Timecutter 4235 front tires

packardv8

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The rear tires aged out and began leaking, so I put tubes in them.

The front tires are now leaking throught the sidewalls, but has anyone installed tubes in these little POS tires?

jack vines
 

7394

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I haven't, but should be do-able. Just some wrangling imo.. .
 

bertsmobile1

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Just be careful to get bent stem tubes
Personally down here a tube cost $ 20 and a tyre costs $ 65
I charge $ 15 to instal a tube but fit tyres for free as that is easier to do
Tubes will get flats , requiring patching and eventually the rim or the tyre will get wrecked
A patch costs $ 20 for the first one + $ 5 for each additional one done at the same time .
Where as tubeless tyres just get plugs in them
 

StarTech

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Personally I prefer the straight TR13 stems myself but most shops just want to stock the TR87P stem tubes. Post the tire size then I can look up the Carlisle inner tube PN. And you don't want to go with the cheap Chinese inner tubes either.

When it comes tire plugs most around wants to use automotive plugs which are not meant for off road use. Solid rubber mushroom plugs works a better than string plugs as the string requires road heat to cure properly.
 

Tiger Small Engine

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Personally I prefer the straight TR13 stems myself but most shops just want to stock the TR87P stem tubes. Post the tire size then I can look up the Carlisle inner tube PN. And you don't want to go with the cheap Chinese inner tubes either.

When it comes tire plugs most around wants to use automotive plugs which are not meant for off road use. Solid rubber mushroom plugs works a better than string plugs as the string requires road heat to cure properly.
The problem PackardV8 is having with front tires is that the tires are dry rotted. Plugs are obviously for on puncture not dry rot. Yes, you can install tubes in small tires. They are very difficult to install. As soon as you hit a nail, etc. it is over. The cost of tube plus labor if done by a shop is not worth the cost. Option two is to install tire sealant such as Berrymans which often works. Most run mower around with sealant in it enough to disperse sealant inside tire to be effective.
 

packardv8

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Yes, the leak is through the sidewall of the tire.

Agree, installing tubes in those little tires would be a PITA. Getting the tire on and off the wheel is a huge hassle itself. If I must do it again, I'm going to make bar to go through the hub which can then be clamped in a bench vise. Having the "third hand" holding the wheel in place would be a help. Anyone else tried this?

A neighbor who works with larger equipment says they fill all their tires with foam. Has anyone tried this. My experience with foam in other applications is it inevitably deteriorates.

And then there's the numbnuts who designed a fork to mount a captive air tire with a valve stem which cannot be reached with an air chuck.

jack vines
 

7394

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grab a jug of tire sealant, It can fill the tires completely. Giving longer life outta those dry rotted tires.

Some of the top-rated tire sealants for lawn mower tires are
  • TireJect Lawn Mower tire sealant
  • FlatOut 20120 Tire Sealant
  • Slime 10009 32 Ounce Automotive Accessories
  • Briggs & Stratton 100033R Tire Sealant
  • Gempler’s Ultraseal Extreme Heavy-Duty Grade Tire Sealant
 

bertsmobile1

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All of the tyre sealants are based on Lattex which is water soluble so eventually fails
To get the sealant into cracks in the sidewalls you have to lay the tyre on one side. Over fill with air the do the other side
New tyres are the way to go
I use American labs plugs that are specifically designed for tractors and they work quite fine
Thee is even a real tractor size plug that you make a sort of knot with by twirling it inside that will do quite big holes
 

packardv8

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All of the tyre sealants are based on Lattex which is water soluble so eventually fails

New tyres are the way to go
Agree. Not only are sealants water based/soluble but that plus the chemicals will rust-to-ruin the steel wheels if left in there to failure. BTDTNA

FWIW, I just used my 50+year-old Simplicity snowblower. The tires on it are still holding air. When I say the tires used on today's machines are junk, it's from experience of how good tires last.

jack vines
 

bertsmobile1

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Goes like this
Good rubber is very expensive
The synthetic chemicals are very expensive
Natural lattex is very cheap because we steal it from 3rd world countries
So compounders use as much lattes in their mixes as possible so you get the cheapest tyres possible
Down side is if you do not apply UV protectant tyre dressing they will often fail the day after warranty runs out

Next synthetic rubber is flexible because it is chockers with compounds called plasticisers.
Now plasticisers are air & temperature sensitive which is why car tyres get sticky when hot , the plasticisers get activated inside the tyre to replace the hard oxidises or UV deteriorated plasticisers near the surface
This is why a tyre that is on your car that gets used daily remains good till the tread wears down yet the exact same tyre fitted to a trailer or caravan that only gets used a couple of times a year go hard & the side walls crack well before the tread wears down despite them being fitted on the same day .
Tyres have a finite life which is why the sidewalls have a date code on them
Often when high quality tyres are sold cheap it is because they are old .
 
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