Ag Market Moves Towards Low Profile

Tyre manufacturer Firestone has reported that more farmers are demanding 65 series tyres, instead of 70 series or standard 85 series. Tyres & Accessories magazine asked to Barry Coleman, Firestone’s marketing manager about the swing.

According to the Firestone, most tractors in this country still use standard 85 series tyres. However, the manufacturer reports that demand for this specification is steadily falling and is being replaced by a preference for low profile sizes. The main benefit of a lower profile tyre is a larger footprint, which results in less soil compaction and increased traction. This benefits nearly all fields/surfaces but has particular advantages for ploughing and sub-soiling.

And furthermore, the trend shows no signs of abating with 65 series tyres increasing in popularity at the expense of 85 series tyres. In recent years farmers converted to 70 for better floatation and traction, but now more are said to be realising that it’s just as easy to switch to 65 series and get even better floatation and traction. The fact that the cost is only marginally higher for the 65 series rather than the 70 series makes the lower profile an even more attractive proposition.

Barry Coleman believes 65 series tyres offer a real opportunity for growth in an otherwise static market. “We have seen our market share in the 65 series double since the introduction of our R9000 Evolution tyre. On the face of it, low profile tyres seem like a panacea, but the reality has been that the manufacturing technology has not been in place to deliver the goods. Early 65 series tyres had a reputation for shorter wear life and poor performance on the road. The R9000 Evolution is the result of years of testing and now users are reaping the rewards.

“Anecdotal feedback and independent tests confirm that the R9000 Evolution offers superior performance to the other leading brands in the 65 series market. An independent test found that the Firestone tyre offered 3.45 per cent more traction than its leading rivals in the premium sector,” said the Firestone marketing manager.

Coleman claims that although 65 series tyres carry a price premium due to the increased manufacturing costs, they can compensate for that margin in terms of productivity. According to Firestone, another of the R9000 Evolution’s strengths is that unlike some specialist tyres, users can fit them to their existing rims, saving themselves several thousand pounds. In addition, the R9000’s OE fitments with the likes of John Deere, New Holland and Case go some way towards endorsing the product.

“Making a tyre like this was a real challenge which could only have been accomplished thanks to the state-of-the-art R&D resources of the Bridgestone Corporation. They were developed at the same research facility in which Bridgestone’s Formula One tyres are designed. One particular design challenge was to develop a flat crown radius; if the tread area is flat, there will be uniform contact pressure with the ground. Also, wider tread areas are more inclined to suffer from centrifugal growth at speed; the design and construction of the R9000 Evolution limits such growth, improving the ride and minimising irregular wear. It’s probably fair to say that we’ve now reached the optimum balance of performance between road and fieldwork.”