A new generation of Michelin tyres for self-propelled sprayers enables load capacities to increase by up to 13.5 per cent at speeds as high as 30 km/h or 18.5 mph. The Michelin SprayBib CFO introduces the Cyclical Field Operation standard to the VF range, and UK customers will be able to obtain this successor to the SprayBib in 12 sizes by December 2022.
We first saw the Ceat Torquemax tractor tyre at Agritechnica 2019, and Ceat Specialty has now expanded the range to include very high flexion tyres. The Torquemax VF, aimed at “farmers investing in tyres that offer greater operational efficiencies” for their high-horsepower tractors, is available in sizes VF 520/85R38 170 D TL and VF 710/70R42 185 D TL.
During the summer Alliance Tire Group began showing off its Alliance Agri Star II and 372 Agriflex+ VF lines. The first of these debuted at the LAMMA show in January, but both tyres came to market during the first corona lockdown. Tyrepress.com saw these products in action on a farm in Germany a couple of months back, but the UK’s second lockdown put paid to plans for a real-world 372 VF launch over here. So instead of togging up in extra-thick jackets and pulling on our wellies, on 1 December we headed over to the virtual farm and caught up with ATG and Kirkby Tyres, who exclusively distributes the Alliance brand in the UK and Ireland.
Continental has launched its new range of very high flexion (VF) agricultural tyres. The manufacturer states that the tyres are more versatile and safer on the road. They also increase agricultural efficiencies, Conti adds. VF tyres help to reduce soil compaction, which helps to promote increased yields. They can also save farmers time, as a result of field and road performance gains. Conti re-entered the high-value agricultural tyre market in 2017 with the radial Tractor70 and Tractor85 ranges. It said that it intended to expand its agricultural tyre portfolio to 100 sizes by 2019. The VF tyres are the latest move to increase market coverage.
An addition to the Continental TractorMaster range will be presented at next week’s Agritechnica show. Called the TractorMaster Hybrid, the new tyre comes with built-in pressure sensors. The pressure and temperature information these provide enables operators to adjust tyre pressure to match the task at hand. Continental’s aim is to deliver a tyre that offers traction with lower soil compaction in the field and greater comfort on the road.
BKT has shared a few details about the new tyre it will unveil at Agritechnica. Specifically developed for agricultural trailers, the V-Flexa radial features VF technology that enables the transport of heavy loads with an inflation pressure 30 per cent less than that of a standard tyre of the same size.
The Alliance Tire Group (ATG) claims a world first with the launch of its Alliance 389 VF, a flotation tyre featuring VF, or very high flexion, technology. The off-road tyre specialist states that the 389 VF is the first product to bring together the reduced soil pressure offered by flotation tyres and the superior load carrying/tyre pressure combination of a VF design.
The Mitas range of very high flexion, or VF tyres has been enlarged through the introduction of the HC 3000 in size 710/70R42. The harvester tyre was released in the market last month and offers the advantages of higher maximum load capacity and lower inflation pressure during cycling field operation than standard tyres.
The latest additions to the Mitas Very High Flexion (VF) agricultural tyre range are set to debut at the SIMA trade fair in Paris later this month. The tyre maker will present two new sizes in its HC 2000 line for high horsepower tractors, namely VF 600/70R30 and VF 710/70R42 fitments. A further introduction in March – size VF 380/105R54 – will add a fifth member to the HC 2000 family.
Now would be a good time to bin any romantic stereotypes of bucolic rural idyll. Agriculture has always been a serious business for those engaged in the sector, and the deployment of technology and new practices to maximise land productivity is nothing new. And while British farmers haven’t more recently experienced the pressure to ‘get big or get out’ as much as their peers in some markets, the drive for greater efficiency has however meant a trend towards larger-sized agricultural equipment. But larger also means heavier, and the extent to which yield is affected by vehicles traversing fields has thus gained a new significance. And this is where our protagonist enters the story.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
Continental