TIRES AND TRACKS IN AGRICULTURE

The question of the use of tires and tracks on agricultural prime movers is again surfacing. The four-wheel drive market is growing fast, particularly in areas where crawlers have been popular. The relative performance characteristics of tires and tracks are compared in agricultural soil conditions. Performance analysis shows that a four-wheel drive tractor should have a 22 percent higher productivity than a similar weighted track layer in a firm soil. This is due to the higher axle power of the four-wheel drive tractor. A track layer should outproduce a four-wheel drive of equal axle power (with proper weight-to-power) by 12 percent. A four-wheel drive tractor had a 36-50 percent higher productivity than a similar weighted track layer in sugarcane conditions for several tillage operations. For similar weighted tractors, owning and operating costs per hectare for a four-wheel drive tractor were 33 percent less than that for a track layer. No significant differences in soil compaction between crawler and four-wheel drive tractors were found in field experiments. There was no significant compaction below the tillage zone for both tractors. Theoretical predictions agreed well with field experiments.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Preprint for meeting held September 13-16, 1976.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Brixius, W W
  • Zoz, F M
• Publication Date: 1976-9

Media Info

• Pagination: 12 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Agriculture; Crawler tractors; Front wheel drive; Operating costs; Performance; Railroad tracks; Soil compaction; Tires; Traction; Truck tractors
• Old TRIS Terms: Agricultural
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00164968
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 760653 Preprint
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 18 1978 12:00AM