An eight-year-old New Holland tractor for sale in the UK is still fitted with its original Michelin tyres which have, after 7,000 hours of operation, 20% life left in the tread.
DM Carnegie, the Aberdeenshire-based agricultural contractor and farmer, has the tractor for sale – a T7030 which came fitted with Michelin Xeobib tyres when he bought the tractor in 2007.
Carnegie was impressed by the durability and value for money of the rubber, so much so that he has specified an identical set of tyres for the replacement New Holland T7.235 tractor, Michelin says.
The new tyres, Michelin says, are expected to undertake the same intensive year-round tasks as the previous set and will be primarily used for drilling, grass mowing and bailing.
“We’ve trialled various budget tyres in the past but Michelin tyres have always stood out for being more durable, virtually puncture proof and generally being a better all-round investment,” Carnegie said.
For DM Carnegie, which operates over a 30-mile radius from its base in Laurencekirk and fits Michelin tyres across its entire fleet including earthmovers, cars and trucks, keeping farm machinery up and running is vital to the smooth operation of the business, it says.
“Getting a puncture in the middle of the job is hugely inconvenient, especially now that tyres are getting larger and replacing them is a two-man job for trained professionals, rather than something you can do quickly in the field.
“It’s therefore really important for us that our tyres are reliable.
“Although you pay a little more upfront for Michelin tyres, they more than pay for themselves because they stay on the tractor longer and don’t puncture as easily as budget brands.”
As a result, I’ve run this T7030 from new, for eight years, and not had to replace a single tyre.
In addition to durability, Michelin says that the XeoBib tyres are efficient when driven on roads offering significantly reduced vibrations and greater operator comfort – an important factor for DM Carnegie’s tractors which spend up to 30% of operation time on roads between plots of land.
Featuring Michelin’s patented Ultraflex Technology, XeoBib tyres are capable of being operated at pressures of no more than one bar whilst remaining road-safe, helping to reduce soil compaction in the field, the company says.
The tyres’ flexible sidewalls also allow pressure to be distributed over a larger footprint, reducing rut formation and damage to the soil, it says.
Michelins XeoBibs also help DM Carnegie to save time and fuel by reducing wheel slippage and offering enhanced traction on soft ground, the company says.
“We used to fit dual wheels on our tractors but it became unfeasible with the growing size of farm machinery; our tractors would have been too wide for road use.
“We tested the XeoBib tyres when they first launched in 2005 and were impressed with how well they performed. We’ve used them ever since,” he said.
