All hail, the reign of the Tractor King has commenced. This regally-titled tyre was developed to provide “the heaviest of machinery” with a fitment for use in the “most difficult terrain in forestry, earthmoving and road construction.” Nokian Tyres says the design of the Nokian Tractor King, from its all-new tread pattern to its strengthened casing, is “nothing short of revolutionary in a tractor tyre.”
After more than a year of testing in the fields of Lithuania together with local John Deere distributor Dojus Group and distributor Bohnenkamp, STARCO says it can now offer a replacement wheel solution for the John Deere 6 tractor series. This new solution enables the fitment of non-standard wheels and tyres of different widths as well as dual mount wheels.
Southampton wheel alignment equipment supplier Supertracker will expand its product range in the early part of 2017 to include a new model for the agricultural market. Final tests have recently been completed on the laser-based four-wheel aligner, which Supertracker says will guarantee accurate results alongside ease of use. Modern tractors’ ability to travel at speeds of up to forty miles an hour have led some established and potential Supertracker customers to enquire about wheel aligners for agricultural vehicles, which the company states will open up a new avenue of sales opportunity.
Farmers fitting Michelin Ultraflex Technology tyres to their agricultural machinery can benefit from a 4 per cent more yield. That’s the view of research led by Harper Adams University, which set out to measure the effects of Michelin Ultraflex Technology tyres on annual wheat yields, specifically looking at productivity, environmentally-friendly agriculture and soil protection.
Trelleborg will support the Tractor of The Year awards as official partner for a further four years, further strengthening its strategic partnership. The agricultural tyre and wheel supplier was the awards’ first sponsor in 2012, and has remained in place every year since.
Trelleborg and the Tractor of the Year awards will come together again in the following year, strengthening their strategic partnership for the co-marketed event, “Tractor of the Year 2016: Let the challenge begin”. The event will take place at Palazzo Di Varignana, in Bologna, on 18-19 May.
Trelleborg has announced that the first stop on its 2015 European Road Show for agricultural tyres will be Sissa Trecasali in Parma, Italy on June 5. The one-day event will provide two field demonstrations in which two tractors will compete over a 200 metre track, head-to-head.
Seven tractor-driving finalists in the European Drivers Challenge have been invited to the Michelin Technical Innovation Centre Test Circuit in Ladoux, France to demonstrate how best practice can affect tractor performance. Each participant will get his own John Deere 6215R AutoPowr tractor, pulling a heavy 20t Joskin two axle trailer. The tractors will be equipped with Michelin MachXBib tyres, with trailers featuring Michelin CargoXBib High Flotation tyres. The participants will be challenged to select their own strategy of tractor settings and tyre inflation pressures.
Mitas has launched a “slick” agricultural tyre designed for use in the niche sport of tractor-pulling. The Powerpull 30.5L-32 is manufactured without a tread pattern, allowing the competitor to create the winning tread design. Its bias-ply construction and manufacture is based on a process similar to that of the Mitas’ high-horsepower tractor tyres, which the Czech company says will guarantee endurance and durability.
Trelleborg has announced that it will stream the Tractor of the Year 2015 awards ceremony live on the Trelleborg Wheel Systems website and on the Trelleborg stand at leading agricultural exhibition, EIMA International 2014 in Bologna, Italy today (12 November).
The world of tractor pulling awaits Mitas following the development of the company’s first prototype tractor pulling tyre and the signing of a sponsorship agreement with the European Tractor Pulling Committee (ETPC). The Mitas Powerpull has been developed using a similar manufacturing process to that used for the Czech tyre maker’s high-power tractor tyres, and Mitas says the production version of the Powerpull will be available this year. The first test prototypes were cured at the company’s Otrokovice factory in April.
Once again, Trelleborg will partner with the Tractor of the Year awards. The latest round of this agricultural sector honour kicked off with an event in France on 6 and 7 May; at the “Tractor of the Year 2015: Let the challenge begin” function in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the Swedish tyre maker also launched a new advertising campaign to promote the qualities of its TM1000 High Power agricultural tyre.
Continental has announced its intention to purchase the outstanding shares in the 50/50 Emitec Gesellschaft für Emissionstechnologie mbH joint venture it operates with partner, Worcestershire-based GKN plc. Once the acquisition of the 50 per cent share currently held by GKN is complete, the business will be integrated into Continental’s Powertrain division. With the acquisition of Emitec and the deal’s approval, Continental will emerge as a supplier of exhaust aftertreatment systems. Continental has not stated the price it will pay for the remaining share in Emitec.
At this year’s CeMAT show in Germany, Continental Commercial Specialty Tires is exhibiting a range of new products from its portfolio, including the V.ply port range, which will enjoy its local premiere at the exhibition. The tyre maker is presenting itself as “Your Premium Partner for Smart Solutions” at the show and is exhibiting at stand L11 in hall 25.
This year, Nokian Heavy Tyres is introducing a new winter tyre aimed at contractors such as those engaged in winter road maintenance and snow clearing. Nokian claims this new addition to its portfolio, the Hakkapeliitta TRI, as “another first from the inventor of winter tyres” and says it introduces totally new technologies that will benefit users in winter contracting and snow clearing businesses. These innovations include a “revolutionary tread design, tread block siping with siping activators and specially designed winter tread compound”; features said to “ensure that the user has superior traction and the best possible handling without compromising the economy of use.”