Tire Safety Week applies to farm equipment, too

Tire manufacturers said demand is down this year for farm equipment.
Tire manufacturers said demand is down this year for farm equipment.
This week marks the Rubber Manufacturers Association's National Tire Safety Week, reminding owners of all types of vehicles, from ATVs and motorcycles to heavy farm equipment and tractors, that proper tire maintenance is critical to the performance and safety of their vehicles.

Tire manufacturer Michelin, based in Greenville, South Carolina, said proper alignment, balancing and air pressure improves fuel efficiency as well as safety on vehicles, including farm equipment.

Despite the downturn in the farm equipment market from last year's high point, Michelin said the agricultural tire market is performing well.

Michael Burroughes, director of marketing for Michelin's agriculture tires, said heightened demand due to last year's record commodities prices was hard to keep up with, according to TireBusiness.com.

"It's still a very, very good year shaping up for the American farmer and, as a consequence of that, we still see the market as being very robust," Burroughes said.

Michelin said supply is now better aligned with demand, which is down from last year. Other tire manufacturers reported similar demand problems last year.

Ken Allen, president of the agricultural tire unit at Bridgestone, said there was a spike in demand in 2008 that causeed a perceived shortage, TireBusiness.com reported.


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