Michelin has launched its new Agribib Row Crop IF* (Improved Flexion) range of agricultural tires which has been designed specifically for use on self-propelled and trailed sprayers, and on low to medium horsepower row crop tractors from 70 to 180HP.
These new tires offer farmers and contractors three benefits:
– a higher load capacity due to its IF standard casing
– improved traction due to 14%** greater lug contact in the tread pattern and its deeper R1W*** standard tread
– reduced soil compaction due to a 20%** larger ground contact area (footprint)
All tires in the range use Michelin Ultraflex technology, which ensures a larger tire footprint to protect the soil against compaction and improve traction, while their strengthened sidewalls make them durable when operating at low air pressures. The resulting benefits for farmers are that the tires protect the soil and therefore improve crop yield and productivity.
Speaking about the new range, Ludovic Labeaume, Agricultural Product Category Manager at Michelin, said: “Today’s sprayers have larger and larger tanks to increase productivity and reduce the number of trips a farmer has to make to refill. In order to adapt to this new trend, we have developed the Agribib Row Crop IF range which allows a heavier load capacity to be carried at the same pressure compared to a standard tire, while having more lugs on the ground and improving traction in muddy conditions. When these tires are used on tractors which do not need an increase in load, the farmer can also work at a lower air pressure due to the IF standard, resulting in reduced soil compaction”.
The Agribib Row Crop IF range of tires is manufactured at Michelin’s Troyes plant in France, and will be available in five sizes:
IF 380/90 R 50 167A8/167B
IF 320/85 R 38 151A8/151B
IF 380/90 R 46 165A8/165B
IF 320/90 R 54 159A8/159B
IF 320/90 R 50 158A8/158B
* The ETRTO Improved Flexion (IF) standard allows the tire to carry 20% more load than a standard tire at the same pressure. The European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO) is a European organization for the standardization of tires and rims.
** Comparison carried out at Michelin’s Ladoux Research & Development Center in France of tire footprints on the ground between the MICHELIN AGRIBIB ROW CROP normal flex vs MICHELIN AGRIBIB ROW CROP IF in 380/90 R 50, with a load of 3,600 kg at a pressure corresponding to 30 km/h.
***: TRA’s R1W standard indicates a tread bar height 20% taller than an equivalent R1 tire. The TRA (Tire and Rim Association, Inc.) is the standards body for the tire, rim, valve, and parts industry in the United States.
