How Long Do Pivot Wheels Last?
This is a question we get all the time, "How long do your wheels last?" many different manufacturers will give you a definite life span for their pivot tires but are those timelines accurate?
The Truth
The truth is it depends. Pivot wheels operate in extremely harsh environments, always wet, muddy, and in the sun all day. Soil type is another concern. When operating on sandy soil, tires will last longer than if they are operating in soil with high clay contents they create deep tracks, which cause a lot of problems.
How Long Do Pneumatic Pivot Wheels Last?
Pneumatic wheels rarely last their intended lifespan in the field. The high UV exposure and wet conditions will deteriorate the rubber and the tracks will cause sidewall damage. This causes pneumatic wheels to go flat well before the tread wears out and you will likely have to constantly be changing your pivot wheels.
Airless Wheels
While airless wheels will hold up much longer in hard conditions and will never go flat, many of them can cause other problems that irrigation farmers should be wary of. These airless wheels are commonly made with plastic or steel and some manufacturers claim they will last 8 -10 years in the field. The problem is that these materials have no flexibility which causes gearbox wear as well as sacrificing traction.
Evolution Wheel saw the problems many of these wheels are causing irrigation farmers and developed a solution. A pivot wheel that won’t go flat and fix the traction and tracking problems in high clay soils, while also being easily serviceable.
The EWRS-PIVOT Series
The EWRS-PIVOT is an airless irrigation wheel that will last 2-3 times longer than a pneumatic in the field and is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of irrigation farming. This is a much more honest lifespan estimation as different conditions affect the lifespan of the wheels differently.
Our pivot wheel has similar flexibility and traction to a pneumatic, they are no-flat wheels like the other airless wheels and are anti-tracking as well. The EWRS-PIVOT is designed with a concave profile and an aggressive bi-directional tread design that holds mud underneath the wheel maximizing floatation without sacrificing traction.
The EWRS-PIVOT has a unique core hole geometry that compresses completely when pressure is applied. This allows the wheel to compress like a pneumatic mimicking its traction as well as being self-cleaning, so you don’t have to worry about added weight to the system.
On top of that, the EWRS-PIVOT’s high-quality rubber has UV protection, and the rims are made with high-strength steel that will last a lifetime. by being a segmented wheel, you can replace the rubber without ever having to get a new rim. Each segment is bolted onto the rim so all you need is a 3/4" socket to service the wheel when it’s damaged.
EWRS-PIVOT SERIES
The EWRS-PIVOT series of airless pivot tires from Evolution Wheel offers the most advanced airless technology to the irrigation market. This solution delivers serviceability, traction, and floatation into one impressive offering.
Our tread design and tire profile offer greater traction through mud and obstacles. The unique concave contact face helps eliminate rutting by keeping dirt under the tire, where it belongs. The face of the tire is pointed inwards. Compared to typical pneumatic irrigation tires which convex shape push mud out from under the tire, causing ruts.
Our proprietary segmented design bolts onto our high strength wheel, allowing you the ability to service the tire quickly, eliminating the need to change a tire in the field.
Unlike other airless pivot tires, the EWRS-PIVOT compresses flat pushing material out, it's a self-cleaning system. The compressed cores elongate the footprint of the tire allowing it to wrap over obstacles increasing traction and reducing ground pressure.
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