Builders’ merchant Solent Building Supplies has replaced its Bobcat skid-steer loader’s Michelin Bibsteel Hard Surface tyres like-for-like, after reporting ‘impressive’ durability despite tough working conditions.
The company, which operates within a 30-mile radius of Portsmouth, had previously replaced the Bobcat’s tyres every six to eight months due to damage and wear, before opting to trial the 260/70 R 16.5 Michelin fitments.
The Bobcat’s Bibsteel Hard Surface tyres are only now being replaced due to tread wear, after two years on the hard-working vehicle. During their lifetime the tyres kept the sturdy loader safe and productive as it shifted up to 250 tonnes of aggregate, ballast and sand across an average 33-hour working week.
Ian White, Yard Manager at Solent Building Supplies, says: “The Bibsteel tyres have outperformed every other tyre we’ve ever had fitted to the Bobcat – and have lasted far longer. Two years on the job is exceptional, when you consider that we’ve worked them hard in a yard that’s covered in stones and other aggregates. You really couldn’t get a better tyre for the application.”
For White, the company’s investment in premium Michelin tyres has paid off in terms of sheer longevity. He says: “When you specify Michelin, you know you’re getting exactly what you pay for – an impressive, long-wearing, robust, safe tyre. The Bibsteel tyres’ performance and the long-term economic value of specifying premium tyres is what cemented our decision to stick with Michelin.”
Solent Building Supplies also operates two DAF trucks, both of which are running on Michelin fitments. All tyre servicing and maintenance for the company is taken care of by ATS Euromaster’s Portsmouth service centre – a site that holds Compact Line Specialist status, making it best-placed to take care of Solent Building Supplies’ tyre requirements.
Michelin Bibsteel Hard Surface tyres form a key part of its Compact Line range and are ideally suited to materials handling applications where tyres are more vulnerable to punctures or impacts.
An all-steel radial casing featuring three metal plies helps the tyres achieve excellent durability, even on rough ground.
The fitments’ strong sidewall is 2.5mm thicker than Michelin’s previous-generation Stabil’X XZSL tyre, and when combined with a rim protector, this enhances the tyres’ ability to withstand damage, maximise equipment uptime, and reduce operating costs.
Established in 1983, Solent Building Supplies is an independent builders’ merchant supplying building and landscape materials, including bulk aggregates, to the areas surrounding Portsmouth.
For more information about the range of Michelin agricultural and Compact Line tyres available, visithttp://agricultural.michelin.co.uk .
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Michelin , the leading tyre company, is dedicated to sustainably improving the mobility of goods and people by manufacturing, distributing and marketing tyres for every type of vehicle. It also offers innovative business support services, digital mobility services and publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has 112,300 employees and operates 68 production plants in 17 countries. The Group also has a Technology Centre, responsible for research and development, with operations in Europe, North America and Asia. (www.michelin.com)
For further press information please contact:
David Johnson, Michelin Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0) 1782 402341 Email: d.johnson@michelin.com
Andy Hemphill or Beth Laws, Garnett Keeler PR, Inver House, 37-39 Pound Street,
Carshalton, Surrey, SM5 3PG
Tel: +44 (0)20 8647 4467 Fax: +44 (0)20 8544 4711 E-mail: andy.hemphill@garnettkeeler.com orbeth.laws@garnettkeeler.com
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