If you own a riding lawn mower, you own lawn mower tires also. From zero turn lawn mowers to lawn tractors, tires are a key component just like on our automobiles. Until some Marty McFly fanboy genius invents mowers that hover, tires will be a consideration for the foreseeable future on our lawn machines. There are actually hover mowers now that I mention it! But, that is a discussion for another day I guess.
“No Flats” or Air Tires?
While your basic push mower only has plastic or steel wheels, the bigger mowers need actual tires with air in them. Without real tires pumped up with air, a heavy mower would leave ruts in a lawn and nobody has time for that. The riding mowers would be a much rougher ride with stiff tires. There is an option for tires that are not subject to punctures and these tires are called “no flats”. They are generally filled with a foam substance that gives a smooth enough ride for the operator without the need to ever fill up with air. The ride is still not as smooth as with air filled tires though.
Lawn Mower Tires Need Your Protection
Just because you have a fast zero turn lawn mower doesn’t mean you can’t be slowed by a flat tire. Tire issues have cost me more production time over the years than I can count. It only takes a wrong turn over some glass or a pass too close to the wood line full of thorns to cost you a couple of hours fixing a flat. It is so much easier to take your time while mowing and pay attention to the ground in front of you. I always try to look at the area just ahead of me while simultaneously watching several feet ahead of me. Will this keep you from ever having a flat tire on your mower? Clearly not. This isn’t a perfect world. It is full of briars, broken bottles, and random pieces of metal that are just itching to rip a tire on a week that you are already behind schedule with your mowing. Murphy’s law applies to mowing too you know.
A “Slimy” Trick
There are more ways to protect your lawn mower tires. I like to use “Slime” in my mower tires. This little invention is great for sealing small tire leaks that happen due to hitting random sharp objects. You can pick it up at any automotive store or home improvement retail shop. All you have to do is squirt the product into each mower tire and drive the mower around to get the “Slime” to cover the entire inside of the tires. This product will not fix bigger holes but is great for the more common small punctures to tires.
Plug or Patch
What can you do about bigger tire holes that leak faster than the Titanic on a bad night by the captain? It is a good idea to keep a tire repair kit on hand to plug holes that won’t be fixed with “Slime”. You may need to watch a youtube video to see how to plug a tire properly, but it is not hard after seeing it done. If the hole is too big to be plugged, you may have to patch the tire. You can possibly do that on your own, but most likely you will need a tire shop for that task.
Learn How to Plug a Tire
Or Change It Easily
Last Option: Replace
Sooner or later you will have to face the costs of a new set of tires. You can only patch them together so long. This is a bigger problem for commercial mowing guys than homeowners with a lawn mower….unless you live next door to a fraternity that loves to throw beer bottles on your lawn! You can of course find mower tires at the mower shop, but make sure and shop the prices on Amazon or Home Depot and even local automobile tire shops. As long as you know the correct tire size, you need to seek out the best deal. If you do go through Amazon or another Online Retailer, just remember you will have to pay to have the tires put on the lawn mower unless you have wonderhands yourself!
Share Your Own Tricks!
What about you? How do you manage a flat lawn mower tire? Do you just run to the shop next door and buy a new one or do you use some special technique to deal with the issue? Come on… don´t be shy and share it with the world! I would love to hear from you, so just drop me a message.
