Standard 4 ½” gauge wheel on the left and a Martin 2 ¾” Narrow Gauge Wheel on the right.

Martin 2 ¾ x 16” Narrow Gauge Wheels are shipped fully assembled, with a long-life semi-pneumatic tire (durometer #75-80), two steel wheel halves (not one plastic wheel half and one steel wheel half like the major brands) and a high quality 5203 double row bearing.

There are three major benefits of Martin Narrow Gauge Wheels, these include:

• Less sidewall compaction The Martin Narrow Gauge Wheels feature a 3/8” reduced inner diameter next to the disc. This tire profile provides excellent depth control in no-till conditions but also provides less compression next to the seed slot. This principal helps reduce sidewall compaction and leaves the soil next to the seed slot loose and easier to close, especially with a Martin 20 point crumbler wheel.
• Improved Following of the Soil Surface and Less Unit Bounce When no-tilling wheat and other crops into heavy residue crops such as corn, depth control can be better maintained when using a Narrow Gauge Wheel. (Narrow Gauge Wheels are around half the width of a standard Gauge Wheel, so there are less opportunities for the Gauge Wheel to climb over corn crowns, corn stalks etc.)
• Increased Snow Catch In drier Northern regions, farmers rely on catching as much snow as possible to provide moisture for the growing season. Narrow Gauge Wheels are 2 ½” wide and leave around 50% more residue standing up to catch more snow (compared to a standard 4 ½” wide Gauge Wheel).

How Narrow Gauge Wheels Improve Depth Control.

Narrow gauge wheels are very beneficial within fields with undulating soil surfaces, for example when seeding into previous equipment wheel-tracks. Wheel-tracks and other depressions in the soil surface (which run parallel to the seeding pass) frequently interfere with depth control and final seed placement. These problems are illustrated within the image to the left. Notice how the standard 4 1/2” gauge wheel (1) rides on the shoulder of a surface depression (B) which causes the disc to lose contact with the soil completely. The 2 3/4” narrow gauge wheel (2) by comparison, is better able to drop down into the same depression (B) and help the disc achieve a more consistent seeding depth to improve seed placement consistency.