Alan Thow farms 2,500 acres in partnership with this brother Norman, with their sons heavily involved, too. Alan and Norman took on the farm from their father at a young age. Denside is a mixed farm beside Auchenblae, Laurencekirk with farmland spread over a 20-mile radius that includes 400 beef cows, 1,400 breeding ewes, 2,000 finishing cattle and 6,000 lambs, 600 acres of cereals and 100 acres of turnips and fodder beet are grown for feed.
Alan runs nine tractors. Eight John Deere, one Massey Ferguson. He says, “We’ve had a long run of John Deere tractors, they do the job well and over the years we have had most of the series.” Amongst his fleet is a 6150R. “It does a lot of road work, but we also use it for baling, fertiliser spreading and breaking in land. It’s a good all-rounder.”
The premium brand tires specified on the 6150R needed to be replaced so Alan started looking for an alternative. “Because of the amount of road work we do I wanted tires to be quiet and comfortable on the road, but I also expected premium brand tires to wear well and to get all the tread wear without cracks and punctures.”
We have had the tires on for almost a year now and done about 1800 hours. The tires are quieter, better on the road and were cheaper than many premium brand tires.
Alan Thow - Owner – Denside, Laurencekirk, Scotland
Alan has sourced tires from Bob Anderson, of Soltyre’s Brechin Branch, for 35 years. Bob advised that Continental were making tires in a new factory, and sales manager Richard Hutchins could explain how the new tires would suit Alan’s road use. “It was refreshing to talk to someone who really knew his stuff. Richard was able to explain how Continental’s TractorMaster tires had been designed for road use. He has a long history in the industry and clearly understands how tires on agricultural machinery need to work. When the tires were fitted he even came to the farm to weigh the tractor and offer advice on running pressures.”
In the past Alan has experienced loud road noise and tires flexing on the side walls so it was important that the new tires for his 6150R would provide a better driving experience. “We have had the tires on for almost a year now and done about 1800 hours. The tires are quieter, better on the road and were cheaper than many premium brand tires.”
Safety is important to Alan whose workers have expressed concerns over tires in the past. “I want my workers to feel confident in their kit and be safe. Tractors are getting bigger and faster so it’s important for the tires to be able to keep up.”
Alan had Continental TractorMaster 650/65R38 tires fitted to the rear and 540/65R28 to the front in November 2018. He concludes “The tires are wearing well and give us what we need, so I’m happy with that.”
