Spraying season puts unique demands on your sprayer tires. CFO technology is designed to meet them.
CFO ag tires are built for spraying season because they carry more load at lower inflation pressure, maintaining flotation and reducing soil compaction as the sprayer’s weight shifts from full tank to empty across every pass.
Most standard tires cannot handle that range efficiently. A tire set for maximum load runs overinflated on the return pass. A tire set for the lighter load is underinflated when the tank is full. CFO technology changes that, and the difference shows up in your soil, your tread life, and your yield.
What Does CFO Mean?
CFO stands for Cyclic Field Operation. It means a tire is engineered to perform across a continuously changing load, rather than at a fixed point on the load-to-pressure curve.
Self-propelled sprayers are the defining CFO application. They start every pass at maximum weight with a full tank and booms folded, then shed that load with every acre covered. A grain cart works the opposite way, building load as it fills. Standard tires require pressure to be set for one end of that cycle. CFO tires are designed to flex appropriately across the full range, keeping the footprint, flotation, and traction consistent from first pass to last.
How is a CFO Tire Different From a Standard Tire?
A CFO ag tire carries more load at a given inflation pressure than a standard tire of the same size. The sidewall is engineered to flex further without compromising load capacity or service life.
The practical result is a larger footprint relative to inflation pressure, better flotation, reduced soil compaction, and more consistent traction from the first pass to the last.
What Problems Do CFO Tires Solve for Spraying?
CFO sprayer tires directly address load variability, field speed, and soil compaction challenges that make spraying season uniquely demanding on farm tires.
Variable load across every pass. A fully loaded self-propelled sprayer is at maximum weight with booms folded. That weight decreases continuously as chemical is applied. CFO tires flex to accommodate that shift rather than running progressively overinflated as the tank empties.
High speeds relative to other field operations. Self-propelled sprayers operate faster than combines. At high speeds, incorrect tire inflation accelerates center tread wear and increases ground pressure. CFO tires maintain appropriate contact patch geometry across the speed and load range sprayers operate in.
Pre-emergence soil compaction. Once the crop is in the ground but not yet up, every pass risk compaction in the row crop zone. Running as little air pressure as the load allows is the goal. CFO tires enable low-pressure operation at loads where standard tires would require higher inflation to maintain structural integrity.
Roading between fields. When a self-propelled sprayer travels at road speeds, the maximum loaded weight with booms folded sets the air pressure baseline. CFO technology expands the range in which that single pressure setting remains appropriate, reducing the need for adjustments between road and field.
Boom position and dust management. When booms are rear-mounted, forward travel kicks dust toward the spray zone. Dust mixed with herbicide reduces application efficacy. Boom position relative to travel direction is a practical variable that affects both tire selection and application quality.
What are VF Sprayer Tires and Are They Worth It?
VF sprayer tires are worth the investment for high-use sprayer operations. VF stands for Very High Flexion. A VF radial tire carries the same load as a standard tire at 40 percent lower inflation pressure or carries 40 percent more load at equivalent pressure.
When VF construction is combined with CFO capability, the result is the widest operating range available in an ag tire. Operators can work in soft or marginal ground conditions while maintaining load capacity and protecting soil structure. VF sprayer tires deliver the most measurable benefit in row crop applications where minimizing surface pressure in the row zone directly affects yield.
MAXAM’s Agrixtra series is developed specifically for the heavy loads and high speeds of modern self-propelled sprayers across North America.
How Do you Choose the Right CFO Sprayer Tire?
Match tire size and load rating to your sprayer’s maximum loaded weight first, then evaluate tread design, VF eligibility, and field conditions.
Factor
Key Takeaway
Tire Size and Load Rating
Maximum loaded weight with booms folded sets the baseline. Tire size and load index must cover that number before anything else is considered.
Tread Design
Row crop, flotation, and implement tires each serve different roles. Match tread pattern, tread depth, and lug geometry to how and where the machine actually operates.
VF vs. Standard CFO
High-use sprayers in varied conditions typically justify the higher price of VF. Lower-use applications or harder ground conditions are well served by standard CFO at a lower price point.
Tire Inflation Practices
Set air pressure to the maximum high load scenario and verify it regularly. CFO expands the appropriate pressure window. It does not replace correct inflation practices.
The Truth About CFO Ag Tires
CFO ag tires reduce soil compaction, improve flotation, and extend service life by carrying more load at lower inflation pressure across the full spraying cycle. As we’ve outlined, the benefits of CFO ag tires include:
Increased load capacity at lower pressures.
Reduced soil compaction.
Better flotation across varied conditions
Consistent traction at high speeds.
Smoother ride and reduced operator fatigue.
Extended service life.
MAXAM’s CFO and VF sprayer tire lineup is built for the demands of modern spraying operations. Every tire is backed by our warranty and supported by our North America dealer network. Talk to your MAXAM dealer about the right CFO or VF sprayer tire for your equipment, your field conditions, and your operation.
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Featured Ag Tires
AGRIXTRA N
MS951R – R1W Radial Drive Tire
Narrow tires designed for high load, high traction tractors and sprayers working in row crop applications. Premium 45° lug profile provides excellent traction and minimizes vibration while roading. Low pressure and wide footprint lowers soil compaction.
Steel-reinforced radial flotation implement tires for agricultural tanker and trailer applications. Belt-stabilized tread provides longest treadwear, high stability and high resistance to punctures and field hazards. Optimized tread pattern provides excellent field traction while minimizing vibration at roading speeds.
All-steel-radial flotation implement tires for agricultural tanker and trailer applications. Belt stabilized tread provides longest treadwear, high stability, and high resistance to punctures and field hazards. Optimized non-directional block tread pattern provides excellent field traction while minimizing vibration at roading speeds.
Like all industries, the agricultural market is constantly being driven by the forces of necessity or by the need to improve an existing product to meet evolving demands.
From the outside, there is no way to tell the product differences between standard and VF agricultural tires. The shape will be similar, and the number of lugs may only change based on specific tire sizes – so what makes one better than the other?
