Michelin Ultraflex Technology drives low-compaction spraying solution
Sprayers are notoriously heavy, says Steve Heard, something that makes low soil compaction tyres a necessity. Steve Heard Contracting operates an Agrifac sprayer on Michelin tyres, similar to this model.
A farming contractor in Leicestershire reports he has developed “the optimum set-up for a self-propelled sprayer”, using two different sets of Michelin Ultraflex Technology tyres to reduce soil compaction year-round.
Steve Heard Contracting’s tyre choice means the firm’s 12-tonne Agrifac sprayer can operate at lower tyre pressures than conventional farm tyres permit, and without the need to adjust pressures between the road and the field.
Owner Steve Heard explains: “The biggest advantage is their flexibility. Ultraflex Technology tyres enable us to operate at the same pressures in the field as we do on the road, but without compromising our in-field performance.”
Heard’s option to fit only Ultraflex Technology tyres means his sprayer is fine-tuned for efficient running. He has specified VF710/60 R 38 Michelin XeoBib tyres for working on wet ground and dealing with shorter winter crops, switching to VF380/90 R 46 Michelin SprayBib tyres for taller crops and drier ground.
“Sprayers are notoriously heavy machines and so the risk of soil compaction is high if you don’t pick your tyres carefully. Our dual XeoBib and SprayBib set-up gives me total confidence we’ve taken every possible step to reduce compaction to a minimum, which in turn increases yield. That’s ultimately what our customers are most interested in,” he adds.
The sprayer operates within an approximate eight mile radius of Steve Heard Contracting’s base at Thistle House Farm, Billesdon, and is responsible for working around 25,000 acres of land every year.
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