How long does it take your tractor tires to go from high-pressure levels suitable for road cruising speed to low pressure for fieldwork?
It only takes the push of a button and a few minutes if you employ a Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) in your tractor explains James Crouch, Michelin’s farm segment marketing manager. RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin caught up with Crouch at the National Farm Machinery Show last month in Louisville, Kentucky to talk about the optional CTIS system available on AGCO’s new Challenger MT900 tractor.
“This is a trend we expect to see grow in the future,” says Crouch who explains that the combination of a low compaction tire like Michelin’s MachXBib and a CTIS can help decrease compaction and increase yield, fuel efficiency, traction and overall productivity.
“When you’re on the road at higher speeds, you need a higher pressure to carry the same load,” explains Crouch. “When you get to the field at 6 or 7 miles an hour, you no longer need that pressure so you push a button in the cab, the pressure decreases and you are just right where you need to be for the field.”
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Crouch says the tire industry would love to see CTIS gain traction with farmers because it easily allows the tractor to operate at the perfect pressure. “All you have to do with this system is know what load you have on the tire and know where your pre-set pressures need to be.”
Central inflation systems are just now gaining popularity, says Crouch. “In the future, it will expand beyond the 4-wheel drive tractors to front wheel assist, combines, grain tanks, fertilizer applicators – everything that touches the farm.”
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