Continental launches CompactMaster AG loader tyre

Continental has launched the CompactMaster AG, a new telehandler and skid-steer loader tyre. According to the company, the tyre is the first to be designed with a new Turtle Shield tread layer and twisted steel belt. It is capable of operating at speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour. And, compared to a standard agricultural tyre pattern, the new lug design of the CompactMaster AG tyre provides five per cent more surface area.

“This is a reinforced tyre with a hard shell and a more flexible steel wire construction to help prevent cuts and damage, whilst offering greater stability for materials handling work,” explained Continental agricultural tyre specialist, Richard Hutchins, adding:

“This tyre represents years of research and development by our agricultural research and development team in Lousado, Portugal. The new twisted steel belt construction has a unique Turtle Shield layer beneath the rubber to protect the tyre shoulder area from damage. The wider tread and lug widths have been specifically designed to offer better traction on a variety of surfaces and improve the self-cleaning properties of the tyre.

“This level of tolerance is an indication of the strength and flexibility of the tyre. The twisted steel belt provides a robust yet flexible tyre that can run at higher pressures on the road to enhance fuel efficiency, and lower pressures in the yard or field when carrying heavy loads,” he says.

The CompactMaster AG’s lug pattern is designed to further enhances grip while also contributing to the tyre wearing more evenly, which can improve the hours and mileages the tyre will deliver. The tyre also has a land-sea (L/S) ratio of 30 per cent which means a larger portion of the tyre stays in contact with the ground. Telehanders and skid-steer loaders also have to make stationary turns on hard surfaces which increases the lateral pressure that is put through the tyre. The twisted steel belt construction of the CompactMaster AG tyre makes it stiffer which provides greater stability.