Neil Wainwright

The Amp Green Estate, near Carlisle, has been changing tractor tyres to run at lower pressures in order to decrease compaction and operate more efficiently. It began when farm manager, Neil Wainwright, changed the tyres on a John Deere 6250R to new tyres from us.

By switching to our TractorMaster he has noticed the tyres are wearing more evenly and providing more grip when carrying out cultivation work such as ploughing. “We put the first set on in May 2021 and I have had four more sets for other tractors in the fleet. We have tried other brands, and some were too soft so didn’t wear evenly,” he explains.

He has also tried harder tyres in the past, but experienced cracking before the tyres had worn out. “The Continental tyres have done almost 2,000 hours and haven’t cracked. The tyres have also worn more evenly even though we have been running 18 psi which is lower than we did with other tyres. "

The tyres are a better balance for mixed farm work and have performed very well.

He initially considered our tyres because of the introduction of the ContiPressureCheck™ system which provides information to a terminal in the cab. “We don’t have onboard air so changing the pressure of tyres is a little tricky to do regularly. It is therefore important that the operator is getting data about how the tyres are performing when set to the best pressure for load.”

Our ContiPressureCheck™ is a new system that monitors the pressure and temperature of tyres to provide the operator with the information to adjust the tyres to a specific task. “I want the tyre pressures as low as possible to maximise the footprint and minimise compaction. My concern has always been to not run them too low, and that is where the tyre monitoring help, because it can tell the operator if the pressure is correct.”

The estate extends to about 3,000 acres growing mostly grass silage, wholecrop and maize which yields 45,000 tonnes for an anaerobic digester. The work is demanding, and the land is spread over an 18-mile radius, which requires the tractors to do more road work. “Sid Karam who operates the John Deere 6520R has said that the Continental tyres are more comfortable and quieter on the road, which makes a big difference with all the road miles he does.”

It is good to have new tyre technology being introduced to help agriculture farm more efficiently. Our experience has been good so far and I am keen to see what else Continental can bring to farming in the future.

During cultivation work, previous tyres would cut and tear when ploughing heavier land. "These tyres have stood up well to the heavier work and as yet we have no cuts or tears. I think the rubber seems more flexible and able to repel any trash in the soil."

Mr Wainwright also praises the grip and self-cleaning properties of the tyre. “Sid has commented on the way the tyres shed soil. We farm in a built-up area and the way the tyres self-clean helps to minimise mud on the roads.”

Our TractorMaster tyre features the d-fine lug. It is a curved lug that has been designed to allow soil and trash to fall out of the tyre more easily. “This also improves grip, especially when ploughing. We have some heavier, clay soils here and for the tyres to manage this well and come out of the field pretty clean makes a big difference to both the operator safety and the need to clean areas after we have been working.”

The tractor has also performed more efficiently on the steep fields of the estate. The slip was much greater on previous tyres and at times the tractor would struggle. “Sid would find that he didn’t have enough power and the wheels would spin out. However, we have established this was because of the tyres, not the tractor, because the Continental tyres manage well, and we are running them at lower pressures too.”

Mr Wainwright is considering retrofitting ContiPressureCheck™ to his fleet and he is also interested in our new loader tyres. “I think having the pressure monitors will help all of our operators. I have also looked at changing the tyres on our Manitou telehandler to the new CompactMaster tyre. If it performs as well as the TractorMaster tyres, then it will make a big difference to our loader work.”