Yokohama Off Highway Tires

Tips for Properly Storing OTR Tires Whether it’s a farmer replacing the tires on their tractor or a construction company stocking up on skid steer tires, customers should consider a host of factors when selecting tires. For many, one of the most important criteria when buying new tires is the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a tire, or the overall cost of a tire to a customer from the time of purchase through resale or replacement. Maximizing the TCO of tires begins before they’re ever mounted to a machine, as proper storage plays a pivotal role in a tire achieving the lowest possible TCO. The Importance of Proper OTR Storage OTR tires are designed to work in some of the harshest, least-forgiving terrain imaginable—from stalk-filled far fields to debris-littered construction sites to rock-strewn mines. Tires are built tough, but rubber compounds are sensitive and susceptible to and can be subject to all sorts of physical and chemical damage. Ultimately, the failure to properly store OT...

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...

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-...

One U.S. Farmers Feeds More than 160 People The number of people fed by a single U.S. farmer has grown steadily over the years. In the 1800s, a U.S. farmer grew enough food to feed between three and five people. According to the website Statista , the number has continued to grow over the decades:1940 ~20 1960 ~45 1980 ~100 2005 ~144 2022 ~165 While the statistic isn’t perfect, it does show a massive improvement in the efficiency and productivity of U.S. farmers. It might surprise you to learn that tires play an important role in helping farmers grow the number of people they feed. How the Number of People Fed by a Farmer Is Calculated In 2014, Bob Young, chief economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation (which has been doing this calculation since the 1970s), explained how the number of people fed by a farmer is calculated . The number is based on a ratio—it’s calculated by taking cash receipts from farm ag products, subtracting the trade balance, and dividing the number back i...

 The new Galaxy AT Grip Steel steel-belted skid steer radial from Yokohama Off-Highway Tires was designed from the ground up in close consultation with skid steer operators and industrial tire dealers. The result is a revolutionary, all-around performance design engineered to deliver higher performance and longer tire life for skid steers. “What we found when we sat down to talk to skid steer operators and tire dealers about skid steer radials is that the market is ready for the benefits radials deliver — more hours, better traction, better ride, and overall lower cost of ownership,” says Dhananjay Bisht, Product Manager — Earthmoving, Construction and Industrial Tires for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc. “But what we also heard loud and clear was that they really wanted a strong sidewall. The feature they admired most about their old bias-ply tires was the stability and durability of the sidewalls. So we developed a radial tire that delivers the footprint and ride benefit...

Safe Site Visits for OTR Tire Salespeople, Field Engineers, and Technicians Whether it’s working around massive, fast-moving equipment on complex sites or handling pressurized tires, the job of an OTR tire salesperson, field service engineer, or technician is one with many potential hazards. Everyone who has worked in the tire industry for an extended period of time seems to know of someone who has had a close call or even been injured while visiting a site, which is why it’s vital that step one when visiting a site is to stay safety-focused. The Challenges of Servicing OTR Tires OTR tire personnel must contend with gargantuan equipment, heavy tires under high pressure, and busy sites in all manner of conditions—service calls commonly take place after dark, in every type of weather, and on every surface imaginable. Safety must be the top priority at every service call. Checking In on OTR Tire Site Safety Recognizing the risks facing OTR tire salespeople, field service engineers, and ...

  Tips for Properly Storing OTR Tires Whether it’s a farmer replacing the tires on their tractor or a construction company stocking up on skid steer tires, customers should consider a host of factors when selecting tires. For many, one of the most important criteria when buying new tires is the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a tire, or the overall cost of a tire to a customer from the time of purchase through resale or replacement. Maximizing the TCO of tires begins before they’re ever mounted to a machine, as proper storage plays a pivotal role in a tire achieving the lowest possible TCO. The Importance of Proper OTR Storage  OTR tires are designed to work in some of the harshest, least-forgiving terrain imaginable—from stalk-filled far fields to debris-littered construction sites to rock-strewn mines. Tires are built tough, but rubber compounds are sensitive and susceptible to and can be subject to all sorts of physical and chemical damage. Ultimately, the failure to pr...

Unlike traditional pneumatic tires which are filled with air, solid tires are made entirely from rubber, offering puncture-proof performance to skid steers operating in even the harshest terrain and drastically lowering the likelihood of downtime. The robust construction of solid skid steer tires also allows them to provide long service life—solid tires can last three to five times longer than pneumatic tires and provide better wear characteristics since many of them feature deeper tread.  We even figured out how to pack more rubber onto our  Galaxy Hulk SDS Severe Duty Solid : put it on a 16-inch rim and make up the difference with compound. That means the Hulk SDS has four times more usable rubber to the 60J line and still fits the same skid steers as the 20-inch competition. Simply put, the Hulk SDS has more rubber, lasts longer, lowers the number of time-consuming tire changeovers, and, even in high-intensity applications, delivers a low total cost of ownership (TCO). Soli...