“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” - Robert Burns

Since the development and introduction of IF, then VF, tire technology nearly a decade ago, more and more farmers have been using them as a way to offset withering profits caused by low commodity prices and increasing input costs. Farmers fighting against tighter profit margins can increase their yields with high-tech tires like our AgriFlex line of IF/VF tires, and now the question begs to be asked: are IF/VF the future of farm tires?

Alliance Tire Americas will debut its new Alliance 398 MPT (multi-purpose tire) radial flotation tire for manure carts, tanks and feed trucks that require a combination of high flotation and high-speed road performance. The Alliance 398 MPT carries a DOT speed rating of J—62 mph or 100 km/h—making it an outstanding replacement for standard dual truck tires, according to Alliance Tire Americas National Product Manager—Agriculture James Crouch.

Due to the seasonal nature of combines and grain carts, most farmers only think about them at harvest time—and often only think about the tires on this equipment when they fail. However, because of the growing size of harvest equipment, it’s more important than ever to pay attention to tires. According to a study from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, from 2006 to 2015, the average horsepower of combines rose from 230 to 342. Over that same time, the average capacity of grain carts grew from 689 bushels to 883 bushels. Because of the massive weight and power of these machines, they're capable of creating deeper, longer-lasting compaction. Luckily, farmers can take a few measures to reduce the impact of their enormous equipment.

As a producer of application-specific tires, it’s vital for us at ATG to support our dealers so that our customers get the best possible tires for their machine, application, and needs. We work with our dealers in many ways. For example, we have a packed event calendar and our sales team is always in the field supporting our extensive dealer network. We do a lot of posting about our tires on our blog, our Youtube channel, and through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, which is where today’s Tire Tale starts.