Nokian Increases Ply Rating With Latest Forest King F Size

In introducing the newest size in its Forest King F range, Nokian Tyres has described it as the “world’s strongest forest tyre”. Intended for fitment on CTL (cut-to-length) harvesters, the range has been extended to include size 710/45-26.5, the first tyre in the line-up to have a Ply Rate of 24. Nokian states that the cross-ply tyre “offers the best available reliability and load-bearing capacity for modern harvesters and forwarders.”

Forestry tyres, comments Nokian, typically have a PR or Ply Rate – a measurement of durability – of 16 or 20. The new Forest King F tyre has a PR of 24, and the manufacturer says the tyre’s load-bearing capacity has increased by more than one tonne, from 6,900 kilograms on the Nokian Forest King F 20 PR to 8,000 kilograms on the new Nokian Forest King F 24 PR. When used on six- and eight-wheeled forestry machines, this increase in load-bearing capacity corresponds to some four cubic metres of pinewood harvested in the summer.
 
“The efficiency requirements of modern forestry tyres have increased year by year,” said Martti Päivinen, product development manager at Nokian Heavy Tyres. “In addition to environmental friendliness, machine manufacturers and contractors are looking for products that feature high quality and increasingly better load-bearing capacity and traction. Our new, carefully developed, ultra-strong material solutions enable a durable structure, higher operating pressure and first-class load-bearing capacity. The new Nokian Forest King F is the best of its class, offering all the desired features, ensuring reliability and making harvesting easier than ever before.”
 
Noteworthy features of the Forest King F range, says Nokian, are a wide tread that gives a larger contact area, lowering surface pressure, plus straight sidewalls and a groove profile that work together to increase the tyre’s cleaning properties and durability. Nokian adds that the tyre’s design supports the position of tracks and chains, ensuring they fit optimally on the tyre.

Nokian has designed tyres for forestry machines that use the CTL method, developed in the Nordic countries, since the 1960s. Its product range includes tyres CTL as well as full-tree (FT) machines, such as skidders.