“A farmer should buy Firestone for various very good reasons,” says Stephan van Staden, National Agriculture Specialist from Firestone. “We manufactured the first tyre exclusively intended for agriculture, which means that all other tractor tyre manufacturers are merely following in our tracks.”

Harvey Firestone produced the first tractor tyre in 1932, thereby making Firestone the leader in agriculture. Firestone is also the only tyre manufacturer with an agricultural testing facility. This test farm in situated in Ohio in the USA. “Many of our competitors send their products to our test farm for testing. When I was there in 2010, I could see the state of competitors’ tyres after the tests. When I compared them to the tested Firestones, I could clearly see how advanced Firestone is.”

Famous 23 degrees tread grips

Following years of research in America, Firestone placed a tread rib of 23° on the shoulders of their tractor tyres. “The 23° grip on the shoulder turns towards the centre of the tyre to end in 46°. In dry conditions the 23° grip works the best, while 46° grip ensures the best traction in wet conditions. In South Africa, farmers in the Free State and the Eastern Highveld will benefit most from the 23° grip.

Therefore, the famous design gives the farmer the best of two worlds.

Any moment that a Firestone tyre comes into contact with the ground, more grips than those of any other tyre will touch the ground. Naturally, this results in superior traction.

When a farmer inflates his tyres to the correct pressure and work at the correct speed, Firestone can save him diesel, and with the correct traction, he can work more hectares in a shorter time-span. “If we can help a farmer to save only 10% on his diesel consumption, we succeed in making his life easier and his farm more lucrative,” Stephan says.

Distribution over Southern Africa

Firestone mainly use Supa-quick as their dealers, and there are approximately 260 Supa-quick branches all over the country. You can find a Firestone supplier in almost every town. In Namibia and Botswana, Firestone tyres are also likewise by Supa-quick. In Zambia, you may obtain Firestone products from Bridgestone dealers and Zimbabwe has an independent supplier, Imex, to supply tyres to farmers. “Our coverage of Southern Africa is very comprehensive. There is someone close to you who can supply you with Firestone tyres,” he says.

Wide range

Firestone manufacture their cross-ply tyres in Port Elizabeth. The F206 and F15 ranges are intended for the rear wheels of tractors. For the front wheels, farmers may acquire Guidegrip 2 and Guidegrip 3. For trailers and implements, Firestone supply the Land & Road range in various sizes.

Radial ply tyres are also popular. Firestone manufactures two ranges: The All Traction Radials are imported from the USA, and the Maxi Traction, Performer 85, 70, and 65 from Spain.

Reasonable guarantee

“Firestone’s agricultural tyres are guaranteed for five years against poor workmanship and poor materials. Should a tyre be returned, the tread will be measured to determine how many millimetres the farmer used, and the rest of the value will be paid out to him,” Stephan says.

When should you replace?

“If your tractor tyres have to work large surfaces of land, you should start considering replacement at 50% wear. The less tread you have left on your tyres, the more wheel-slip you can expect, and this may increase your fuel consumption. A tractor doing road work does not need so much traction, and the tyres may used for a longer period,” he says.

For more information on Firestone’s superb tyres, call 011-387-2000 or visit their website at Firestonejourneys.com.