Tyres & Tracks
Good tyres improve efficiency, boost operator confidence and aid soil health A Scottish contractor was an early adopter of Continental’s new tyres when he chose to fit a set of Tractor85 tyres in 2019. Over 4,000 hours on and the tyres are still performing well, despite the demanding work he expects from them. Edward Ewan contract farms near Aberdeen and specialises in silage work for beef farms. He also offers ploughing, drilling and muck spreading within a 15 mile radius of his 140ha farm in Newtonhill. The business was started by his father in the 1970s and his son Gary helps him to run it. The 520/85R42 rear tyres and 420/85R30 fronts were fitted to his New Holland 7210, which has worked 11,000 hours. “We use it for pretty much everything, but mostly field work these days. It spends a lot of time baling in the season but can also handle a 5f Kverneland plough well on the land we have around here,” he says. The land is flat and some is coastal, so the soils he works on vary from sandy loam to light clay moving inland. “The grassland can be slippery, and having good tyres makes all the difference to the efficiency of the tractor, the confidence of the operator and the impact the machinery has on the soil,” he comments. Mr Ewan has been particularly impressed with the self-cleaning properties of the tyres. The lug design is subtly different to standard radial tyres enabling better traction. The curved edge of the lugs helps the tyres to self-clean, providing him with more grip during challenging work. “It is really important when we are ploughing for the tyres to grip well and not get blocked up with soil. These tyres have performed very well and there is still plenty of tread, so I am hoping to get another couple of seasons out of them,” he says. The Tractor85 tyres have offered excellent grip on grassland, performed well when ploughing, and have been quiet on the road.
Mr Ewan chooses to run at 18psi for both road and field work – a pressure that was advised by Continental’s agricultural tyre specialist, Richard Hutchins. “Eddie is doing a lot of baling work and the tractor is used mostly on quite soft grassland, but also has to travel on the road. By calculating the pressure for load including the weight of his New Holland square baler, I was able to suggest the most efficient operating pressure for the mixture of work,” Mr Hutchins explains. Continental customers can now calculate the best operating pressure for their tyres using a mobile app. The ‘TireTech’ app holds data on all Continental tyres and only requires the weight
of the tractor plus any implements and forward speed to be added in order to calculate the optimum operating pressure. “The app is a handy tool, and we hope that all farmers who choose to buy our tyres will take the time to use it because this will help reduce soil compaction and also make the tractor safer to operate,” he adds. Mr Ewan also has a Manitou 634 telehander that is in need of new tyres. Following the positive experience with his Tractor85 tyres, he is hoping to fit the new CompactMaster loader range that Continental released in 2021. The tyre is the first to feature Turtle Shield tread technology and a twisted steel cord. The hard shell, and more flexible steel wire construction, helps to prevent cuts and damages while offering greater stability. “I have been impressed with the tractor tyres and, if the loader ones are as good, I am sure I will be happy. The service from Richard has been second to none and I think it is admirable that he actually visits farms to make sure the tyres are right,” concludes Mr Ewan. FG
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