 and 1.1 bar) to optimise traction and prevent excessive soil compaction during ploughing, sowing or hoeing operations.
Lower pressure gives you better grip and reduces slip which is one of the reasons for premature wear.
Prepare a table indicating the pressure to adopt for each of your activities, as you always work on the same types of operations with the same implements on your farm.
You will have around 10 different possible pressure settings.
Then you just need to make a quick adjustment before beginning each activity, without wasting time checking your load or doing complex calculations since this job has already been done.
A full warranty ensures financial protection in the event of manufacturing or material defects.
You will have peace of mind knowing that your investment is secure over time and you are protected against potential defects.
In the event of a problem, a solid warranty means that you can obtain a refund or rapid replacement, thus minimising the costs linked to faulty tyres.
The Performer Extra 70 is a first choice option for mixed crop-livestock farmers.
Its innovative design and its specific features make it a precious ally for optimising profitability and reducing maintenance costs.
The Performer Extra 70 has an extra-long wear life. Thanks to the incorporation of an innovative compound in the production of its rubber, it is more solid than its predecessors, with resistance improved by 20%.
The entire Firestone PERFORMA EXTRA range is produced using this new generation compound.
The Performer Extra 70 contributes to reducing operating costs thanks to several advantages:
The Performer Extra 70 has optimal road handling capacities thanks to its reinforced casing and the optimal arrangement of its lugs.
These features reduce vibrations and noise in the cab when driving. This leads to a more comfortable driving experience, allowing the operator to stay efficient throughout the working day.
Firestone’s Performer Extra 70 is perfectly suited for use in mixed polycropping-livestock farming.
Its versatility makes it more efficient, not only for changing the litter in the stalls, but also for all handling operations on hard ground.
With this type of solid, well designed agricultural tyre, a few good maintenance habits and careful use of your equipment will make it possible to slow down wear considerably and maximise your return on investment.
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