Is Your Pivot Stuck? How to Get Your Pivot System Unstuck
Let’s start at the source, pivot tracks. Tracks, or wheel ruts, are formed when there is continuous traffic over the same patch of dirt, digging and packing down soil. Because pivot tires are fixed on the system and follow the same route every rotation, they create deep ruts that are made worse due to the wet conditions they operate in.
Your pivot is likely stuck because these ruts have gotten too deep and messy to be passable. There are a few ways to quickly help you get unstuck and running again but how do you prevent tracks from forming in the first place?
Quick Fixes
Decorative Lava Rock
Decorative lava rock is a common strategy used to give your pivot tire the grip it needs to get out of those problem areas.
The first step is to get a few bags of decorative landscaping lava rocks and keep them in the bag. Poke a few holes in the bag if the track is filled with water to help it sink and place the bag or rocks in front of the tire. The bag keeps the rocks in the same place and helps it stay on the bottom of the track instead of sinking further into the mud, giving your tire something to grip to pull the system out of the rut.
This strategy works as a last resort to get unstuck but does not fix the other issues pivot tracking cause.
Tire Paddle Attachment
There are a few products on the market that attach to a stuck pivot tire to act as a paddle. A large metal plate is attached to the tire that digs into the ground to drastically increase traction to get unstuck. The problem is you only use these in areas where you are stuck, displacing more mud underneath the tire, digging the track deeper, and making the problem worse next time the tire goes through it.
A shovel
If your pivot is stuck and buried down to the gearbox the best solution may be to get a shovel and dig it out. Even though it may be more work than the easy fixes above, oftentimes just digging around the gearbox giving it more clearance will get your pivot moving again.
Prevent Tracks Altogether with the EWRS-PIVOT Series
Instead of trying to get your pivot unstuck, don’t let it get stuck in the first place. This is where the EWRS-PIVOT series airless pivot tire comes in. Evolution Wheel has designed a tire that prevents tracks from forming allowing your system to work more efficiently with lower maintenance.
The EWRS-PIVOT airless irrigation tire is designed with a concave true-to-spec 14.9” x 24” profile that increases surface area and holds mud underneath the tire to maximize floatation. The rubber is designed with core holes that compress to mimic the flexibility of a pneumatic tire and the aggressive bi-directional tread pattern maximizes traction.
Due to the EWRS-PIVOT being an airless tire, there is no chance of a tire going flat in the field. On top of this, the tire is segmented. Each segment is bolted to the rim allowing the owner to service the tire if needed by simply switching the damaged segment with a new one only using a ¾” wrench.
Evolution Wheel’s EWRS-PIVOT series minimizes the time spent in the field dealing with these issues. Using a tire that is low maintenance and prevents tracks from forming saves you time, energy, and money to get your pivot unstuck.
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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