Taking Care of Your Farm Tires All Year Round

It’s critical that everyone on your team is involved in conversations about safety, and that these conversations come from a place of empathy and understanding. While safety can sometimes be an uncomfortable topic, it’s still a critical one. We’ve worked hard to build a culture that encourages a collaborative and open approach to looking at safety.

From keeping them maintained during the season to keeping them safe over winter, taking care of your agricultural tires is a year-round job. We hear all sorts of questions when it comes to picking out tires and keeping them in good shape, so we put together a quick overview of some tips and tricks that can make a huge difference in the life of your farm tires.

Choosing the right farm tires for every application

When it comes to picking out the right tires for your equipment, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the load rating. Load rating is a measure of the maximum weight a tire can safely support, so it's crucial to choose tires that can handle the weight of your equipment with ease.

Next, you want to make sure that your tires have the right kind of tread for the job. This can change depending on the condition of the growing season. If there’s been a lot of rain and the ground is constantly wet, our Fountain Tire experts can help you pick out a tread with better traction or they can add more weight to your tires to help with pull.

Keeping your farm tires in good shape

Make sure you check on your tires often throughout the months you use them, keeping an eye out for cracking on the vertical sidewall. These cracks may be a result of insufficient air pressure and usually start as small, 1-inch cracks from the bead area toward the tread and will grow over time. If you spot one of these cracks, it’s important to get them looked at right away before the problem spreads.

Once your season is over and it’s likely your equipment will be sitting for a while, there are a few things that you can do to help make sure your tires remain in good condition when they won’t be in use.

Inflate your tires to the highest possible level that your vehicle or tire type permits. Due to temperature fluctuations, you may lose pressure over the winter. Be sure to re-check your pressures in the spring before you begin using your equipment again, to avoid causing damage by driving on under inflated tires.
Avoid sun and UV damage to the compound of your tires by storing them in a covered area out of the sun.
Check on your farm tires throughout the winter. If your tires have lost pressure, be sure to inflate them before any permanent damage is done.

Minimizing downtime with on-site repairs

To maximize the longevity of your tires, it is crucial that you keep up with maintenance. We understand that downtime, especially in harvest season, can severely impact your yields. That’s why Fountain Tire is committed to making sure you get the repairs or maintenance you need fast so you can get back up and running as soon as possible.

If your equipment is too large to fit on a trailer or it’s too large to tow, our team of experts can come and meet you at your farm, equipped with everything that they might need to make a repair safely and efficiently.

At Fountain Tire, we’re here to make that job easier. No matter what part of the province you’re in, or what you farm, your local Fountain Tire store has the expert knowledge and expertise you need every step of the way, including advice on tire selection, maintenance and repair.

If you want to learn more about making the most out of your farming tires, please contact your local Fountain Tire store.