Pressure changes made easy
Pressure changes made easy
TRACTORS operating in fields often require different tyre pressures than when they are running on the road.
For most, the task of deflating and inflating tyres on a regular basis is a task too arduous to consider.
A solution for JCB Fastrac operators might just have been found by Lynx Engineering. The company has developed a system which uses the Fastracs compressor and enables all four wheels to be deflated or inflated to the same specified pressure at the same time.
The Airbox, fitted to the tractor, has a control gauge in the cab on which the target pressure is set, and four air lines, one for each wheel. With the air lines connected the unit is activated and continues until the required pressure has been achieved. According to Nick Ewbank of Lynx Engineering, the time taken to inflate tyres from field to road pressure is about five minutes. "It soon becomes a routine operation," he says.
Mr Ewbank also insists that the unit price of £1350 for the Airbox system is recouped through increased tyre life and better field performance. *
Correct tyre pressure can improve tractive effort in the field by as much as 35%, claims Lynx Engineering. But such pressures are not suitable for high speed road work. The company has now introduced the Airbox tyre pressure system for Fastracs.