It may be the middle of the year and the training resolutions are over, but that doesn't mean we aren't making an effort to prepare for the beach season. Many of us take a few extra steps on a step challenge, and we may be a little lazy about nutrition. That doesn't seem to stop us from gearing up for success with a new outfit and high-quality shoes if we "go the extra mile". We know that our health and fitness goals can be achieved if we really take care of our bodies. The same goes for agricultural implements; Equipment that farmers push to the limit during harvest time so they can bring the food to our tables. Tractors, combine harvesters, sprayers, etc., like us, need loving and loving care so that farmers can maximize the yield of their crops.
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We could start slowly with a 30-minute introductory yoga class before diving into a cross-fit workout, and that's exactly what your Farmer clients will do with their gear before the long hours of harvest. Nuts are greased, fluids checked, engines flushed and all the bells and whistles checked. And the tires? A good tennis shoe may be the key to a high quality 5K, but do tires always have the same priority when checking equipment? Most of the time this answer will be "no".
Tires have a direct impact on several key elements of agriculture: soil compaction, fuel efficiency, traction on and off the field, and driving comfort for the farmer. Tires require adequate tire pressure and tread wear control, to say the least. There are different types of soil in different parts of the country, which only increases the complexity and requirements for tires.
A tire must be inflated to the correct pressure for the ground conditions and the expected load. Too much air pressure on a standard agricultural radial tire will wear the centerline tread, while too little pressure can cause the radial sidewalls to burst. In a standard application, the psi value in a front auxiliary tire is almost equal to the ground pressure, hence "x" psi = "x" ground pressure. A properly inflated tire distributes weight and pressure evenly over the tread, which has a direct effect on soil compaction.
Proper inflation also affects fuel efficiency. Remember to drive around town with your tires perfectly inflated. almost effortless, right? What if you're in a hurry to meet up with some friends and just take your bike for a tour but the tires haven't been checked? Assuming you are driving on asphalt or concrete when your tires are flat, it will take a lot more effort on your part. You show up to meet up with your friends, sweaty on your forehead and quite frustrated from a workout you hadn't planned when you could have checked your tires.
The same challenges arise with agricultural tires. Equipment requires higher psi on the road than in the field. Unless the farmer changes the air pressure for surface conditions [field to road], the lower air pressure used to increase tire footprint in the field will result in more fuel being used per piece of equipment to keep it running . On the way. In the meantime, we also need to consider the build-up of heat from higher roll speeds and additional loading on the sidewall when the device is loaded at the wrong psi.
Changing the tire profile by inflating it then impairs traction. To add some distraction to the problem of inflation, we can also relate traction to the age and tread wear of a tire. The age of a tire can be determined from the production or serial number code on the sidewall. In recreational agriculture in particular, it can take up to 10 years or more before a tire actually needs to be replaced. In the case of R1W tires, for example, the tread block shrinks when the tire has reached about half of its useful life. The cone is used for the stability of the tread block, but it means that the distance between the lugs becomes smaller with wear and the level of traction changes. This is because the space between the lugs allows the tire to "grab" and push the ground. You can expect your equipment to slip well beyond this point, especially on rainy days.
When we close the loop on these topics, we can think of trail running shoes rather than road running shoes (or a treadmill in the rain). Trail running shoes have, so to speak, a good "tread depth". while road running shoes usually have an attractive pattern and good support for the hard surface and the knocks on our joints. That is not to say that we cannot walk in street shoes or trail street shoes, but it certainly helps explain the meaning of "shoes" for agricultural implements that are more than one size fits all.
In the harvest season, the farmers see the light at the end of the tunnel. Once culture is out of the field, there are fewer wild variables like Mother Nature. If farmers forget to put "check tires" on their to-do list before harvest, they risk wasting valuable hours harvesting their crops. Sometimes the loss of time can even lead to a crop failure.
There are many tools that can help prevent these problems and more and more are being developed every day. Some of these include new tread patterns, improved tire compounds, reinforced tread blocks, air pressure sensors and temperature monitoring. Some OEMs are in the process of developing centralized tire inflation systems. These tools and resources are direct answers to the needs of today's farmers. Agriculture is becoming more and more complex and our demands on the farmer are growing every day, as is the demand for tire equipment. There are many tools that can help prevent these problems and more and more are being developed every day. Some of these include new tread patterns, improved tire compounds, reinforced tread blocks, air pressure sensors and temperature monitoring. Some OEMs are in the process of developing centralized tire inflation systems. These tools and resources are direct answers to the needs of today's farmers. Agriculture is becoming more and more complex and our need for the farmer is increasing daily, as is the need for equipment for tires.
A farmer should always consult their specific equipment manual when servicing or changing tires to optimize their investment, increase efficiency and reduce downtime.
