- Warwickshire-based business is getting the best from its new Fendt 828 tractor having specified MICHELIN RoadBib tyres
- The RoadBib is designed to provide high performance, longevity and traction on farm machines used intensively on the road
- The tread design of the RoadBib has also proved ideal for Mill Farm Ashorne’s hedge cutting services.
Mill Farm Ashorne is getting great results from the MICHELIN RoadBib tyres it specified as original equipment on its new Fendt 828 tractor.
The Warwickshire-based agricultural contractor offers a variety of services – including hedge cutting, seeding and grassland work – to its customers nationwide. The business’ tractors cover a lot of miles on the road and required a tyre that could stand up to the intense work.
Following discussions with Michelin Agricultural Account Manager Robert Shaw, local dealer Farmers Tyre and Fendt supplier Chandlers Farm Equipment, owner Chris Gardner opted for the 600/70 R30 and 710/70 R42 MICHELIN RoadBibs – and it’s proved a shrewd choice.
“The nature of our work often means we are travelling quite long distances, doing a small job and then moving to the next site,” says Gardner. “We knew the RoadBibs would be ideal for that.
“They are really smooth on the road, very quiet in comparison to traditional lugged agricultural tyres. When you’ve done a long drive, they feel cooler than the tyres we’ve run in the past which says to me they won’t wear as fast. We’ve also seen an early reduction in fuel consumption. They are delivering everything we’d hoped for in that respect.”
The MICHELIN RoadBib is specifically designed to provide high performance, longevity and traction on farm machines used intensively on the road. The tyres feature a unique tread design comprising 52 tread blocks to maximise traction, coupled with a central spine. This allows 40 per cent of the tyre to remain in contact with the road surface – a 60 per cent increase versus a traditional Michelin lugged agricultural tyre – whilst increasing driver comfort and extending tyre life.
Mill Farm Ashorne has equipped its new Fendt 828 with VarioGrip technology that allows the driver to optimise the RoadBib pressures depending on the tractor’s requirements of the tyre, at the touch of a button. This has helped the business unlock other benefits of its new tyres.
Gardner explains: “With traditional ag-style tyres, working at the slower speeds required for hedge cutting, the tractor can rock from cleat to cleat, and you get a bit of a bounce. A tiny rock in the tractor becomes quite significant at the end of the long arm of the hedge cutter. However, with the pattern on the RoadBibs, when we have them pumped up you’ve essentially got a smooth tyre, which means no bounce and much better finish on the hedge.
“In the field, when we drop the pressures down, they don’t chew up the grass as a traditional ag tyre might – on the headlands for example. We’ve also done a little bit of work on cultivated ground and dropping the pressure down gives you excellent grip, with no wallow or slippage. So far, they really are ticking every box.”
About Michelin
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tyres, services and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 177 countries, has 124,760 employees and operates 68 tyre production facilities which together produced around 173 million tyres in 2021. (www.michelin.com)
More information on how Michelin assists transport businesses achieve its sustainability goals and run more efficiently can be found at business.michelin.co.uk.
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