It may seem somewhat unbelievable but in a new UK trial conducted recently by Michelin, it was shown that, by using their innovative Ultraflex Technology tyres, farmers could save hundreds of pounds in fuel every time they drill a field.
In the trial, their XeoBib tyres were fitted to a Massey Ferguson 6616 tractor operating with a Kuhn power harrow drill combination and driven over a 100 hectares field.
With front tyre pressures set at 20 psi and rear pressures set to 30 psi – simulating the tyre pressures required for a conventional agricultural tyre – it cost £978 in fuel to drill the field, leaving an average rut depth of 133mm.
A statement issued by the company confirmed that when pressures were dropped to 7 psi (front) and 13 psi (rear) – pressures the Ultraflex tyres can handle – the fuel cost dropped to just £578, resulting in a total saving of £400 in round figures. Rut depth was also lower at an average of just 88mm while sub-soil compaction was significantly reduced.
