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A few things you should know before buying new trailer tyres…

Tue, 3 May 2022 | PRODUCTS

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Spending time studying trailer tyres’ price lists and browsing the web for ‘trailer tyres for sale’ or ‘trailer tyres near me’ can be a confusing process, with a multitude of makes, brands, construction types, formats and sizes. Before committing to a purchase, ensure you are fully versed in what is available and what the different types can do for you.

The importance of the role played by trailer tyres in agriculture is often overlooked until issues raised by their performance become apparent. These might manifest themselves in terms of excessive soil compaction, for example, or perhaps a harsh ride on the road transferred from trailer to tractor. There are now many alternatives to the traditional ‘super single’ trailer tyres that are better able to given long wear life, high load-bearing capabilities and a broad and long footprint that spreads the load and minimises the ground pressure per square centimetre imposed on the field surface by the trailer tyre.

Modern trailer tyres can help protect your soil from compaction and associated costs

The right trailer tyre design can help a trailer to grip the field or road surface effectively and minimise shock loading transferred from the trailer to the tractor when travelling over rough surfaces. With robust centre blocks that reduce trailer tyre noise during travel at speed and ensure smooth running on hard surfaces, CEAT Floatmax RT radials also incorporate steel-belted construction that minimises the risk of puncture material ingress while aiding durability. And with a flatter crown width, the Floatmax RT trailer tyres spread the trailer’s load to reduce the ground pressure imposed and minimise soil damage, a quality further aided by rounded shoulders. Inter-connected grooves promote self-cleaning, ensuring minimal soil is taken onto the road.

They can also help to ensure the tractor/trailer combination’s stability and grip

While some trailer work involves working primarily on hard surfaces, or on dry and firm field surfaces, other tasks require the ability to perform on loose surfaces – for example when hauling potatoes from a harvester on sloping land and light soils. In these circumstances, trailer tyres such as the CEAT Floatmax FT are designed to help. Directional lugs help ensure good grip, while a robust centre block provides enhanced stability and road handling, vital qualities for trailers matched to today’s high-speed tractors. Stability and handling are also boosted in the field by a wider and flatter crown that gives greater flotation characteristics, while a high rubber mass creates a durable carcase that translates into a long working life.

Radial versus bias/cross-ply: a different decision compared to the choice in tractor tyres

Many buyers of tractor tyres find the additional investment in radial types well worthwhile in comparison to cross-ply/bias tractor tyres, for reasons of greater comfort and performance. However, for many applications cross-ply/bias construction is ideal when it comes to trailer tyres. If your trailer performs simple haulage tasks on hard surfaces, CEAT T422 Value Pro flotation trailer tyres may well fit the bill. These feature a large volume and footprint to maximise ground contact patch and so minimise soil compaction, complemented by rounded shoulders that help minimise crop damage.

For work that is more field-based, CEAT Flotation T422 I1 bias flotation trailer tyres incorporate a tough nylon casing and strong bead bundle for a high load-carrying capability, but feature the same large volume and footprint, with rounded shoulders to minimise crop and soil damage.

Then there is the 400/60 R15.5 CEAT TR800 bias flotation tyre and, for maximum flotation and minimal compaction, the 480/45-17 or 500/50-17 Flotation Plus models or, for maximum ground contact patch, the Flotation TX 440, in sizes from 500/60-22.5 to 700/40-22.5.

So before making a commitment to a trailer tyre purchase, consider the construction, flotation, stability and grip offered by the trailer tyres you are considering. Making the right decision could save you money in more ways than one – and help ensure a long trailer tyre lifetime before you next have to browse for ‘trailer tyres for sale’ or ‘trailer tyres near me’, or study trailer tyres’ price lists.