‘Massive difference in contact area’ – Contractor lauds Michelin EvoBib

Impressed by the performance of its previous generation Michelin EvoBib tyres, York-based agricultural equipment company Wharram and Kay has upgraded its new Fendt 728 tractor with the latest EvoBib incarnation.

Launched in 2017, Michelin EvoBib is the first agricultural tyre designed explicitly for use with Central Tyre Inflation Systems (CTIS), simplifying the process of switching from field to road. Michelin debuted an enhanced version of the range last year.

“We were first introduced to the EvoBib several years ago and have used them ever since,” says Roger Kay, co-owner of Wharram and Kay. “For seed drilling operations, I believe it is simply the best tyre out there because of the way it can spread the tractor’s weight across the ground and how kind it is on the soil.”

Double the VF footprint

The latest EvoBib offers a footprint variation of 47 per cent between road and field. Michelin’s own testing shows this to be double that of a VF tyre such as the AxioBib 2 (tested in size VF 710/70 R 42; Load per tyre: 5,300 kg; Road speed: 65 km/h; Field speed: 30 km/h) that farmers and contractors may otherwise use with a CTIS.

Michelin says it has adapted the EvoBib’s tread design to improve longevity and offer excellent traction capabilities until the end of the tyre’s life. Furthermore, the new EvoBib features a PFO (Pressure Field Operation) rating for the tyre casing, enabling manufacturers to enhance load capacity for field use.

Wharram and Kay entrusted local dealer Tanvic Farm Tyres to replace the original equipment tyres on their new Fendt with Michelin EvoBib. The business will primarily employ the tractor for seed drilling in the field and for transporting trailers and machinery between jobs on the road.

Alleviating soil compaction

“The Fendt has a VarioGrip CTIS onboard which inflates and deflates the tyres accordingly,” adds Kay. “We’re looking forward to seeing the impact of this latest version of the EvoBib. On the ones we have used previously there was a massive difference in the contact area on the ground with other VF tyres we’d used, which is so important.

“They really alleviate any soil compaction which meant that the crop emergence was very uniformed, there was no delay in emergence behind the tractor wheelings, for instance, which we had experienced before.”

Established in 1976, Wharram and Kay offers a range of farming and contracting services, managing more than 650 hectares within a nine-mile radius of its base at Providence House, in Crockey Hill.