A new range of sizes in Continental’s CombineMaster series has been introduced to bring the very high flexion (VF) and cyclical field operation (CFO) technology to other machinery.
“The CombineMaster name disguises the virtues of this tyre to other machines including loaders, tankers and other types of harvesting machines. Originally developed to help combines perform more efficiently in arable crops, the CombineMaster’s CFO and VF technology and unique hexagonal bead core have proved transformative to other agricultural applications,” explains Continental’s Tom Godwin.
The Hexa-bead was developed to help tyres grip to the rim at lower pressures, while CFO enables the tyre to handle load peaks of up to 55% when operating at below 10mph.
“Cyclical means that the load on the tyre is constantly changing which is normal for a combine during harvest but also applies to slurry tankers and other heavy load carrying machinery,” says Tom.
Tyres within the range that have VF technology enable the pressures to be reduced by up to 40%. “The 800/65 R32 tyre is now a popular size for large slurry tankers including the twin and triple axle models with capacities of up to 20,000 gallons.”
One of the areas where the CombineMaster has been utilised is on larger wheeled loaders, including the JCB TM420.
“The Claas Torian can be fitted with 750/65 R26 VF tyres that enable it to carry 40% greater load at the same pressure as a conventional tyre. This additional capacity helps to reduce the time each task takes, which reduces fuel and labour costs,” he adds.
Other machinery suitable for fitment with CombineMaster tyres include forage and sugar beet harvesters. “The 650/57 R32 tyre is well suited to forage harvesters and the 900/60 R38 has been working well with sugar beet harvesters like the Vervaet self-propelled machines.”
He concludes by saying that these machines can also benefit from onboard tyre monitoring systems and central tyre inflation systems. “With grants available for retrofitted onboard air systems and ContiPressureCheck Lite, a wireless tyre pressure monitoring system, operators can reduce soil compaction and improve fuel efficiency.”
For more information go to www.continental-tyres.co.uk
