Partnership

Titan International, Inc. (Titan) and Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) / Kubota Canada Limited (KCL) are pleased to announce an exclusivity agreement for Goodyear R14 crossover tires on select Kubota compact tractor models. As the first-ever exclusivity agreement KTC and KCL have chosen to enter with a tire manufacturer, it’s a move that further strengthens the long-standing relationship between two industry leaders in compact tractors and compact tractor tires. 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). The results from slip and vibration testing showed the R14 tire as being the ideal fit between an R-1 and R-4. Kubota’s Outlook “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 Jacob Sherman, Kubota product manager, compact tractors. “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 ...