Agricultural equipment: radial and bias tires compared

How can you choose the right tire for your agricultural equipment? Is it better to opt for radial or bias solutions?

It’s difficult to provide a universal answer. Choosing the right tire must be carefully considered taking into account a range of factors. Depending on working habits, the conditions of the soil, the load, and the type of transport, the tire can vary considerably.  In the case, for example, of machinery for cultivation and tillage, great attention should be paid to rolling resistance and circumference.

It is true that the choice of a specific tire is influenced by countless factors, choosing radial solutions over bias tires can however make the difference.

Thanks to their structure, compared to bias tires, radial solutions offer lower rolling resistance, ensuring less and more uniform wear and tear compared to bias solutions. This also means greater fuel savings for the farmer.

Radial tires are characterized by a larger footprint on the ground than bias solutions. This allows to better distribute the weight of the equipment while at the same time limiting the compaction of agricultural soil, preserving the well-being of crops and increasing crop yield.

In addition, in most cases, with the same or lower pressure, radial tires have a higher load capacity than bias solutions. As is now common knowledge, radial tires equipped with VF and IF technologies can carry heavier loads at lower pressure than standard tires.

This is not the case for bias tires which often have to operate at maximum pressure in order to avoid damage to their casing.

Last but not least, radial tires can reach speeds of up to over 40 km/h with the correct tire pressures, allowing users to optimize travel times and thus speeding up operations.

There are several radial solutions for agricultural equipment which BKT has developed over time to meet users’ needs and requirements. Among the different products stand out:

The RIB 713, steel-belt tire equipped with IF technology capable of supporting heavier loads at lower tire pressures. RIB 713 provides a larger tire footprint with uniform weight distribution while also reducing soil compaction. The belted steel structure guarantees extraordinary puncture resistance and therefore greater protection against the penetration of stalks and stubble.

Speed category “D” (65 km/h – 40 mph) allows fast movements by road.

SR 713 is the All Steel radial tire with VF technology characterized by a sturdy casing with multilayer steel belts and a tread with a multiple groove design to guarantee low rolling resistance, in addition to uniform wear and tear of the tread. Thanks to a wide tire footprint, this VF tire ensures reduced soil compaction. SR 713 stands out for both its performance and its reliability, offering excellent levels of speed also on the road.

AW 711 has been designed specifically for large equipment intended for tillage and sowing. Some sizes are available in the standard version, whereas others are equipped with IF or VF technology.

Thanks to the special tread compound, AW 711 ensures a long product life cycle, whether used on soft or hard surfaces. Low rolling resistance when travelling by road ensures significant savings in fuel consumption.

Generally, therefore, radial products have the right characteristics for application on agricultural equipment. However, bias tires are not without their merits, for example, the resistance to wear and tear and the ability to absorb side impacts. It therefore depends on the needs of each user, because each activity is unique and specific.

For this reason, BKT also offers numerous bias models suitable for the most diverse uses: from moving on lawns to transporting fodder, passing through hay bale presses.

Some examples of bias BKT tires for agricultural equipment which are extremely valid and appreciated by users are:

I-1, a high-speed tire designed specifically for transport in the field and on the road, able to optimize travel times. The special tread pattern ensures a prolonged life cycle, even in adverse conditions and with the presence of stubble in the field.

RIB 774 is the line of BKT tires designed for agricultural equipment, especially round and big balers. This line includes the models RIB 774 (A), RIB 774 (B) and RIB 774 (C) which share a long life cycle and high load capacity.

Finally, the AW 708 solution stands out and is particularly resistant to cuts, tears and stubble. Some sizes are also available in the “Special” version with an ultra-resistant compound, and in the “Stubble resistant” version which ensures extraordinary resistance to stubble.

The world of agricultural equipment is really vast and BKT has thought of each specific application, responding concretely with a quality product which always guarantees maximum efficiency.