In agriculture today, everything is getting bigger. The yields, the farms, and certainly the equipment have all grown larger in the past five years, and now the tire manufacturers have joined the trend. Late in 2013, more manufacturers began breaking the seven-foot barrier, crossing over from Group 48 into Group 49s and 50s, with diameters of 7.2 and 7.6 feet, respectively. Some are even pushing their new series into the Group 51 level.
Yet that is only part of the story with the newer tire designs. Some manufacturers are exploring the “extreme flotation” concept to reduce soil compaction, tighten turns, and provide a smoother ride. For all that technology is doing for equipment and precision agriculture, however, it really does come down to taking better care of the soil.
Alliance Agriflex 363
Bigger machinery inevitably means more road time between fields. It affects our machinery choices, for instance, driving the spike in self-propelled sprayers. It is also affecting tire choice, with farmers looking for new designs that can excel both on pavement and across a range of soil conditions. The Agriflex 363 series is new from Alliance and is an example of the company’s Improved Flexion (IF) design. The configuration of the tire means it can work with higher tire deflection, translating into 20 per cent higher load capacities at the same inflation pressures. At the same time, it can also perform just as well at lower air pressures and a standard load, increasing the footprint of the tire and reducing ground pressure. Added blocks in the tread also provide superior traction on softer surfaces.
Trelleborg
Sustainable farming has become an important theme with Trelleborg’s new tires, and they used several exhibitions earlier this year to show off all they have to offer. First on the list is their IF900/65R46 TM1000 High Power line, with what the company calls “incomparable flotation performance.” Incorporating Trelleborg’s BlueTire tread design, it’s been engineered to make the most of both tread width and its larger footprint, said by the company to be the widest on the market. Trelleborg also launched its ProgressiveTraction design, featuring a double lug which is engineered to improve efficiency in the field. In addition to boosting traction more than 10 per cent, the Progressive Traction design also generates extra pull, reducing working time while increasing efficiency.
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