Traction and Stability Tests of a Highway Mower

Tractive efficiency (TE) and lateral stability were testes on a DewEze MC70 highway mower with three types of tires under two different inflation pressures. A data acquisition system was developed to measure 12 variables including surface slopes in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Results of field tests showed that one tire type outperformed the other two types and the lower inflation outperformed the higher inflation pressure in TE. The tests on side slopes showed no significant difference in lateral stability among the three types of tires or between two inflation pressures.