Mower Tires Are Due for a Spring Checkup
If you’re like me, that last cut of the season was probably done in late November and the cold swirling winds made it a pretty miserable experience. Just get it done and get the lawn tractor back in the garage, out of the way, not to be used again until spring. No end of year maintenance checks by me. At this point I’m just sick of yard work, so I’ll deal with any future problems in April which is usually the time for the first cut.
It’s amazing how 3 to 4 months of cold New England winter can really turbocharge your spirits for sunshine and …yard work! I’m raring to go but is my equipment? What about the tires?
Popped Beads
Lawn mower tires and wheelbarrow tires are famous popped beads. They are generally light duty tires and take low air pressure such as 12-24lbs psi. The cold winter temperatures cause all tires, including your car tires, to lose air pressure. Combine 4 months of extreme temperature changes and the weight of your stationary equipment and you’ve got a nice surprise waiting for you …a flat tire. And to make matters worse, a tubeless mower tire can be a “bear” to pump in air pressure to seat the bead. Unless you have a high pressure hose and or a bead blaster, your on your way to your local tire dealer for help.
The best you can do to prevent popped beads is to max out your air pressure (maximum air pressure is marked on the tire sidewall) and jack up your lawn tractor to take the weight off your tires.
Sidewall Cracking
This tends to be a bigger and potentially more dangerous problem. Lawn tractor tire treads tend not to wear out like a car tire. They simply don’t get the abuse of hot asphalt and thousands of miles driven. So in many cases, these tires can last 5-10-15-20 years. The problems is that mower tires start to actually deteriorate and breakdown due to constant exposure to the sun, dirt, water, oil etc. When the tire ages it will start to show cracking in the sidewall or in the tire treads. As the cracking worsens over time a slow leak or tire blowout results.
There is not much you can do about tire cracking other than inspect your tires every few months. If you see cracking, it’s time for new tires. Installing a tire tube is NOT a solution because when that crack gets bigger the tube will work its way into the crack and pinch itself, causing a tire blowout. And anyone who tries to repair a badly cracked tire is asking for trouble, possibly a lost finger or worse. Even though these are small tires, they still pack a punch if they explode. It’s not worth the risk!
So this spring take a few minutes and check the condition of your tires and make sure your air pressure is correct. Your tires won’t fail you if you don’t fail to inspect them.
Happy mowing!
Brian
