Michelin upgrading Kleber ag tire line for North America

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Michelin North America Inc. is launching a 95-series crop-row tire under its Kleber brand, the "Cropker," designed for use in fields, orchards, vineyards, etc. with narrow crop rows.

The Kleber Cropker is designed for use on equipment of small and medium capacity self-propelled sprayers, towed equipment and tractors used to cultivate crops such as beets, strawberries, cane, grapes, etc.

The tire is designed to provide the benefits of optimized traction, a self-cleaning tread pattern, robust construction and improved plant protection, Michelin said, along with enhanced load-carrying capacity and a D-speed (40 mph) index.

The Cropker — which replaces the Kleber Super 3 in most sizes — has a new lug pattern that helps promote better steering and reduces "spoon effect," which improves soil protection, Michelin said.

The lug shape is designed to retain little soil while operating in the field and to allow minimal tire slippage in soft and damp soil. In addition, the self-cleaning properties of the new generation tread-pattern architecture help keep the tire mud-free when field conditions are difficult.

The Cropker can drive between rows without causing plant damage, which ultimately can contribute to higher yields and profitability.

The Cropker is available in a range of three tread widths and rim diameters up 52 inches to support a range of loads:

• 230/95 R32, 230/95 R36, 230/95 R40, 230/95 R44, 230/95 R48

• 270/95 R32, 270/95 R36, 270/95 R38, 270/95 R42, 270/95 R44, 270/95 R46, 270/95 R54

• 300/95 R42, 300/95 R46, and 300/95 R52.

The Cropker is replacing the Kleber Super 3, with the exception of the 210/95 R32 and 210/95 R40 sizes, which will continue in the Super 3 portfolio, Michelin said.

The Kleber brand, which has been part of the Michelin portfolio since 1981, is distributed primarily in the Western U.S., where it fits more readily with the types of agriculture common there.