Industry News

Are you tired of dealing with flat tires?  Do you hate the cost, downtime and crop damage (not to mention the heat, bugs and mud) that comes with fixing a flat tire in the middle of a corn field in August? Well, Valley® is pleased to announce a revolution in irrigation tires... the Valley Revolution™ airless tire.

The Valley Revolution is a proven, aperture-style tire similar to those used on telehandlers, man lifts and forklifts.  The tire is bonded permanently to the steel wheel during the manufacturing process at pressures over 2,500 pounds per square inch, to ensure a long-lasting, durable tire.

Valley engineers love to break things.  That’s how they learn what works and what doesn’t.  Unfortunately for them, as hard as they tried, they couldn’t break the Revolution Airless tire. They tried tearing the rubber off the rim in the middle of winter by running the tire over a steel fence post. While the post tore into the rubber, it didn’t even start to separate the rubber from the rim.

Next they tried running it over railroad ties… nothing.  Finally they kept it running on our test machine here in Valley, where it’s still going strong today.

While the engineers are frustrated, we’re confident this tire will last for many years, so confident that the Valley Revolution tire comes with a five-year, full replacement warranty.

Wondering what makes this tire revolutionary?  Unlike steel wheels or plastic tires, Valley Revolution tires won’t damage your gearboxes.  They are round; not 10-sided, like other airless options, ensuring your machine travels smoothly over the ground.

The apertures provide flexibility over ridges and other obstacles to help prevent overloading of the drive train and aid in self-cleaning of the lugs.  The rubber design ensures the tire will not slip on rocks or other hard objects in the field.

The tread is a non-directional design for reduced wheel tracks, and the tapered lugs feature specially shaped sides to maximize tread cleanout in muddy conditions.  The tire’s diameter is equivalent to a 14.9-24, but its square profile will provide a flat 15.3 inch track on the ground for good floatation.

The Valley Revolution can be used wherever a 14.9-24 tire is used, even on long, heavy spans such as 8 5/8” 180’ or 10” 160’ spans.  They are also a great choice for the Valley VFlex™ and Precision Corners®.

Valley really has started a revolution in pivot tires, with the Valley Revolution airless tire.

About John Kastl
Product Manager - Equipment
Valley Irrigation

John joined the Valley Irrigation Engineering Department in 2000 after having spent 11 years at General Electric Aircraft Engines. Today, he manages the equipment products for Valley (center pivots, corners, and gearboxes, to name a few), helping to develop the next generation of Valley Irrigation machines. John enjoys photography, home renovation and travel. On his third birthday, John watched the first moon landing!