5 Tire Inspection Points To Check Before Planting

As farmers prepare for the busy fall harvest and tillage season, we have a simple but important message for you: As you prepare your equipment for the busiest time of year, keep your tires and rims in mind. A cracked rim, loose lug nuts, or a sidewall cut can all put a halt to your harvest. And we can almost guarantee that the failure will not occur at a convenient time or location for you. There's also the issue of safety; you want to ensure that you and your workers are safe while working on your farm. This includes both training and well-kept equipment. We created the following checklist to help you get through harvest as smoothly as possible.

There's also the issue of safety; you want to ensure that you and your workers are safe while working on your farm. This includes both training and well-kept equipment.

Top 5 Tire Maintenance Tips For Every Tractor Owner

We created the following checklist to help you get through harvest as smoothly as possible.

AIR COMPRESSION

Check the air pressure in your tractor and implement tires.

The weight of heavy farm equipment can damage tires with low air pressure. Overinflating tires reduces the amount of surface area in contact with the ground, increasing slip and soil compaction.

CORDS AND CRACKS

Continue inspecting tires for cracks, cuts, and exposed cords. Stubble damage can increase the likelihood of costly tire failure and downtime.

TREAD

A tire should be replaced if the tread is less than 20% of its original depth. As tread depth decreases, slippage and traction increase. This increases your fuel bill because engine RPMs are wasted on slipping rather than moving you forward. If your tread bars are significantly worn, with fabric or cables visible between the bars, or if there are deep cuts or large chips, it's time to replace the tire.

VALVE STEMS: EVEN A MINOR DEFECT CAN LEAD TO A MAJOR LEAK

If you're constantly inflating your tires, your valve stem could be to blame. Check the valve core for tightness and the stems for looseness or dry rot. Also, cap your valve stems so you don't have to dig mud or debris out of a stem with a jackknife before you can air up.

LUG NUTS: ESSENTIAL FOR KEEPING YOU SAFE AND THE HARVEST MOVING

It is critical to check the tightness of your machine's lug nuts regularly. This not only prevents a wheel from separating during operation but also aids in the maintenance of a secure bond (the proper clamp load) between your rim and hub, reducing wear.

Over-tightening can cause lug studs to fail or "pancake" the metal behind the lug bolt, which can contribute to crack formation. Under-tightening can cause friction between wheel components, failing. Check your owner's manual for the proper torque for your lug nuts; don't assume it's the same for all of your equipment.