Maximising tyre performance

Farmers often underestimate the value of using premium-quality tyres in good condition. Willouw Goosen, Bridgestone's development manager of Agri, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about common mistakes farmers make that negatively impact tyre performance.

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Bridgestone conservatively estimates that South African farmers collectively maintain a tyre inventory valued at over R1,2 billion per annum.

This estimate is based on there being 40 000 farms in South Africa, as reported by Statistics South Africa in 2017, each with two to five vehicles, including motorcycles, bakkies, tractors, spraying equipment, planters, and harvesters.

Despite this significant investment, the importance of tyres in bringing efficiencies to the farm is often overlooked.

HYDRO BALLASTING

One common mistake many farmers make is to fill tyres with water instead of air. Willouw Goosen, Bridgestone development manager of Agri, says this old practice is aimed at ballasting a tractor to improve traction, increase stability and minimise slippage.

However, water ballasting is discouraged these days for several reasons, according to Goosen.

Firstly, it presents a safety risk, as water inside tyres can compromise tractor stability at high speeds, especially when cornering and braking suddenly.

He adds that weight of water can lead to increased soil compaction, higher fuel consumption, and in the tractor having less power available to pull implements.

Additionally, when a puncture occurs, it can take up to three hours to fix and refill a tyre with water, compared to a few minutes when filling it with air. Other drawbacks include that it causes rims to rust, which would require downtime to refurbish. Also, water freezes at low temperatures inside a tyre, although this is uncommon in South Africa, if a calcium chloride mixture is not added to the water.