Titan International, Inc. and Kubota Tractor Corporation / Kubota Canada Limited recently announced an exclusivity agreement for Goodyear R14 crossover tires on select Kubota compact tractor models.
It is the first-ever exclusivity agreement Kubota has chosen to enter with a tire manufacturer. The move is expected to further strengthen the relationship between the two industry leaders in compact tractors and compact tractor tires.
“The vast majority of compact tractors on the market are being sold with R-4 tires, but there’s a drawback when it comes to traction. If you go with an R-1, then you have more traction, but more vibration on hard surfaces. Up to this point, there hasn’t been a tire as versatile as the compact tractors they’re going on,” said Kubota compact tractor product manager Jacob Sherman. “After testing the R14, we knew it could perform equally as well in the variety of snow, field, yard, loader and pasture applications our customers expect from our machines. That’s why we wanted to jump on this opportunity. We believe the Goodyear R14 is a game-changer for our dealers and customers — it’s one more factor that sets Kubota apart from the competition.”
While the BX-Series and B-Series Kubota models included in the agreement will still offer many of the same R-1, R-3 and R-4 tires as options, according to Sherman, he expects “the majority of our customers will migrate to the Goodyear R14.”
Prior to entering into the agreement, Kubota conducted significant testing on the Goodyear R14 tire — which features an industry-unique, new-to-market hybrid tread design combining elements of an ag tread (R-1), turf tread (R-3) and industrial tread (R-4).
According to Kubota, the results from slip and vibration testing showed the R14 tire as being the ideal fit between an R-1 and R-4, which is where the industry needs to move.
“We’re really proud of the R&D that went into this R14 tire,” said Scott Sloan, ag product manager for Titan and Goodyear Farm Tires. “We try to keep our finger on the pulse of our customers’ needs, and we knew there was a serious unmet need when it came to tire versatility in the compact and subcompact market.”
Sloan noted that they are excited that Kubota, as a leader in that market, shares Titan’s vision for the future of compact tractor tires.
“It’s a great partnership that will ultimately benefit both our companies and our collective customers,” he said.
In addition to the sizes offered exclusively from Kubota, the Goodyear R14 line has been expanded to include a total of 18 sizes — both in standard and Low Sidewall Technology options — offered in the aftermarket for compact tractors up to the 150 horsepower range. For more information, visit titan-intl.com/R14T.
