Tips for choosing the right tractor tyres

First of all, the question of why you should explore tyre options on your own instead of relying on manufacturer's recommendations should be addressed.

While the advice of dealers and manufacturers is certainly valuable, nobody knows the needs of your farm like you do.

Choosing your own tyres can potentially improve your tractor or farm machinery's carrying capacity, speed, fuel economy and safety.

Not all tyres are made the same, so it is important that you understand the variety of options available and select the best ones to suit your needs.

Things to consider:

Both tyre options' biggest point of difference is the way they are constructed. Generally speaking, bias ply tyres are cheaper but do not last as long as radial ply tyres.

Radial ply tyres have been designed in a way that they transfer more power to the ground compared to bias ply ones, and therefore have become almost standard in the agricultural industry. They also have a softer footprint, which helps reduce soil erosion and improves fuel economy.

Tyre sidewall technology has improved a lot over time and has proven to be of significant importance in the agricultural industry. In a nutshell, more flexible tyre sidewalls allow you to run your tyres at a lower air pressure, hence reducing soil compaction and erosion.

Increased flexion (IF) and very increased flexion (VF) tyres allow you to carry 20 and 40 per cent more load respectively at the same inflation pressure.

Tyres with a herringbone tread are the most suitable for use on Australian soil and in most farming applications. However, depending on what application you need your tyres for, other tread patterns may be more suitable.

For example, a diamond-pattern tread may work better on turf farms or golf courses where traction isn't needed as much and soil disturbance must be minimised.

What size tyres depends on how much traction you need. In principal, you should go for the largest tyres your machine permits for the best traction performance.

However, factors including tyre width should also come into consideration, especially if you are involved with crop production. The width and tyre spacing set-up needs to match your crop row spacing.

In general farming operations, the industry standard is to run bigger tractor tyres at a lower pressure to reduce soil compaction. In controlled traffic farming, however, narrower tyres are preferred to reduce track area, and a higher tyre pressure is used on permanent wheel tracks to reduce rolling resistance and improve fuel economy.

Choosing the right tractor tyres for your operation can make a significant difference to your bottom line, so take things into your own hands instead of leaving it to dealers or manufacturers.