A farmer in Northern Ireland has been hugely impressed with Michelin’s X Tweel SSL airless tyre and wheel combination – after becoming the first person in the country to put them into operation.
William Smyth, who runs a dairy and beef farm in County Antrim, has been running the fitments for more than a year after they were specified as original equipment on a New Holland L218 skid-steer loader.
Smyth would usually replace the pneumatic tyres on a skid-steer every two years, but expects to get far more service from the Michelin X Tweel SSL.
“The current wear rates suggest they are going to last a lot longer; I’ve been very impressed with the durability,” says Smyth. “I think they’ll keep going for four or five years, so more than twice the life I’d get from standard tyres.”
The New Holland L218 is used for moving animal feed and hay around the farm, as well as general cleaning and clearing duties. Working on both hard ground in the yard, as well as softer surfaces in the field, the Michelin X Tweel SSL All Terrain features a deep, open tread for off-road applications and use on varying surfaces. It can also be specified in a Hard Surface Traction version.
Smyth adds: “The grip we get is very good, and I’ll definitely never get a flat! We will look to get these tyres on all our skid-steers in the future.”
Michelin has offered its range of Tweel products for grass mowing, agricultural and industrial applications in North America for several years, but its fitment for skid-steer loaders is the first Tweel product to arrive this side of the Atlantic.
The product performs like a pneumatic tyre, but without the risk and downtime associated with punctures and impact damage.
The X Tweel SSL delivers a consistent footprint with strong wear life and there’s very little maintenance involved. It is easy to mount and doesn’t require air pressure checks.
Key features include a deep open tread designed for easy cleaning and excellent traction, and an additional layer of undertread which allows the core to be repeatedly retreaded. High strength, poly-resin spokes provide high carrying capacity, reduce vibrations, absorb impacts and prolong the product’s working life.
For more information about the range of Michelin farm tyres available visit http://agricultural.michelin.co.uk or tweet @MichelinAgriUK.
Ends
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tyres, services and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has more than 127,000 employees and operates 69 tyre production facilities which together produced around 200 million tyres in 2019. (www.michelin.com)
For further press information please contact:
David Johnson, Michelin Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1782 402341 Email: d.johnson@michelin.com
Dan Jones or James Keeler, Garnett Keeler PR, Inver House, 37-39 Pound Street,
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 3PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8647 4467 E-mail: dan.jones@garnettkeeler.com / james.keeler@garnettkeeler.com
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