German university tests Nokian Ground King hybrid pattern tractor tires in large agricultural contractor’s operations – the study finds significant benefits

The working profile of a tractor in agricultural application has been changing. In addition to working in the fields, the volume of transport tasks and time on the road has increased significantly in recent years. This fact is shaping the criteria for an agricultural contracting tire as field and road applications are very different by nature – both still calling for great performance. Nokian Tyres has approached the versatility challenge with a new kind of hybrid pattern technology that offers the best of both worlds, combining the field-ready lug pattern with block pattern to improve on-road properties. But does it work in practice? The Kiel University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Engineering put the Nokian Ground King tire through its paces to find out.

Test setup

For long-term performance testing, Fendt 724 Vario tractor owned by the agricultural contractor firm Blunk GmbH in Rendswühren was fitted with the pre-production version of the Nokian Ground King tractor tires. For reference, another identical Fendt was fitted with premium agricultural standard (AS) tire by another tire manufacturer. The tires were used in grassland operations and road transportations, while several measurements were carried out to follow the performance. The work on the fields included mowing, tedding, harvesting and tillage. The average time used in field application was 62% and on road 38% throughout the test period.

Picture 1: Different types of work carried out with Nokian Ground King (Working hour proportion of individual jobs in the trial period).

 

Picture 2: The percentage of field and road use in the trial.

Efficiency in field use

The measurements in deep tillage application tests showed that compared to the reference tire, Nokian Ground King tire had better power transfer to the ground with 2% less wheel slip. This improved working efficiency is due to the Hybrilug^TM tread pattern that gave a good interlocking grip between the tire profile and ground. In assessment of self-cleaning of the pattern types none of the tires differed greatly in this performance respect under the given conditions on the moist clay soil. The difference of pattern types effect on the grass growth on the tracks done by the tractor i.e. strain effect to the field was assessed between first and second cut of grass. The greater pattern proportion of the Nokian Ground King tire led to less strain on the soil and to more rapid grass regrowth after being driven over during the first and second cuts, leading to 29% higher yield expectations.
Picture 3: Hybrilug^TM technology combines the best features of traditional lug and block tire patterns in order to improve all-terrain mobility, great road properties and a long operating life.

Service life and fuel economy

The test period consisted of 38% road use and 62% field use. The result of the long-time trial clearly shows that the Nokian Ground King tire definitely demonstrates less wear over the trial’s total operational spectrum. The lug-patterned reference tire lost more than third of its usable lug height, while the Nokian Ground King tire lost only a fifth of its lug height. This means considerably longer service life than that of a typical agricultural tire.

In fuel economy, Nokian Ground King demonstrated clear improvement. In heavy cultivation work the fuel consumption with Nokian Ground King tires was 1.5 l/h (i.e. 4%) lower than with the reference AS profile tires. The difference was still greater in transport tasks where the saving of 2.4 l/h represented more than 9% fuel savings compared with AS profile results. The combined consumption calculated through jobs carried out, measured consumption and time input, resulted in consumption being 11% less for the Nokian Ground King tires.

Effect to ergonomics and efficiency in work

Do the tires have a positive effect on the efficiency of everyday work? The test report makes it clear: “All drivers, as well as company workshop staff, evaluated Nokian Ground King definitely positively.” This is due to experienced better driving comfort, lower noise and good handling. As the contractor Blunk pointed out, “Drivers’ subjective impressions of the new tires’ ability to easily handle all jobs undertaken by the contractor was backed by everyone, leading to a more self-confident performance on customer farms.”

In conclusion

The tests were conducted in 2019 and demonstrated clearly that the Nokian Ground King tire lives up to its promises. What’s more, the collaborating contracting company was quite enthusiastic about the new tires, hoping for comprehensive sizes for every machine to be available soon.

“It’s nice to see that independent test results are similar to ours”, says Tero Saari, Product Manager at Nokian Tyres. “Efficient agriculture is good for everybody, so we are pleased to be the first to offer a solution to a known need.”

Sizes and availability

14 Nokian Ground King tire sizes will be available from Nokian Tyres’ dealers in 2020, starting with four sizes 650/65R42, 540/65R30, 650/65R38, 540/65R28 in April 2020.

More information and photos:

Photos and press materials: www.nokiantyres.com/groundkingPR
Product page: www.nokiantyres.com/groundking
Company website: www.nokiantyres.com/heavy

Further information:

Toni Silfverberg, Head of Sales & Marketing, Nokian Heavy Tyres Ltd
[email protected], tel. +358 10 401 7854

Tero Saari, Product Manager, Nokian Heavy Tyres Ltd
[email protected], tel. +358 10 401 7226

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Nokian Tyres develops and manufactures premium tires for people who value safety and sustainability. Inspired by our Scandinavian heritage, we craft innovative products for passenger cars, trucks and heavy machinery that give you peace of mind in all driving conditions. Our Vianor chain provides tire and car services. In 2019, the company’s net sales were EUR 1.6 billion and it employed some 4,700 people. Nokian Tyres is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. Further information: www.nokiantyres.com