Huddlestone Farming, in Doncaster (South Yorkshire) has been in the farming business for over 50 years. Owner Nick, who was already well acquainted with the Vredestein Agricultural tyre range, was quick to see the potential benefits of the Lamma 2019 Gold Medal winner in the ‘Driven Innovation’ category, the Vredestein VF Optimall, and didn't hesitate to try it.
After being operational for just 12 months, recording 1000hrs with 50mm RTD on the front and 55mm RTD at the back, Nick realised that Vredestein’s Optimall tyres were outperforming his machines’ Original Equipment fitment, removed at just over 2000hrs. The predicted lifespan of the Optimalls is around 6,000hrs, depending on workload.
"Our drivers’ feedback is excellent; we have noticed excellent stability in road use at 11psi and traction in fields with low-ground pressure. The plan is to inflate to around 18psi when an increase in percentage of road work is scheduled (as it is likely per seasonal demand). This will protect the tyre and improve fuel economy", says Nick. "I think the VF technology applied by Vredestein will see us get the best out of the big high horse-powered tractors without loss of performance when transferring from field to road. When operating within such extremes, I can make the adjustment in PSI knowing the tyre is designed to take the strain and deliver the power."
"As a working farmer I don't have the on-site technology to test the claims made by tyre manufacturers, but I can read the independent reports issued by DLG (Report 6800) and then test them for myself."
The DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs in Germany is the leading benchmark for testing agricultural products and farm inputs, as well as a leading testing and certification service provider for independent technology tests. The DLG report (6800) on the Vredestein Optimall gives an independent view of the tyre’s performance, as the DLG test engineers examine produce developments and innovations.