Do Lawn Mower Tires need Tubes…Yes or No?
And your answer is….?
Actually if you answered yes or no, you’re probably right and probably wrong. Confused yet? Welcome into my world, the world of specialty tires.
Let’s start from the basics then I’ll add a few twists and hopefully I can “clear up” the confusion in the industry a little bit.
The majority of lawn mower tires are designed to be tubeless, meaning no tube necessary. And most lawn mower tire rims are normally designed as “one piece”. One piece rims don’t leak air, whereas “multiple piece” rims are not air tight and require a tire tube to hold the air.
So now you’re thinking, “why the need for this post and why the question in the post title?”
Well, because mowing equipment may roll of the assembly line nice and pretty and they work beautifully in the field for a while, but then reality happens. It doesn’t matter if you are a homeowner mowing once a week or a busy landscaper mowing 20 lawns a day….SH_ _ HAPPENS! Water, mud, dirt, grass, thatch, sticks, thorns, rocks, glass are only a few of the obstacles that could cause havoc to your tubeless tires!
Remember back when spring has finally arrived, the grass had grown to need that first cut of the year? Your riding lawn mower starts on the first attempt, your day is looking good so far. As you drive out of the garage it feels like you’re stuck in mud. You look down and noticed your rear tire is flat. How could that happen? It was perfect when you put the mower away for the winter…it’s not fair!
Well, cold air happened. Over the winter the cold air caused a loss of air pressure in the tire, to the point where the low air pressure and the weight of the machine combined causing the tire bead to pop the seal to the rim. The result is a flat tire and a situation where a bicycle tire air pump just won’t save the day.
Oh by the way, don’t think your wheelbarrow will be in working order either. Wheelbarrow tires are the first to pop the bead over the winter!
So these couple of examples give you a good idea of the importance of tire tubes and why they are a popular fix for these pesky problems with tubeless lawn mower tires. As tires age and tire rims get banged up over the years, tire tubes can keep you going. Tubes can prevent air loss from rim leaks, pin hole punctures and even cold air, air pressure loss.
One last tip.
Tire Tubes are not made for every tire size. Tubes may fit up to 4 or 5 lawn tire sizes. Never put a larger tube size in a smaller tire because it will fold and crease itself causing a tire blowout. Always use the closest “smaller size tube” to fit the tire. You would rather let the tube over-inflate to fill the tire cavity, than have the larger tube crease and fail.
Good quality tubes are brands such as Carlisle and Firestone.
It’s always best to consult an expert. Check out www.kenjones.com or call us at 1-800-225-9513.
More on tubes in future articles. It gets even more complicated, trust me.
Have a great week!
Brian
PS. Your comments are always welcome. What been your experience with tubes?
