Yokohama Off Highway Tires

Improvements Provide Huge Opportunity for Smaller Equipment The federal government recently made a historic commitment to massive infrastructure investment in the U.S. and is just beginning to spend billions of dollars to repair and improve roads, bridges, railways, and airports. These projects will put a lot of machines to work—from massive earth movers to compact loaders—in turn, the role of smaller equipment in day-to-day operations is growing. A lot is riding on equipment (and its tires) as the nation and construction businesses alike make the most of this excellent opportunity. What’s Driving the Need for Smaller Equipment? Unlike past infrastructure projects, many of which were built from the ground up in underdeveloped areas where huge earthmoving equipment could maneuver, most of today’s projects will involve repairing or replacing existing infrastructure in confined urban areas and on existing roads. A good comparison to today’s infrastructure projects is the “last mile” in tr...

Corn, Tires, and Old Adages The saying knee-high by the fourth of July was long used by farmers to judge the success of their corn crops—it means that growing conditions have been favorable, the crops are off to a good start, and big yields are expected come fall—and the adage remains popular today, despite being antiquated. Innovation in everything from seeds and treatments to equipment and tires has enabled earlier planting and faster-growing, higher-yielding corn. Origins of the Adage The roots of knee-high by the fourth of July are debatable. The Farmers Almanac is well-known for sharing old-timey wisdom and folklore and is commonly associated with the popularization of the saying. Many who date the adage to colonial times also commonly claim that the phrase is misinterpreted and that it’s not a measure of corn to a person standing in a field, but rather to that of a person on horseback. Some farmers think the idiom is a more modern invention, and date the saying to the turn of t...

From the innovative two-layered lugs of the Alliance Agri Star II R-1W farm radial to the hybrid tread block design of the Alliance 550 Multiuse radial, the Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America Inc. booth at the 2021 Farm Progress Show (Booth 252) will feature a wide range of farm tires that can help producers find the optimal tire for any tire need across the farm or ranch. "We've gone so far beyond the days where the standard R-1 tractor lug tire and the rib implement tire were the only real options on the farm," says Blaine Cox, National Product Manager-Agriculture for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc. "Today's farm tires are optimized for particular soil types, specific kinds of tasks, whether the machinery spends much time on the road—there's a tire designed to deliver the best way to tackle any challenges. Of course, there are also the all-around utility players because we know farmers need versatility. At our booth, people can see a variety of opt...

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...

 Numerous innovations have helped farmers improve their efficiency and production over the years, including increased and improved mechanization, better fertilizers and pesticides, high-tech and hybrid seeds, improved post-harvest handling and storage, and digital advancements such as automation, artificial intelligence, and data collection and analysis. Tires and Increased Farm Production Another aspect driving the growth in production from U.S. farmers is a better understanding of how they themselves affect the land. The adoption of new growing techniques and the creation of strategic practices have bolstered farm productivity by minimizing soil compaction, reducing erosion, and conserving water. It’s here that tires have played an important role. Radial tires are becoming a common sight on today’s farms. Radial tires provide a larger footprint than older, bias-ply technology. Radials lessen the impact of machinery on the field, help reduce soil compaction, and improve yields. Th...

How to Give Winter Construction Tire Performance a Boost For many construction companies, the arrival of winter poses a number of challenges, including operating on snowy, icy, frozen, and wet ground. Since tires are the contact point between construction equipment and the ground, taking a few simple steps can ensure efficiency, increase service life, reduce the risk of downtime, and in the end put more money in your pocket this winter. Inspect Tires Frequent visual inspections of equipment tires are a good habit to practice year-round and are particularly important to do in winter weather and cold conditions. Icy and wet weather puts a priority on traction, so make sure tires have enough tread life left to perform at their best. Keep an eye out for common culprits like cracking and chunking, which can cause tire failure and downtime. You’ll also want to make sure there is no puncture-threatening debris stuck in the tread. Ice and snow build-up can also lead to poor performance and une...

Preventative Maintenance Helps Farm Tires Last Longer Ag tires are built tough—they need to be to handle the numerous challenges they encounter on the farm, from transferring equipment horsepower to the ground to pulling tillage equipment and carrying massive loads of seed, spray, and commodities. The durability and ruggedness of the best ag tires can make it easy to overlook the demands placed on them, but devoting time to tire maintenance can pay off, especially when you consider that the price of a single tire can run hundreds or thousands of dollars. A little preventative maintenance can go a long way to ensuring the long service life of your tire. Below are seven tips for making the most out of your investment in farm tires . Inflation Pressure Ensuring your ag tires are inflated properly is one of the best things you can do for your tires and a simple tire pressure gauge is one of the best investments you can make on the farm.Overinflation can cause excessive tire wear and can di...

Preventative Maintenance Helps Farm Tires Last Longer Ag tires are built tough—they need to be to handle the numerous challenges they encounter on the farm, from transferring equipment horsepower to the ground to pulling tillage equipment and carrying massive loads of seed, spray, and commodities. The durability and ruggedness of the best ag tires can make it easy to overlook the demands placed on them, but devoting time to tire maintenance can pay off, especially when you consider that the price of a single tire can run hundreds or thousands of dollars. A little preventative maintenance can go a long way to ensuring the long service life of your tire. Below are seven tips for making the most out of your investment in farm tires. Inflation Pressure Ensuring your ag tires are inflated properly is one of the best things you can do for your tires and a simple tire pressure gauge is one of the best investments you can make on the farm. Overinflation can cause excessive tire wear and can...

Maintenance Tips to Improve Winter Tractor Tire Life Tractor tires are designed to take a lot of punishment, but winter dishes out some unique challenges to even the toughest-built tires. Whether your tractor and its tires stay busy all winter long or hibernate in the barn, there are a handful of steps you can take to increase their longevity and maximize your investment in them. For Tractors That Work Through Winter No matter where you’re located, winter presents unique challenges to tractors. Tire Challenges in the Northern U.S. The main challenge facing farm tires that work through winter in the northern U.S. is frozen ground. For example, the rough path from the hay barn to the field can become a minefield for tires when frozen, and the dip or rut that you hardly notice in spring when the ground is soft can cause an impact break in the winter. The same is said for the mounds created by cattle walking through wet pastures, which, when frozen, are not all that different from small, p...

Introducing the Galaxy LDSR 510 The Galaxy LDSR 510, a new, all-steel dozer and loader radial for surface mining from Yokohama Off-Highway Tires, combines extra-deep tread blocks and cut-resistant compound to deliver outstanding performance on rock and gravel surfaces. The new, non-directional tread pattern provides outstanding traction in both forward and reverse, enhancing efficiency in digging, loading and carrying operations, notes Dhananjay Bisht, Product Manager—Earthmoving, Construction and Industrial Tires for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc. The Galaxy LDSR 510 also features high turn-up carcass construction, which increases lateral stiffness in the sidewall without compromising the benefits of the large, even footprint and low rolling resistance from radial design," Bisht adds. "The sidewalls are also reinforced against cuts and damage, which is important in rock mining and quarry operations, and deliver a stable, comfortable ride. Combined with the all-stee...

Make These Common Farm Tire Mistakes a Thing of the Past It’s not just common for people to make the same mistake over and over again, it’s science . The human brain isn’t wired to learn from errors. Rather than admitting to making a mistake, it searches for anything but itself to incriminate, then reinforces the bad behavior. This explains why we see so many farmers repeatedly making the same tire mistakes. Fortunately, it’s possible to break the cycle by looking to the future instead of dwelling on the past. Five Common Farm Tire Mistakes Stop making these five common farm tire mistakes.   1. Not Regularly Checking Inflation Pressure Whether your equipment is working on soil in the field or concrete in the yard, inflation pressure matters. Operating tires at the proper inflation pressure can provide a host of benefits, including improved performance and fuel efficiency, reduced soil compaction, longer service life, and less downtime. To get the most out of your tires, know t...

  Compact Tractor Tires to Keep You from Falling Behind This Autumn yohta-blog.yokohama-oht.com Compact Tractors for Fall Cleanup Versatility is the reason why compact tractors are the backbone of many landscape operations and small acreages. These workhorses are able to tackle a wide variety of autumn applications thanks in part to their ability to work with a number of attachments, whether a front-end loader for moving firewood or a tow-behind vacuum for collecting leaves. In the end, a compact tractor can save landscape business owners and hobby farmers a considerable amount of time and effort in the fall (and throughout the year). Five Fall-Friendly Compact Tractor Attachments    Leaf Baggers/Vacuums/Sweepers Raking and bagging leaves can take a substantial amount of manual labor, especially if you’re maintaining a large piece—or multiple pieces—of property. There are a handful of attachments that can help with leaf collection, from baggers to vacuums to sweepe...