What is More Fuel-Efficient, Tires or Tracks?

Tractors are the engine of a farm, pulling everything from planting implements like seeders in the spring to hauling carts during harvest in the fall. Because tractors are the primary power source on the farm, the expense of keeping them fueled is significant—most years, fuel accounts for about 5% of a farmer’s overall costs. Given the considerable expense of fuel, even small differences can result in large returns—which begs the question, what is more fuel-efficient: tires or tracks? 

Engineered to Keep You Running 

From floater tires to narrow row crop tires and everything in between, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc. is the complete co-op tire supplier. With the wide range of Alliance brand designs and sizes, we have tires for nearly any piece of equipment in your operation—floaters, high-clearance sprayers, anhydrous toolbars, nurse tanks, implements, and more. Here’s what our customers say about our tires.

Tires for Farmers Harvesting Carbon

The number of carbon farming opportunities and interest in carbon capture continue to grow as more and more businesses both inside and outside of agriculture take steps to make their operations greener. While carbon farming is still in its infancy, this could develop into a good, market-driven opportunity that enables farmers to make some money while they manage the health of their soil. 

Conservation practices—like cover crops and no-till—are at the forefront of carbon farming, but other factors, like the tires ag equipment rides on, can have an enormous influence on successful implementation and a farm’s profitability. 

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.

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.