New Ag Tires Are In the Spotlight 

Spring is here, and with it all sorts of confusion about the outlook for the coming year. Western drought and reports of poor wheat stands in parts of the Plains – victims of winter kill without snow cover or of the dry winter – contrast with reports of waterlogged fields following inches of rain at a time in the South and East.  The commodity markets are wandering around in search of direction, and farmers are hunkering down and reporting little intention to buy new farm equipment. 

In fact, a survey by the highly respected No-Till Farmer magazine reported that no-till farmers intend to cut machinery purchases by about one-third this year compared to last year. That is in step with overall predictions of farm equipment purchases.

At this stage, that’s not too surprising – the major equipment companies anticipated a major drop in sales this year, and planned accordingly. After a couple of years of major purchases, most farmers who wanted new tractors or combines have them in the shed. That, and lower commodity prices than the record-setting market of a couple of years ago, will create a hangover that will last a while.

But that’s not all bad for the tire business. Those tractors itching to start spring fieldwork and planting and those combines in the shed are going to need replacement tires over the next couple of years if farmers end up slowing down on their trade-ins.

That creates an opportunity for farmers to enlist the support of their local tire dealer to find the perfect tires for their machinery—tires purpose-built for the conditions, crops and soils those growers deal with every day. 

In many cases, the perfect tire for a particular farm may not be what came OE on the machine. 

This is the chance to increase the speed rating for a producer who needs faster mobility over the road. Here is an opportunity to select a tread design that really fits the jobs a tractor does – for instance, the smooth riding, snow-gripping block design of the Alliance 550 Multi-Purpose tire (pictured above) instead of a classic R-1 lug.  Now is the moment to reduce soil compaction by switching to an IF or VF radial.

The diagram to the right shows the increased deflection of IF and VF tires versus standard tires. This new technology enables tires to carry up to 20% higher loads at the same inflation pressure, minimize soil compaction, support heavier machines and enhance machine mobility.

Take a moment to figure out how the right tires can make equipment more productive now that it may spend an extra couple of years on the farm.  We can help -- we have one of the broadest lines of farm tires in the world. Click here to find your nearest dealer.