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How to choose the right front tractor tyres for your farm workload

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 | PRODUCTS

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From smaller tractors that spend their lives working on concrete livestock or storage yards to larger arable-focused models expected to pull primary cultivation implements, there are obviously a range of different requirements for a set of tractor tyres, and selecting the right front tractor tyres in particular for your tractor’s workload can have a significant bearing on its efficiency. Before making that pre-purchase search for ‘tractor tyres for sale’ or ‘tractor tyres near me’, and then the process of scrolling through tractor tyres’ price lists, consider this advice:

They may not have the tractive workload of a rear tractor tyre, but because front tractor tyres perform more functions – not just rotating as the tractor moves, but also steering and, on a 4wd tractor, sharing the job of propelling the machine – front tractor tyres are the multi-taskers of the tractor tyre world. As such, it is essential to ensure you choose the best ones for the tractor’s workload when replacing the front tractor tyres on your machine. Size, construction and design will all have a bearing on the performance of your tractor tyres and the tractor to which they are fitted.

Size

Before even considering its workload, this is perhaps the most crucial of the critical factors in choosing the right front tractor tyres for your machine – and it applies particularly if that tractor is a 4wd model with a driven front axle. This is because the tractor’s transmission, whatever its type, will have been designed on the basis of a certain ratio of rotation between the front and rear tractor wheels. If you change the front tractor tyres for a new set of a different size – perhaps with a larger diameter or profile in an attempt to get a longer tyre footprint onto the ground for more traction and increased flotation – you will alter this ratio. This can potentially cause serious damage to the tractor’s transmission, whatever its type. When you are choosing your tractor tyres, before you make a purchase ensure you understand exactly the sizes of front tractor tyre your make and model of tractor can be fitted with. You must consult your tractor’s operator’s manual – and if this does not provide the required information, your tractor’s dealer or manufacturer – if you are unsure of the sizes of front tractor tyre you can fit to your tractor.

Construction

Radial tractor tyres are the more modern design, and offer a number of advantages over traditional cross-ply tractor tyres including their greater sidewall flexibility and the smoother ride they provide to the tractor. In most circumstances, if your tractor is expected to perform mostly field-working tasks and/or spend a good deal of time travelling on the road, radial tyres will be the best option all-round.

However, the greater rigidity of tractor tyres manufactured using a cross-ply design does have its advantages. For example, if your tractor is used primarily for work with a loader, you may wish to consider cross-ply/bias tractor tyres – which come, of course, under considerable stress on the front axle when working with a front loader. These can be fitted all-round or on the front axle alone – but you must never mix cross-ply and radial tractor tyres on the same axle.

Design

Like rear tractor tyres, many sizes of front tractor tyre in ranges such as the CEAT Torquemax are available in increased flexion (IF) and very high flexion (VF) format. This enables the tyres to bear 20% (IF) or 40% (VF) more weight at the same pressure than a tyre of the same size made using the standard construction format. Alternatively, they can be operated at pressures 20% (IF) or 40% (VF) lower than the standard tractor tyres of the same size, helping create a longer and slightly wider footprint for reduced ground pressure and greater traction. If you have chosen IF or VF tractor tyres for the rear of your tractor, you should fit tractor tyres of the same design to the front axle if you seek to benefit fully from the capabilities and advantages of this technology.

Before searching the web for ‘tractor tyres for sale’ or ‘tractor tyres near me’, and searching tractor tyres’ price lists, consider the workload of your tractor and the points above. This will help ensure you pick the best possible front tractor tyres for your machine.