Michelin introduces new wheeled excavator tyre

Tyre options for wheeled excavators have expanded with the introduction of the ‘Power Digger’ – described by Michelin as ‘the most robust dual-fitment excavator tyre we’ve ever manufactured’.

Available both as original equipment and on the replacement market, the new tyre is said by the manufacturer to have been designed to address the main issues operators of wheeled excavators face when using conventional tyres – significant risk of tyre damage, high wear rates and issues with stability when working at 360-degrees.

Citing the high risk of cuts on excavators tyres, given the nature of the work they do, Michelin says the Power Digger combats this by reducing the surface area of the groove in the centre of the tread – where the rubber is stretched and so most susceptible to cuts and splitting – from an average 15mm on competitor tyres, to 5mm for the Power Digger. An increased number of plies within the sidewall also reduces the strain on each ply, making the tyre more resistant to cuts.

According to the Company, safety and stability for 360-degree work is enhanced through multi-directional tread blocks which work from six different angles and feature 12 ridges per block, providing much greater traction for wheeled excavators and stability when the machine’s stabilisers are not in use. Puncture risks are reduced thanks to a sidewall that is said to be 57 per cent thicker than the current market leader.