Flotation tyres: steel belted or nylon

One of the most important decisions when selecting flotation tyres, involves selecting an appropriate casing. The choice between steel belted and nylon casings is more important than deciding whether to opt for radial or diagonal tyres.

Flotation tyres are available for a variety of purposes, ranging from light to heavy-duty use. In general, they are divided into tyres for rough terrain (off-road) and tyres for hardened surfaces (‘high speed’). When the latter is involved, it is best to select the steel belted option because heavier loads are encountered during use. Tyres with a nylon casing are still often used for less intensive applications, like balers, grain trailers and grassland vehicles. These days, many machines are fitted with standard radial tyres upon delivery.

In ´steel belted´ tyres, the casing is reinforced using steels belts and steel mats. The benefits of these tyres, depending on the number of implemented steel mats, compared to nylon-reinforced tyres:

higher bearing capacity

greater stability

better protection against collisions

better protection against punctures by nails and other sharp objects.

Another important factor when selecting steel belted tyres involves the need to quickly transport harvested crops. Speed is becoming a factor of ever increasing importance in the agricultural sector due to greater demand for food, better utilisation of soil (improve planting density) and the need for greater transport volumes. And high speed flotation tyres are an important solution on this front.