Low-pressure tyres have evolved over time to become even more high-performance. These developments mean that you can now work at an even lower inflation pressure or carry even heavier loads. These high-tech tyres which belong to the third generation of VF tyres offer exceptional soil preservation qualities despite the load.
The evolution of VF tyres has made it possible to work with bigger, heavier implements, covering a greater surface area with less passages across the land while preserving the soil, thus preserving the future yield capacity of the land.
In this article we look at the major developments in the three generations of low-pressure tyres.
The overall trend is towards a reduction in manual labour on farms, which has been countered by more machines, bigger or wider implements and tractors that are more powerful and much heavier.
Unfortunately, while the weight of the machines increases, the soil does not change and cannot cope with the repeated compaction without consequences in terms of future yields.
To mitigate this problem, the evolution has come from tyre technology, with the development of the IF tyre to take account of this extra weight.
This technology opened up new possibilities; while the tyre could allow you to carry more load, it also meant that with the same load you could work at a lower inflation pressure to preserve your soil.
It has a reinforced casing and more resistant, yet supple sidewalls which allow it to operate at a pressure of as low as 0.8 bar.
This ensures optimal working pressure to preserve your soil. This tyre technology provides an excellent grip on the ground thanks to its larger footprint and the special design used for the structure of its tread.
Thanks to its reinforced sidewalls, this agricultural tyre can be used on all types of terrain with the same pressure and a wide speed range, so that you don’t have to get down from your tractor cab any more when you go from one type of ground to another to adjust the pressure settings. In addition to a working speed and transport speed which can be increased, this represents considerable time savings at the end of a working day.
The IF technology tyre is capable of bearing up to 20% more load than a standard tyre. This is due in particular to the quality of the materials used in the production of the casing and the structure of the tyre.
Here is the comparison between an IF 710/70 R42 tyre and a standard tyre of the same size:
i.e. a difference of 835 kg in favour of the IF tyre.
It is made from better quality materials and a high-tech process is used for the assembly of its casing, making it extremely robust.
Its more resistant, more supple sidewalls give it an extensive flexion capacity.
Here is the comparison between a VF 710/70 R42 tyre and a standard tyre of the same size:
i.e. a difference of 1,545 kg in favour of the VF tyre.
VF tyres are designed to work at low pressure which makes it possible to avoid excess soil compaction and preserve the soil’s fertility and the future yields in your fields.
These high-tech tyres have a bigger and above all longer soil footprint, which spreads out the pressure exerted on the ground better.
VF tyres can maintain the low inflation pressure of 0.8 bar in the fields and on the road, whereas a classical agricultural tyre cannot go below 1.2 on the road if you wish to drive at a normal speed.
This is an enormous advantage in terms of reducing working time if you have several fields to work on in the same day that are some distance apart.
In addition to soil compaction, tyre slippage is a factor that can be problematic in the fields in wet conditions.
This can be managed thanks to use of VF agricultural tyres like the VT-TRACTOR just by reducing inflation pressure to 1 bar or 0.8 bar when working in the fields.
The lugs have a specific design, with multiple, curved angles, designed to facilitate traction and avoid earth accumulating between them.
This ingenious lug design reduces the slip rate of a VF tyre. Traction is improved, work completed quicker and there is less wear over time.
The new generation VF tyre takes us even further, the load bonus increases even more at low speed just like with an ordinary tyre, but with the VF capacities.
These allow even more load without ever compacting the soil thanks to their supple yet resistant casing. They effectively have a large contact patch with the ground which allows the weight of the tractor to be spread over a bigger surface area.
This high-tech model is capable of carrying 40% more load than a standard technology tyre.
However, by reducing speed this load bonus can increase further, which is a particularly interesting advantage for pulling bigger implements or heavier trailers.
Here is the comparison between a new generation VF tyre size 710/70 R42 and a standard tyre of the same size:
i.e. a difference of 1,100 kg in favour of the new generation VF tyre at the working speed and still a difference of 1,545 Kg in favour of the VF tyre at 65 km/h.
The capacity of these new tyres to work at 0.6 bar with more load gives you the possibility of using bigger, heavier implements, which will increase your productivity.
Thanks to a better developed design of the lugs, whose thickness, angle and size have been optimised, the penetration of the lugs into the ground is optimal with VF tyres.
Working at low pressure gives you a longer soil footprint, so there are more lugs working together at the same time. The tyre’s capacity to transmit tractive force horizontally is multiplied.
As the lugs have a better grip, new generation low-pressure VF tyres slip much less, allowing the engine to transmit its power to the ground more effectively.
With this model, the soil is not compacted, you no longer need to carry out any deep tilling or soil aeration work to obtain the same yield. This means that you can really make massive fuel savings.
These tyres will give the best of their capacities with a remote inflation system (TPMS or CTIS).
This new generation tyre links the load bonus to a reduction in speed, but combined with a remote inflation system makes it possible to adjust pressure exactly to your environment in real time.
The Bridgestone-agriculture.eu blog is written and administered by tractor tyre experts who are available to provide you with the advice you need on the subject of your agricultural tyres. They allow you to maximise your productivity with information on all subjects linked to tyres: Technical data for agricultural tyres – Agricultural tyre performance – Air pressure advice, Solutions to avoid soil compaction – Sprayer tyre pressure – Why and how to ballast your tractor tyres – etc.
To take it one step further and increase the profitability of your farm, les Experts du pneu provide a free, highly detailed eBook which explains the essential role of the agricultural tyre in your productivity.
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