Lawn tractor tire tubes

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So I bought some new tires for our lawn tractor. I also bought tubes, but they are tubeless tires. Any reason I can't put tubes in it anyways?
We have a huge problem with goatheads and I think the original tires had pinholes the first time we mowed. We have just been filling the tires every time we mow. All 4 tires will be flat.
Im hoping the tubes will help?
 
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I always put tubes on rider mower tires. The one time I didn't it had a slow leak around the rim that I could never get to stop, even with bead sealer.
 
No reason not to. In fact, I put tubes in the front tires of my older garden tractor because I couldn't get them to hold air. So far, so good for me.
 
Nothing wrong with putting tubes in tubeless tires. That's my go-to solution for leaky tubeless tires. I just put a tube in one of my tractor's front tires that kept leaking last fall.
 
Originally Posted By: JetStar
What the heck is a goat head?


Something that they have out west that puts holes in bicycle tires. At least that's what I understand. Internet image search suggests that they look like this:

FNR5Z7QH5IRUQDY.LARGE.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Originally Posted By: JetStar
What the heck is a goat head?


Something that they have out west that puts holes in bicycle tires. At least that's what I understand. Internet image search suggests that they look like this:

FNR5Z7QH5IRUQDY.LARGE.jpg



Yup, thems the turds. If you track them in the house they are a nice surprise if you are barefoot. They are seeds and they catch on animals to get spread around.
 
Those things look pretty gnarly.

And does lowering your tire pressure really reduce soil compaction? Your mower still weighs the same, supported by the four wheels and tires.
 
I can see how it could change it.

My old tires were 2 ply and had maximum pressures of about 14psi front and 10psi rear. My new ones are 4 ply and rated 30psi front and 22psi rear.
When I got them on, I aired them up to 20psi and they were rounded. Only the center 2 inches were touching the concrete. I aired down to 10psi and much bigger footprint. I could probably go even lower, like 8, and be Ok.
We just haven't paid attention to that before because you air it up until they are full so you can hurry up and mow before they go flat again.

I didn't have any luck with the slime last time either. It slowed it a little, but they still went flat. I think they holes they make are too small for the slime to penetrate and plug.
 
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Originally Posted By: Colt45ws

We just haven't paid attention to that before because you air it up until they are full so you can hurry up and mow before they go flat again.


That is hilarious. Sounds like the tubes will certainly do you well.
 
^^^Likewise. The cheapo tires that come on most mowers are leaky like sieves anyway. Just put a big slug of slime in, set pressures and mow.

Seems to last the life of the tire here...
 
Hasn't worked for us. The tire that I put slime in was only slightly less leaky than the other 3. If the others were sitting on the wheels, then the one with slime was not, but it was still too flat to use.
Like I said, I think the needle hole the goat heads put into the tires are too small for it to do anything for.
Same thing with a wheelbarrow tire. Didnt do anything. Finally my grandpa bought a solid rubber tire for the wheel barrow and that fixed that for life.
Would like solid rubber tires for the mower, but they are prohibitively costly, Im sure.
 
I'm getting ready to put tubes in the front tires of my Mother-in-law's John Deere X475 garden tractor. Ever since she bought it new about 10 years ago, the front tires always slowly leak even after being resealed. My local Rural King has the tubes that fit them for $13.99 each. Already did this to her utility wagon she has for it last summer. I was going to take the front blade off and put on the mowing deck, but both front tires were flat. Oh well. I sharpened all three blades, checked the oil in the gear box, and greased all of the fitting on the deck and tractor. Once I fix the tires, the tractor is ready for another season of mowing.

L8R,
Matt
 
Same goatheads here in CO and they still get to the tubes. Running gobs of slime still have to air up every couple weeks.
 
Yeah, it didn't fix it. I got home from my trip last month, parked in the garage and first thing I saw was it sitting on the left front wheel.
I was not amused.
I mowed yesterday and it was almost flat by the time I finished; about 45 minutes, so its a decent leak.
 
Go to a bicycle shop and get Mr Tuffy. Its a puncture resistant lining. Since I lined the tires on the Garden Way cart,puncture have gone way down. No goatheads, cat briers that are natures version of barb wire are the hazard here
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: bvance554
Those things look pretty gnarly.

And does lowering your tire pressure really reduce soil compaction? Your mower still weighs the same, supported by the four wheels and tires.


Spreads same weight over larger footprint therefore less pressure. However, I would think the reduction is very minor, perhaps not at all material. If you replaced narrow tires with wide turf tires you would probably see a difference.
 
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