Coppid Hall Farm on the Isle of Wight, well known for its Wight Milk brand, has switched to fitting Michelin XMCL tyres to its JCB Loadall on the recommendation of local agricultural tyre specialist ATS Euromaster. The change in tyre policy was made after the previous set of tyres needed replacing after just 1,800 hours operation.
As the workhorse around the dairy, the Loadall clocks up approximately 1,100 hours each year on tasks ranging from transporting cattle feed through to putting silage into the pits, as well as general duties around the 250 acre farm.
Harold George, owner of Coppid Hall Farm, says: "I’d previously seen as much as 3,000 hours out of a set of tyres on the telescopic handler, but this has steadily dropped off with the last two sets of Goodyear tyres, to 2,500 and 1,800 hours respectively. ATS Euromaster’s local agricultural specialist, Jim Wollweber, suggested we try Michelin XMCL tyres and after three months operation, I’m confident they are performing well and will deliver a significantly longer life.
"The Loadall is in operation seven days a week and worked very hard. Our farm is built on a mixture of chalk and flint, which is an aggressive surface so far as tyre wear is concerned, but the performance we’d been experiencing was just not up to par," he adds.
Fitted by a mobile service van from ATS Euromaster’s centre in Newport, Michelin XMCL tyres are designed specifically for compact machinery used in farming applications. They feature steel tread belts and protective sidewall ribs for extra protection and are designed to deliver excellent traction and stability, which helps to save time and ensures safety.
This latest tyre fitment sees Coppid Hall Farm move to a 100 per cent Michelin tyre policy across its fleet, following several years of fitting Michelin tyres as replacement to its fleet of milk delivery vans. The farm has also employed the services of ATS Euromaster – the only accredited Michelin Exelagri Centre on the island – to service and supply its tyres since it first began processing milk in 1985.
"The service we receive from ATS Euromaster is truly second-to-none," adds Mr George. "Companies on the Isle of Wight all need to work together to support each other, especially in these tough economic times. If we ever suffer a tyre related breakdown, whether it’s out on the road or in the middle of a field, we can be guaranteed that their emergency support vehicle will be on the scene promptly, and our vehicle back on its way with the minimum of fuss."
Coppid Hall Farm has a relatively young herd of 300 cattle which graze pasture on its land in Havenstreet, with approximately 140 cows milked each day. It carries out deliveries of fresh dairy products six days a week, to customers ranging from local residents to businesses, including shops, hotels, bed and breakfasts, holiday parks and residential homes. Its products include whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk as well as cream, all of which is pasteurised and bottled on site. The farm also sells eggs, orange juice and potatoes.
