Harvest is nearly wrapped up across the United States, and that means lots of equipment will be packed up for the winter.
Equipment pros want you to pay special attention to your tires before closing up the barn this year.
“Probably the biggest thing is to look at the damage from stubble. We categorize stubble in two ways. The first, we call it stubble erosion, or you may see it called stubble abrasion. It’s just the gradual chipping away of the tread rubber over time by crop stalks, and if left long enough, it’ll essentially expose the inner structure, or cords, in the tire. The second half of the stubble equation is a stubble puncture. Just from modern crop genetics, crop stalks now have such hardness and rigidity that they can quite easily puncture a tire if conditions are right. Other things to look out for are any bulges or bubbles in the sidewall or tread, excessively uneven or irregular tread wear, deep gashes or cuts, severe ozone cracking,” said Austin Fischer.
Fischer says a post-harvest check takes just minutes, but it is time that can save thousands of dollars down the road.
