Firestone 65 improvements are all round
Firestone 65 improvements are all round
FOR the uninitiated, tyres are black, usually round and, providing they dont go flat at the bottom, all is generally deemed to be in working order.
Tyre manufacturers though, tend to take a more informed approach by discussing such details as tyre profile, ground pressure loadings, speed ratings and so on. Which, confusing as it frequently is, must eventually be recognised as having some message for those anxious to obtain maximum grip and minimum soil damage.
Assuming, for the moment that such requirements are not at complete odds with each other, the latest contender to join the agricultural tyre scene comes from Firestone in the form of the Radial 9000 (65 series).
Designed to complement the companys existing 80 and 70 series ranges, the new tyre is claimed to provide improved traction, better self-cleaning and cause less soil disturbance. Tyre life is also said to be increased.
Hows it done? Firestone says it has equipped the low-profile 65 with a new design of lug which has an increased angle at its front and a decreased angle at the rear.
By the autumn of next year the company intends to have seven sizes of the new Radial 9000 available. The first two, the 650/65 R 38 and 540/65 R 28 can be purchased from January, with the 600/65 R 38 and 480/65 R 28 coming on stream during the spring. The 540/65 R 38, 540/65 R 24 and 480/65 R 24 will be available later in the year.
Firestones technical engineer, Frank White, with one of the new 65 Series tyres.