Making sure you are using your tyres in line with their technical specifications makes good sense, and now Firestone has raised the bar with an extended nine-year warranty as well.

Agricultural tyres have to cope with extreme conditions, as any farmer will tell you. They are also expensive. This is one area where it really pays to look for quality, says Lungisa Xhelithole, Firestone Brand Manager at Bridgestone South Africa. ‘

“If the best materials aren’t used, and manufacturing process isn’t gold-plated, you are going to have problems,” she says. “A good tyre is an investment for farmers because tyre repairs or replacements are not only expensive, they waste time.”

Firestone has now extended its five-year warranty on manufacturing defects to nine years on tyres manufactured in the United Sates and purchased from 14 May 2018. Qualifying tyres must have been fitted by original equipment manufacturers on vehicles sold in South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. Tyres must be registered via the Firestone website.

The Firestone site also provides full information plus a list of qualifying tyres at https://firestone.co.za/9-year-agricutural-tyre-warranty/. 

Once registration is completed, the customer will receive confirmation by SMS or e-mail. Claims will be made at a Bridgestone authorised dealer, and the remaining tread depth measurement will be used to calculate the amount of compensation.

Use them right to get maximum value

Warranties, however, only cover manufacturing defects. Savvy farmers should also be sure to understand what the technical specifications of the tyres they buy are, and follow them. Using tyres correctly has multiple benefits, and is a variable that farmers can control, says Stephan van Staden, National Agricultural Specialist at Bridgestone, manufacturer of Firestone’s portfolio of specialised agricultural tyres.

“Farmers must be careful not to ignore the large gains that they can obtain from managing their tyres,” he says. “In particular, maintaining proper tyre inflation pressures and setting up ballast can save an enormous of money and increase productivity.”

Mr Van Staden explains that tyres account for 20 to 40 percent of horsepower loss, and thus optimising their efficacy through correct pressure and ballast will reduce that percentage. The key here is to ensure that the optimal amount of tyre surface engages with the field surface – an optimal footprint will maximise the tractor’s efficiency in performing its task while minimising fuel use, while prolonging tyre life.

Achieving the optimal tyre footprint means calculating the lowest tyre inflation needed to carry the load.

Another advantage of the lowest practical tyre inflation is that soil compaction is minimised, thus contributing to the overall health of the soil.

Tyre pressure must be fit for purpose

“It’s important to understand that there is no ‘best tyre pressure’ for a tractor – the tyre pressure must be calculated according to the load it is carrying in each case,” he explains. “A study at Ohio State University showed that using the correct tyre inflation improved fuel consumption by between 5,3 percent and 26,5 percent, and the time spent per acre by 0,8 percent to 11 percent. Achieving these kinds of savings can make a significant impact on a farmer’s margins, especially if they are sustained over the long term.”

He adds that fuel has now become the single largest input cost to farmers, so any consistent saving of fuel costs is highly advantageous.

In order to set up a tractor correctly, the first step is obviously to ensure that tyres of the correct size are fitted. Then it is necessary to determine the correct weight split between front and rear, and then the amount of weight on each tyre.  Ballast may need to be added depending on what equipment the tractor is pulling, and this will affect the weight split.  While hydro inflation has been traditionally used for ballasting and is cheap, it has several disadvantages. The modern trend is to rely on dry weights. Hydro inflation is, in any event, not suitable for radial tyres, which are increasingly being used in agriculture because they offer a 6 to 14 percent performance improvement over cross-ply tyres.

It’s important to check tyre pressures regularly to ensure that tyres remain at the correct pressure. This should be done weekly at a minimum, and an accurate gauge will pay for itself very quickly.

“Tyres are an integral part of tractors, sprayers and combine harvesters – some of the farmer’s most important (and expensive) equipment. Taking the time to ensure the tyres are inflated to the optimal pressure, and that the weight of the tractor is correctly calculated and distributed, will ensure that equipment does the best possible job in the shortest possible time, while using the least fuel possible,” he concludes.

To enjoy these benefits and talk to the experts visit your closest Bridgestone/Firestone dealer.