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Showing posts from September, 2022

Dinosaurs, Farm Equipment, and Soil Compaction

Farm Equipment and Dinosaurs Exert a Heavy Toll On Soil  Over the past century, mechanization has dramatically improved crop production and efficiency; however, the size and weight of farm equipment have also grown alongside yield and productivity. A  new study  found that the weight of modern farm machinery rivals that of sauropods, the largest animals ever to have ever lived on land. Farm Equipment and Dinosaur Weights The wheel loads of combine harvesters grew  roughly 65% between 1989 and 2009 —and today, fully loaded combines can weigh upward of 80,000 pounds. That is as much as a small herd of elephants and approaching the weight of the heaviest animals to have ever roamed the earth, sauropods, which are believed to have tipped the scales at around 80 tons. Tractors have also been super-sized over the years;  a top-of-the-line tractor today weighs nearly ten times more than it did in 1960 , stands taller than an African elephant, and outweighs some sauropods.  Combines and tracto

Should I Choose a Radial or a Bias Farm Tire?

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Farmers today have more options than ever when it comes time to select ag tires. One of the most common ways to differentiate the multitude of farm tires on the market is to divide them by their construction—bias ply or radial. Both bias and radial tires have their advantages, but radials stand apart as there are no real drawbacks to their use in farming applications. Keep reading to learn more about the features and benefits of both types of tires.  Bias-Ply Tires Bias-ply tires are nearly as old as pneumatic (air-filled) tires themselves—they’ve been a common sight on farms for almost a century—and still present a viable option for many machines. Bias-ply tires are made by lapping multiple plies of rubber-coated textile diagonally over each other—also called “on the bias”—to create a single working unit. The construction of bias tires allows the sidewall and tread to work together as a single unit.  Bias-Ply Tire Pros Bias construction creates a rugged, durable tire with stiff strong