Bridgestone has released news of its latest tractor tyre in time for LAMMA 2019 – the UK-based machinery show.
Known as the VX-Tractor, this “high-traction” tyre apparently recognises the need for longer wear life on the road.
According to Bridgestone, it has “pushed the technological and performance boundaries to allow the tyres to work longer and carry larger loads”.
The first focus point for designers was performance. The need was for users to have “confidence” in the tyre; for this reason it incorporated a lug design already patented by the company.
Enlargement of the lug
The designers then focused on increasing wear life, especially on the road, making the lug on the VX-Tractor longer and wider (up to 20% more lug volume than direct competitors, or so claims the manufacturer).
This increased lug volume delivers an overall tread depth which – Bridgestone tells us – is greater than what is offered by competitors in the same sector.
At the same time, the casing has been engineered to minimise internal stress. This allows the tyre to perform at “high speeds” and when carrying “heavy loads” at inflation pressures of up to 2.4 bar.
Resistance to punctures
The extra body in the rubber supposedly increases strength, to minimise the effects of erosion, friction and use. The six-layer tread belt also apparently helps to protect against damage and potential punctures.
The surface area of the sidewall has also been reduced and reinforced, to further diminish the tyre’s vulnerability to punctures.
The VX-Tractor has been made with a new rubber compound that partially replaces mineral oil with environmentally-friendly vegetable oils.
In any case, at the end of the proverbial day, tractor tyres are all about grip. Bridgestone claims to have conducted tests which demonstrate that the VX-Tractor tyre exhibits considerably less slip than competitors – in the field.
