Farming technology is evolving at a rapid pace to meet new competitive standards. Equipment tyres conducting hundreds of hours of intensive work over thousands of farms every day are a crucial area of innovation and growth.
Increased flexion tyres – IF (increased flexion) and VF (very high flexion) tyres – have revolutionised the sector. The choice of agricultural tyre is greater than ever before, and tyres have now become a determining factor in improving your productivity. Because of their increased flexion and larger footprint compared to standard radial farming tyres, IF and VF tyres allow for better weight distribution, which reduces soil compaction and offers several other key benefits.
These new technologies are also able to bear heavier loads. At an equal pressure, an IF tyre can bear 20% more weight and a VF tyre can bear 40% more weight. As a result, fewer transport cycles are required. With IF and VF tyres, the materials used in their manufacture are more sophisticated and sensitive areas, such as the beads, are strengthened. This results in a higher quality tyre.
“The other main advantage of VF tyres is their complete versatility – you no longer need to adjust your tyre pressures when alternating between field and road application,” says Willouw Goosen, Product Specialist at Bridgestone Southern Africa. “This saves an enormous amount of time, while also offering greater comfort.”
Bridgestone’s recently launched VT-TRACTOR tyre, is the flagship in the brand’s agriculture range. For farmers, the tyres improve the performance of tractors, sprayers and implements. The tyre is designed for the most advanced, heavy, and sophisticated machines. Due to its ability to work at lower pressure, even when operating under higher loads, it contributes to lower fuel consumption.
Optimised efficiency, lower costs
Because agricultural tyres play such a critical role in getting work done, it is necessary to stay up to date on the latest tyre technology.
Bridgestone’s premium VT-TRACTOR tyres are said to be ideal for intense field operations, raising the bar on soil protection. Their unique S-LINE bead profile allows greater flexing at lower pressure, while the patented involute lug design minimises slip and soil disturbance – even under extreme conditions, and with high and constantly changing loads.
“Our tests show that, compared with its competitors, Bridgestone’s VT-TRACTOR tyre has a lug contact area up to 26% larger than current key players in the market,” says Goosen. “The tyres boost agricultural productivity in all conditions thanks to the ability to carry heavier loads, while protecting your most valuable resource, fertile soil.”
By providing superior traction, VT-TRACTOR tyres allow farmers to work faster. With these tyres, you can cover almost 1 ha. more in a day with the same equipment, compared with current key players in the market, according to testing conducted by Bridgestone.
Goosen says Bridgestone has introduced the VT-TRACTOR range to South Africa in response to evolving needs in the agricultural sector. “With the farming community adopting new technology, this has opened up an opportunity for Bridgestone to introduce its top-end range of agriculture tyres to the country. In addition, many OEMs are using VT-TRACTOR tyres on the machines that are being exported to the country.”
With rapidly developing technologies taking over industries, it comes as no surprise that farming is also experiencing technological transformation. Constant innovation in the world of agriculture has seen major advancements in the structure of tyres, tread patterns, compound materials used in their manufacture and increased weight-handling capabilities. By improving their tyre technology, farmers worldwide can work smarter and not harder.
