Investing in a hydraulic tractor wheel changer has saved time and effort while creating a safer environment in which to work for one agricultural engineer who runs a workshop on a 3000 acre Berkshire farming estate.

Since the introduction of the wheel changer, a job that was better suited to two people is now easily completed by one – and in half the time, says Mr Egarr of Church Farm, Waltham St Lawrence.

Church Farm is owned and run by David Philp and his son Nick, with the help of Mr Egarr who is also the tractor and combine driver.

The business operates a Fendt 818 Vario, which carries out some of the autumn cultivations, and a Bateman self-propelled unit for the majority of spraying operations. A trailed Knight sprayer is also used as back-up for liquid fertilizer applications in the spring.

It was the annual wheel changing operations for these machines that led to the purchase a Spaldings hydraulic wheel changer last March. Every spring, the Fendt’s 710 x 38s had to be replaced with narrow, row crop wheels when in combination with the trailed sprayer and, likewise, the Bateman’s 700mm flotation tyres used for autumn spraying were swapped for narrows in the spring.

“The Bateman always took over an hour to change all the wheels but now I can mange it in forty minutes without a problem,” says Mr Egarr. “The Fendt used to be a two hour job and that has now reduced to an hour.”

Mr Egarr stresses that it’s not just the time factor that’s important. He says that the wheel changer has made the operation much safer. “Trying to spin a big tyre on a concrete floor is both difficult and dangerous when you’re on your own but the wheel changer does it all for you. It is a simple and strong bit of kit that saves a lot of backache and sweat.”

To change a wheel the tractor is jacked up little more than an inch off the ground before manoeuvring the wheel changer into position. Two roller tables, each with four rollers, squeeze both sides of the tyre, gripping and lifting it at the same time. A safety bar hooks over the top and reaches down the back of the tyre to hold it in place.
Once this has been achieved the wheel nuts are undone and the tyre moved away in the wheel changer that is itself supported by heavy-duty castors.

“The beauty of this machine is that there are two upright bars at the front which makes it easier to move the implement around the workshop floor. We made enquires about other wheel changers but this one seemed to be the only model with two bars,” says Mr Egarr.

To put the replacement wheel on everything is done in reverse – the new wheel can be spun on the wheel changer to make matching wheel nut holes an easy task.
Mr Egarr adds that dual wheels can also be changed by the implement.
“The key factor is that it’s now a safer, more manoeuvrable operation and it’s a one man job done in half the time. It’s a balanced, strong bit of kit that does the job well and saves a lot of time and hard work.”

Spaldings Professional Hydraulic Wheel Changer is available from stock under product number 18173.