Hardy stalks can present challenges for farm tires

ROCK FALLS, Ill. — One of the obvious signs of a healthy, hardy corn crop can also present major headaches for those working in it.

“It’s a good problem — and an annoying problem — for farmers,” said Kyle Moore, co-owner of Moore Tires, based in Rock Falls in northwestern Illinois.

Moore said sturdy cornstalks can bring harvest and fieldwork to a standstill when those stalks puncture farm tires.

“We see a broad range of issues, from deer antlers stuck in combine or grain cart tires to stubble and stalk damage,” he said.

Moore said what is good news for farmers, in terms of stalk strength, can turn into headaches in the harvested field.

“It’s a good sign and it means the stalk and the plant is going to withstand a lot more than it used to, in terms of storm and wind,” he said.

“On the tire side of things, it is an engineering issue that a lot of brands aren’t putting an emphasis on in terms of stubble protection. Brands like Firestone and Michelin have stubble guards and all sorts of products now to prevent that.

“It’s a never-ending issue that we have to keep an eye on, as well, because it can cause problems in the middle of harvest that everybody wants to avoid.”

Moore said that while cornstalk stubble may not seem tough enough to puncture a massive combine or tractor tire, over time, those stalks can do real damage.

“Right on the center of the tread is where we see it most often. As farmers are moving over the field, they leave stubble, that 6- to 12-inch remainder of the stalk. That can be a pointy little piece right there. It’s not extremely sharp, but it’s sharp enough to dig into the rubber right at the tread,” he said.

“Typically, we see it right in the center of the tread. It’s sitting there digging out a little piece of that rubber. You’ll see stubble damage at the base of that tire lug. It will look very blotchy, like someone sat there with a little pick and chipped away at the rubber.”

Over time, the damage is noticed in lack of tire pressure.

“Eventually, that damage goes deep enough where it gets into the tire wires. Once we see that, we start to lose air pressure from them, as well,” Moore said.

“It’s a never-ending problem in the tire industry and one that farmers have to look out for, as well.”

Tire pressure is one of the primary issues that affect tire performance and wear.

“Air pressure affects a tire and your equipment, your compaction and your overall performance on 100 different levels. How that tire wears, how quickly that tire wears, the compaction of your soil, the ridability of your equipment all comes down to your tire pressure and where it is set,” Moore said.

Maintaining and adjusting tire pressure on tractors, combines and grain carts can be a challenge during harvest.

“It gets even more difficult when you start hooking up a grain cart that is going to add 15,000 to 20,000 pounds when it’s loaded, or a piece of tillage equipment. You have to adjust your tire air pressure for all of these different applications, as well,” Moore said.

Many of the issues that Moore Tires technicians deal with can be traced to incorrect air pressure.

“Where we see irregular tire wear, premature tire wear or even instances where tires to completely flat and come off a bead, a lot of times, is because of incorrect tire pressure,” Moore said.

He said the company has a variety of resources for customers to help set the correct tire pressure for whatever work the vehicle is performing.

“We have all sorts of resources, from books to apps, that show the different pressures to set that exact tire at, depending on the weight capacity you are putting on it. It gets very in depth and detailed and we have quite a few experts in our system who can answer those questions,” he said.

Moore Tires has six locations in Illinois, including Dixon, Kewanee, Macomb, Mendota, Monmouth and Rock Falls.