Yokohama Off Highway Tires

  R-3 and R-3+ Turf Tire Tread Patterns There are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing new tires for your lawnmower, zero-turn mower, or compact tractor, but one of the most important is the tread pattern. A tire’s tread pattern is an indicator of its intended use and will determine the applications in which it’s most successful—and pairing the proper tread pattern to an application can improve everything from productivity to service life (and ultimately profit).   R-3 Tread Patterns  Turf tires, also known as R-3 tires, are engineered to gently work on delicate grass and other sensitive surfaces without leaving marks. An R-3 tread, like our  Galaxy Mighty Mow , commonly features closely spaced geometric blocks that provide traction and stability when operating on uneven ground and deliver flotation to avoid leaving behind unwanted tire tracks or indentations. R-3 turf patterns are also less deep than other tread types.     R-3 tires are a common sight on equipment ranging from

  Improving the Performance of Existing Farm Equipment with Tires Farmers with hopes of purchasing equipment this year, whether new or used, are discovering one of the most challenging markets in recent memory. Reuters recently reported that the supply of tractors in North America  is the tightest it’s been in 18 years. One option available to farmers is to take steps to improve the efficiency and productivity of the equipment they’re already running and wait for the market to cool. A simple, easy, and cost-efficient way to give existing equipment a boost is with new tires. Shortage of New Farm Equipment A host of factors have vastly diminished the availability of new farm equipment, such as supply chain disruptions that have left manufacturers short of vital materials (like steel, plastics, and microchips), reigned-in production during the pandemic, and labor shortages. Further driving the lack of new ag equipment inventory is an increase in demand by farmers buoyed by high commodity

New Alliance Agristar II Radial Tire Size Introduced Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc. (YOHTA) announced the release of the new 800/70R38 size of its popular Alliance Agri Star II farm radial tire . The new, larger size features a 173D high-load rating and is rated for speeds of up to 40 mph. The 800/70R38size extends the line to even more 4-wheel-drive tractors, which benefit from the dual-angle lugs, stubble guard compound and high-stability polyester casing of the Agri Star II. "Larger 4WD tractors and combines can really put the performance benefits of the Agri Star II to work," says Blaine Cox, National Product Manager—Agriculture, Golf & Turf for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America. "Our Stratified Layer Technology lugs combine a single-angle layer on top of a multi-angle layer for more versatility and biting edges, reinforced by dual step-tie bars to minimize lug shuffling. Those lugs create a footprint 13% wider than comparably sized radials and overlap

Best Practices for Safer Winter Ag Tire Inspection In order to ensure everything is ready to roll in the spring, it’s common to inspect the tires of tractors, implements, and other farm equipment in the winter. Farms are filled with potential hazards and winter only ups the ante of something going sideways. Factors like short dark days, bitter cold, slick snow, and treacherous ice all pose additional challenges to farmers, tire dealers, and other ag tire personnel. Ben Franklin famously said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Follow his sage advice and take a few simple steps to improve your safety while working or visiting the farm this winter. Cold-Weather Accidents According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , there were more than 20,000 ice, sleet, and snow-related injuries in 2017 in the U.S. Whether working in the field, yard, or outbuildings, jobs on the farm are more exposed to these types of injuries compared to those in many other occupations. It’s not just

Solid Skid Steer Tires for Puncture-Prone Applications Historically, pneumatic tires have been a fixture on skid steers; however, as the number of tasks these versatile machines are asked to perform continues to grow, so do the kinds of tires available for them. There is no one-sits-fits-all tire solution for today’s skid steers, but pairing the “right” tire to the conditions your machine works in can pay off—improving everything from productivity to profit. For example, solid skid steer tires offer numerous advantages to machines working in harsh, puncture-prone environments in applications like demolition, scrap, waste, and recycling. Here are five reasons why skid steer owners operating in some of the most challenging applications are turning to solid tires. Five Benefits of Solid Skid Steer Tires in Severe Applications 1. Puncture-Proof Performance The reason many skid steer owners equip their machines with solid tires is that, rather than being filled with air, they’re made entire

Best Practices for Safer Winter Ag Tire Inspection In order to ensure everything is ready to roll in the spring, it’s common to inspect the tires of tractors, implements, and other farm equipment in the winter. Farms are filled with potential hazards and winter only ups the ante of something going sideways. Factors like short dark days, bitter cold, slick snow, and treacherous ice all pose additional challenges to farmers, tire dealers, and other ag tire personnel. Ben Franklin famously said, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Follow his sage advice and take a few simple steps to improve your safety while working or visiting the farm this winter. The Alliance 551 MultiUse radial excels on tractors working in snow and slush thanks to its block tread, sipes, and special cold-weather compound. Cold-Weather Accidents According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , there were more than 20,000 ice, sleet, and snow-related injuries in 2017 in the U.S. Whether working in the fi

 The tread pattern of an OTR tire is responsible for many of its characteristics, including the traction and flotation the tire provides and its resistance to cuts, chunks, wear, and heat. Selecting the right tire with a tread optimized for the conditions it will operate in is essential for maximizing a tire’s return on investment and can provide numerous other benefits, such as improved machine efficiency and productivity. The Five Basic OTR Tread Patterns  Traditionally, the industry has recognized five basic OTR tread patterns: rock, traction, block, ribbed, and smooth. Rock Pattern  The rock pattern is the most popular tread pattern for OTR tires—they’re commonly equipped on earthmovers, graders, and loaders. The rock pattern is characterized by lugs arrayed in S- or Z-shaped sinuous lines with grooves between them that run from side to side of the tread’s face. As its name implies, rock pattern tires are designed for applications in craggy conditions where there is a high lik

 Tractors are the engine of a farm, pulling everything from planting implements like seeders in the spring to hauling carts during harvest in the fall. Because tractors are the primary power source on the farm, the expense of keeping them fueled is significant—most years,  fuel accounts for about 5% of a farmer’s overall costs . Given the considerable expense of fuel, even small differences can result in large returns—which begs the question,  what is more fuel-efficient: tires or tracks? NTTL 2012 Study The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Nebraska Tractor Test Lab (NTTL) has made the most notable comparison of the fuel efficiency of wheeled tractors vs. tractors equipped with tracks. In 2012, they studied the fuel consumption of two tractors—a Case Steiger 600 and Case Steiger 600 QuadTrac—in a variety of field conditions and load scenarios. On the Road On hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete, tires far surpass tracks in fuel efficiency. During the NTTL’s study, the tire-equipped

Telehandlers Rise to New Challenges Telehandlers were developed to act as a forklift in rough terrain—a specialized tool, for a specific application, and occasional use. It didn’t take long for operators to discover just how versatile telehandlers are and for them to outgrow their original application. Telehandlers are more adaptable than forklifts and more compact and maneuverable than cranes, which has led them to be used in all manner of construction projects, including general construction, roofing, framing, masonry, demolition, commercial, retail, road, and bridgework. As the applications telehandlers are used in have grown, so have the available tire options for them. There are myriad options available for telehandlers, but selecting the right tire can have a huge impact on a machine’s performance by improving productivity, reducing downtime, and enhancing operator comfort. The right tires can even reduce tire cost per hour. The Challenge Facing Telehandler Tires Tires play a h

Radial Skid Steer Tires Improve Skid Steer Performance Thanks to their versatility, skid steers are employed in a variety of tasks and terrain—and manufacturers have responded by delivering numerous tire styles aimed at improving performance in particular applications. There is no one-size-fits-all tire solution to address the demands of every application, however, so operators must select a tire that meets the particular challenges facing them to maximize their investment—considering factors from tread type to construction. The need to improve skid steer performance is a common concern in industries like demolition, waste management, and ag, but tire dealers can benefit too, as one of our Minnesota-based dealers was recently reminded. They got almost four times longer service life from their tires after making the switch from traditional bias R-4s to steel-belted Alliance 550 MultiUse radials. Switching from R4 Bias to Hybrid-Tread Radial Our Minnesota tire dealer uses its skid stee

Best Practices for Maintaining Solid Tires in Waste and Recycling Applications Solid tires play an important role in keeping equipment like wheel loaders and skid steers productive and efficient in waste management applications. Learning how to identify the common culprits of sub-par solid tire performance and adopting some simple best practices can pay off significantly, both for your tires and your operation. How Long do Solid Tires Last in Waste Applications? Solid tires are a popular choice for machines working in waste applications thanks to their puncture-proof performance and extended service life— solid tires can last three to five times longer than their pneumatic and foam-filled counterparts. That said, a number of factors contribute to just how long a tire will last in waste management applications, including the surface they’re used on, the duty cycle, the maintenance program, the person operating the equipment, the hazards they face, and tire selection. Although some fact

R-3 and R-3+ Turf Tire Tread Patterns There are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing new tires for your lawnmower, zero-turn mower, or compact tractor, but one of the most important is the tread pattern. A tire’s tread pattern is an indicator of its intended use and will determine the applications in which it’s most successful—and pairing the proper tread pattern to an application can improve everything from productivity to service life (and ultimately profit). R-3 Tread Patterns Turf tires, also known as R-3 tires, are engineered to gently work on delicate grass and other sensitive surfaces without leaving marks. An R-3 tread, like our Galaxy Mighty Mow , commonly features closely spaced geometric blocks that provide traction and stability when operating on uneven ground and deliver flotation to avoid leaving behind unwanted tire tracks or indentations. R-3 turf patterns are also less deep than other tread types. R-3 tires are a common sight on equipment ranging from zero-