ORLANDO, Fla. – Machinery loads aren’t dropping, but Firestone is doing something about the pressures.
The company has added a new farm tractor and combine tire with more flexible and supportive sidewalls. The result is a tire that can handle 20 percent more load at the same pressure of a standard radial.
The new tire can also be run at lower pressures if the load is equal.
Tom Rodgers, head of Firestone’s Bridgestone Americas Agricultural Group, said the company wasn’t the first to offer the increased flexion rated farm tire.
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It followed Michelin’s Axiobib, which came out last year. However, Firestone feels its tire, which it calls AD2, competes well with other products.
“We did our homework in developing these tires,” Rodgers said.
“They had to stand up to the perils of stubble, carry the loads, provide the traction and operate at lower pressures to reduce compaction.”
Firestone tested the tire extensively at its testing facility Ohio.
“The increased deflection results in wider footprint. That improves traction, which means there is less slippage. This boosts fuel efficiency,” Rodgers said.
“These are the first North American made tractor tires to receive an IF rating. Farmers will be able to order them from the manufacturer along with their new tractors, or buy them as replacements.”
Firestone is using its standard tire moulds to cast the tires, which means traditional sizes and lug angles are available, such as the deep tread and 23 degree units.
The IF420/85R34 and IF600/70R30 models are available for front axle mechanical front wheel drive machines while the IF480/80R50, IF710/70R38 and IF710/70R42 are available for four wheel drive duals and triples and for row crop machines.
“We’ll roll out more sizes, but these are available for this season,” he said.
Rodgers said Firestone is planning to add new, larger tire sizes to its lineup that will be released only with the IF rating.
“IF will be the tire that farmers will be using, especially on the higher horsepower machines in the future,” he said.
