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...

 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...

Transitioning Compact Tractors for Winter Work As autumn edges toward winter, the days get shorter, the temperatures colder, and many small acreage owners and landscapers begin to transition their compact tractors from fall cleanup to snow removal. Compact tractors are winter workhorses—thanks, in part, to their ability to operate a wide variety of attachments—and play a vital role in both professional and personal snow removal. Some simple preventative maintenance and the right tire can help maximize the performance of equipment, avoid the thin ice of downtime, and ultimately ensure compact tractor owners don’t get left out in the cold this winter. Compact Tractor Attachments for Snow Removal In advance of the snow season, make sure snow removal attachments connect to the tractor and take them for a practice run. This ensures everything works properly and provides the opportunity to fix any issues in advance of plummeting temperatures and dumping snow. Popular snow removal attachments...

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...

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...

Application-Specific OTR Tires Application-specific tires are engineered to meet the unique demands imposed by particular jobs, such as the weight of the equipment itself and the load it will carry; the speed and distance it will travel; and the terrain in which it will operate. Outfitting equipment with application-specific tires is an excellent step to take toward controlling costs.   Tires affect the bottom line of a business and influence everything from the performance of equipment to downtime to fuel efficiency. Application-specific tires are also generally the longer-lasting option and provide a lower total cost of ownership. A number of factors go into designing and selecting an application-specific OTR tire, including: Tire construction (solid, radial, or bias) Tread pattern Tread depth Rubber compound The Tire and Rim Association (TRA)  has developed a uniform classification system for OTR tires which is followed by all manufacturers—to assist in understanding a tire...

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...

What is More Fuel-Efficient, Tires or Tracks? 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 i...

  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...