Continental Tyres to tackle silage making

Continental has developed a range of agricultural tyres to help improve silage making. Three types of tyre have been designed to improve the process of mowing and preparing grass in the field, transporting it on the road, and ensiling it at the clamp.

The VF TractorMaster, VF TractorMaster Hybrid and CompactMaster AG tyres have all been designed in a new production facility in Lousado, Portugal, that Continental built specifically for the development and manufacture of agricultural tyres.

VF TractorMaster
The VF TractorMaster tyre has been designed to carry greater loads at lower pressures to improve fuel efficiencies and minimise soil compaction. It can also save time when transitioning from road to field because there is less of a requirement to adjust pressures.

The unique single wire bead core and more flexible sidewall of the VF’s design helps the tyre to grip both the ground and the rim more effectively than a standard tyre. It can operate at 40 per cent lower pressure for load than a standard radial tyre which helps to reduce compaction on the soft ground which is often experienced when taking early and late grass cuts. The VF TractorMaster can also carry 40 per cent more load than a standard radial tyre at the same pressure, which makes towing trailers of grass and maize more fuel efficient.

Swinnerton Agricultural Contractors, a contractor in Shropshire, fitted 600/70R30 and 710/70R42, VF TractorMaster tyres to a Fendt 826 Vario. The Fendt’s onboard air supply enabled the tractor to run the tyres as low as 10 psi which helped to reduce compaction when silage making. When operating at the same pressure the previous radial tyres cracked and failed long before the tread had worn. The more flexible sidewall of the VF tyres has overcome this problem and the tyres do not leave such deep ruts in the ground.

Operating at lower pressures in the field can help prevent compaction and improve grip. However, it is important to operate at pressures that will not cause the rim to adversely affect the tyre. When operating at lower pressures a tyre will spread and this can cause it to rub against the rim. This will be apparent by the rim appearing shiny and clean when the tyre is reinflated. If left unchecked this can lead to tyre failure because the rim causes the tyre to wear unevenly.

Reducing the pressure too much for road application can also cause uneven wear, reducing the tyre’s efficiency and its lifespan. Continental tyres have a nylon layer beneath the rubber called N.flex that makes the tyre more flexible. The N.flex sidewall construction of the VF TractorMaster allows the sidewalls to flex. This improves handling and operator comfort on the road especially when pulling heavy loads during silage making. It also extends the life of the tyre when the tyre is run at lower pressures in the field. This helps to maximise tyre efficiency whilst minimising soil compaction.

VF TractorMaster Hybrid
Continental’s VF TractorMaster Hybrid tyre has been specifically designed to transition from road to field for harvesting crops. The tyre is also more fuel efficient when pulling heavy loads and will cover more road miles than a tyre with a conventional tread pattern. This makes it the perfect tyre for towing trailers on and off grass.

The tread pattern has been developed to be more efficient at higher speeds on the road, which helps to reduce fuel consumption. Heat build-up through heavy road use causes conventional tyre rubber to soften and wear more quickly.

However, the tread design of the hybrid tyre helps to reduce the temperature of the tyre, which extends its lifespan. The VF TractorMaster Hybrid tyre includes ContiPressureCheck, a sensor which reports the tyre temperature and pressure in real time to the operator to enable the operator to make adjustments.

Underinflated tyres on the road increase fuel consumption and can increase tyre temperature leading to failure, whilst overinflated tyres in the field lead to increased soil compaction and fuel consumption. The ContiPressureCheck sensor in the hybrid tyre helps the operator to monitor and choose the correct pressure using a handheld device or a terminal in the cab.

The continual flow of traffic through gates to transport forage from fields can lead to soil contamination. The VF TractorMaster Hybrid holds less material than a conventional tyre which makes it less likely to deposit contaminants from other areas on grassland. Access areas, such as gates, can often become churned up and can hold rainwater, which also leads to greater risk of contamination. By transitioning from field to road more efficiently, the VF TractorMaster Hybrid reduces soil damage and the risk of contaminating the silage.

CompactMaster AG
The CompactMaster AG tyre is the first to be designed with a new Turtle Shield, a twisted steel belt layer that sits beneath the tread. This reinforced tyre has a hard shell and a more flexible steel wire construction to help prevent cuts and damage, whilst offering greater stability for materials handling work. The wider tread and lug widths have been specifically designed to offer better traction working in the yard, and on the clamp because they improve the self-cleaning and stationary turning properties of the tyre.

When building and compacting the clamp the CompactMaster AG has the opposite effect to a VF tyre. It helps to realise the full weight of the vehicle to compact the clamp which reduces air pockets to help the ensiling process. The tread pattern also reduces the amount of material which is carried into the clamp during the loading process. This helps to reduce contaminants affecting the ensiling process.

Continental Agricultural TireTech App
A tractor with triple mowers will often be stationed in the field for most of the silage making season. A mid-horsepower tractor with the added weight of three mowers can weigh in excess of 10,000 kilos. On soft ground this can cause compaction and sward damage which can lead to decreased yields for further cuts.

The Continental TireTech app accurately calculates the optimum pressure to inflate the TractorMaster VF tyre to when using implements. By entering the weight of the tractor and implements, it recommends the pressure for road or field use. The mobile app stores the specification of every tyre in the Continental agricultural range and by inputting the load and speed of each wheel it provides a suggested operating pressure.

The technology in the tyre, pressure checking sensors and the TireTech app all combine to offer operators the opportunity to use the best tyre for the individual processes associated with silage making. This will reduce soil compaction, damage to the grass and the chance of contaminating the clamp, whilst helping the operator to run the tyres at the optimum pressure to save time and reduce fuel consumption.