As of Jan 1, 2021, Alliance Tire Group and Alliance Tire Americas, Inc. changed their names to Yokohama Off-Highway Tires and Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc respectively. The Alliance, Galaxy and Primex brands and product names remain unchanged. Product information is available at www.yokohama-oht.com.
The Alliance Agriflex+ 881—a new, all-steel VF (very high-flexion) radial tire for today's heaviest towed agricultural implements, rated for road speeds up to 40 mph—broadens the line of high-performance VF tires from Alliance Tire America. The Agriflex+ product line uses extremely flexible sidewall technology to improve the load-carrying capacity and reduce soil compaction. The VF tires designated as Alliance Agriflex+ radials can carry as much of a load as a conventional radial tire at 40 percent less inflation pressure, reducing soil compaction force by about 40 percent.
Nick Phillippi, National Product Manager—Agriculture for ATA, notes that introducing the Alliance Agriflex+ 881 VF radial in three popular implement sizes—VF 295/75R22.5, VF 255/70R22.5 and VF 445/65R22.5—and scheduling the introduction of four more sizes soon is part of the company's commitment to minimizing soil compaction from nearly every piece of equipment on the farm.
"We are dedicated to what we call our whole-farm concept, where we look at every machine that touches the field and seek to provide farmers with a low-compaction tire to help protect their yield potential," Phillippi explains. "When you look at research about soil compaction—which can reduce yields for years—you see that it's caused not just by the heavy, high-profile machinery like tractors and combines or sprayers, but also from planters and drills, grain carts, and all sorts of other towed equipment."
The Alliance Agriflex+ 881 is more than just a low-inflation-pressure tire. Its cross-cutting rib tread pattern provides better traction on loose soil and spreads load evenly to reduce compaction, while the tire's all-steel construction resists punctures and maintains a longer footprint. Rugged steel radial belts and woven steel carcass plies also dissipate heat more effectively than other cord materials found in many radial tires—crucial when running at speeds up to 40 mph—and the stubble guard compound is optimized to reduce road wear as well as damage from crop residue.
Phillippi adds that the Alliance Agriflex+ 881 implement radial is a complement to the Alliance 381 Agriflex IF and VF line, a series of steel-belted radial flotation tires with a distinctive lightning-bolt rib tread pattern designed as replacement tires for smaller conventional implement sizes that deliver higher speed and higher load capacity. In addition to boosting tire performance, the rounded shoulders of the Alliance Agriflex 381 protect sensitive surfaces like turf from ruts and divots. Together, Phillippi notes, the 881 and 381 deliver low-compaction options with D speed ratings for a wide range of farm implements.
