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How to ensure good tractor tyre maintenance

How to ensure good tractor tyre maintenance

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How to ensure good tractor tyre maintenance

Tractor tyre maintenance is important for a number of reasons. Not only does it ensure the safety of users, it also saves you unnecessary expense. Our experts explain the simple actions you need to take to keep your tractor tyres in good condition. 

SUMMARY:

Simple tyre maintenance to reduce machine downtime

These simple preventive measures easy to adopt and can help you avoid inconveniences such as machine downtime that could bring your business to a standstill. Tyre maintenance ensures that your tyres last longer by preventing degredation of the casing and premature wear, which would otherwise require early replacement. 

Tip No. 1 for tyre maintenance: check their pressure regularly 

Tyre pressure is a recurring theme in our articles, for the simple reason that it is key to the proper functioning and longevity of tyres. 

This is our first recommendation for tyre maintenance. Be sure to check pressures regularly with a calibrated pressure gauge or with your CTIS (Central Tyre Inflation System) if you are equipped with one. 

Don't forget that optimum tyre pressure must be adapted to the load and speed of your farm machinery. Our article on tyre pressure or our online tool "MICHELIN Agropressure" will help you to determine them, if necessary. 

check tyre pressure regularly

check tyre pressure regularly

When should pressure be checked? 

Given that a natural loss of air is inevitable over time (whatever the tyre), we recommend that you check your pressures every 14 days or every time you change implements, since any difference in load implies an adjustment to pressure. 

If your tyres are ballasted with water, the volume of air is significantly reduced, which means less air volume, which implies less pressure: it is therefore important to monitor your pressures more frequently in this case.  

The risk, if you work with under-inflated tyres, is that you will overload them and cause the tyre casing to fail prematurely, leading to early replacement and a consequent impact on your costs. 

Tip No. 2 for tyre maintenance: inspect them regularly 

Vehicle maintenance is a good opportunity to check the condition of your tyres.

Before checking pressures, we recommend that you inspect the general condition of your tyres for any deformations (bulges, cuts, cracks, etc.). 

This is an important check, because if you detect a serious anomaly before it gets any worse, a prompt repair could save you substantial costs.

If you notice any alarming damage to your tyres or if you have any doubts, please report it to your tyre professional for advice. 

Inspect your tractor tyres regularly

Inspect your tractor tyres regularly

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What can be done about irregular wear? 

If you notice pronounced wear on just one side of the tyres, again, don't hesitate to show them to your agricultural tyre specialist. Irregular wear may be caused by a problem with the alignment of your vehicle, in which case adjustment will be necessary.  

In some cases, swapping right/left tyres will help to even out their wear and thus impact their longevity. 

To find out more, read our wear guide, and especially our article on irregular wear.

Tip No. 3 for tyre maintenance: clean them after working in the field 

We're not talking here about removing mud, but about substances that can be aggressive to the tyre (crop protection chemicals, fertiliser residue, petro-chemical deposits,etc.).

A simple water hose cleaning after the field is a good habit to adopt in order to preserve your tyres for as long as possible. 

The right precautions for out of season storage

If you store alternative mounts for any length of time, make sure that the tyres do not become deformed or stressed by crushing. Store them in a dry, well-ventilated place away from direct sunlight and away from: 

  • any source of heat (flames, welding machine, etc.) 

  • any source of ozone (electric motor, electric transformer, etc.) 

  • any chemical substances (solvents, hydrocarbons) likely to alter the rubber 

  • any sharp metal object 
     

When putting machinery away for the winter (e.g. combine harvesters), a slight increase in pressure will be necessary to avoid the tyre developing a flat spot due to the natural loss of air to which tyres are subject over time. 

Conclusion

As we have explained, proper tyre maintenance requires a few simple, regular measures that can prevent problems and maximise the life of your tyres.  

Of these, tyre pressure is the most important. It's also what guarantees the performance of your tyres when you're working in the fields. To make sure your tyre pressure is adapted, we recommend that you always adjust it according to your load. Our MICHELIN Agropressure tool can help you estimate it. 

Identify the right pressure for your tyres with MICHELIN Agropressure 

Access the free tool


Need more advice? Discover our tyre maintenance and caring guide

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