Tractor Tires Cut Farm Fuel Costs

Fuel is one of the largest expenses for a farm and while farmers can’t control the cost of fuel, there are some steps they can take to reduce the amount their tractors use—such as ensuring optimal wheel slippage and proper tire inflation pressure. In addition to improving fuel efficiency, optimal wheel slippage and proper pressure can lead to other cost-saving benefits such as decreasing time in the field, reducing yield-sapping soil compaction, and minimizing wear and tear on equipment.  

Just how much can you save by improving farm equipment efficiency? A bulletin from Michigan State University Extension estimates that poor tractor performance wastes nearly 150 million gallons of fuel each year in the U.S.

Improving the Performance of Existing Farm Equipment with Tires

Farmers with hopes of purchasing equipment this year, whether new or used, are discovering one of the most challenging markets in recent memory. Reuters recently reported that the supply of tractors in North America is the tightest it’s been in 18 years. One option available to farmers is to take steps to improve the efficiency and productivity of the equipment they’re already running and wait for the market to cool. A simple, easy, and cost-efficient way to give existing equipment a boost is with new tires.  

More Life. Less Cost.

At Crystal Valley in Madelia, Minnesota, Nik Samuelson has put Alliance flotation tires to the test on eight of the 11 TerraGator 9300s he oversees as shop coordinator. The remaining three will be replaced once the current tires of a different brand wear out.
He plans to replace them with either the Alliance 376 Multistar flotation radials he trusts or the new Alliance Agriflex+ 377 VF flotation radials he has been sampling for the past year.

The good news: he figures he won’t have too long to wait.

High-Tech VF Tires Improve Productivity and Efficiency on the Farm 

From high-tech software to high-flying drones, interest in agtech is exploding. According to research company Crunchbase, in both 2018 and 2019, venture capitalists invested more than $4 billion in just agtech startups alone. While flashy apps and autonomous machinery often steal the spotlight, numerous other, more understated technological advancements—like the development of VF (very-high flexion) tires—are happening right under our (tractors’) noses.

Alliance Flotation Tractor Tires

Some problems have plagued farmers forever, like uncooperative weather and wet fields, while other issues are more modern, like the effect super-powerful and heavy tractors have on farmland. Farmers can’t control the weather or the need for larger tractors, but there is one solution that addresses the issues posed by both these problems: flotation tires.