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Tire Pressure ?

#1

B

beretta22

What’s the recommended tire pressure for a ZTX5 54”? Not in the manual.


#2

R

Rivets

Manual says to check the tire sidewall, not much help. When I get one like that I use 10-12 PSI in the rear and 20-25 PSI in the front.


#3

B

beretta22

I called Cub and they recommend 28 front and 20 rear (sidewall #’s). They aren’t much help either. I put 25 front 15 rear. Also trying to find the weight of the mower with no luck. Thanks


#4

R

Rivets

Wait, you are asking this question on a Sunday? You called Cub and you didn’t like their answer, so you asked the same question here and didn’t like the answer. Then you did your own thing and now year want to know the unit’s weight? Your luck ran out with me also.


#5

StarTech

StarTech

Here I prefer to put 15 PSI in the fronts and 10 PSI in the rears. Too pressure in either one makes them into gut and back busters. And those that comes in with foam fill tires.


#6

B

beretta22

Rivets said:
Wait, you are asking this question on a Sunday? You called Cub and you didn’t like their answer, so you asked the same question here and didn’t like the answer. Then you did your own thing and now year want to know the unit’s weight? Your luck ran out with me also.
Click to expand...
I’m sorry didn’t mean to offend you. I called Cub the other day. It wasn’t that I didn’t like their answer. Most manuals list their own recommended tire pressures and not state what’s recommended on the sidewall. I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear, wasn’t insinuating that you were not a help, just poor wording on my part. Your recommendation is right at what I have now. Just looking for what others are doing. I appreciate your input.


#7

B

BellevilleMXZ

While I run a ZTS2 54, I have found best pressure for me to be 14 front, 10 rear. Manual says go by sidewall, and thats what was when I picked it up. The ride was AWFUL, and I was wondering on my purchase. Once read a bit around, I dropped pressures close to above. MUCH better ride.


#8

B

beretta22

BellevilleMXZ said:
While I run a ZTS2 54, I have found best pressure for me to be 14 front, 10 rear. Manual says go by sidewall, and thats what was when I picked it up. The ride was AWFUL, and I was wondering on my purchase. Once read a bit around, I dropped pressures close to above. MUCH better ride.
Click to expand...
The ride was what I noticed with mine, too. I will do some more adjusting. Been used to a JD, and, this ZTX5 is very different.


#9

C

Cajun power

I take the pressure rating on the tire and I remove 3 psi. I like a comfortable ride. It helps. (also helps in those soggy days when its not possible to skip mowing...underinflation helps a little to prevent those deep "sharp" grooves in soggy soil/lawn. On the "mini bush hog" (a vintage dixie chopper silver eagle), I installed no flat solid rubber front tires. Never have to deal with a flat and they have lasted now for almost 7 years with little wear....(i use the dixie for seriously heavy bush mowing...no other machine matches it's short blade power! (48 inch deck of death, powered with a 27 HP generac engine!)

go with the tire rating.


#10

S

SamB

Cajun power said:
I take the pressure rating on the tire and I remove 3 psi. I like a comfortable ride. It helps. (also helps in those soggy days when its not possible to skip mowing...underinflation helps a little to prevent those deep "sharp" grooves in soggy soil/lawn. On the "mini bush hog" (a vintage dixie chopper silver eagle), I installed no flat solid rubber front tires. Never have to deal with a flat and they have lasted now for almost 7 years with little wear....(i use the dixie for seriously heavy bush mowing...no other machine matches it's short blade power! (48 inch deck of death, powered with a 27 HP generac engine!)

go with the tire rating.
Click to expand...
My ztr manual says 15 psi rear, 20 psi front. Sidewall numbers are what the tire will withstand without exploding, not what works best for the mower the tire is on. Compare your door sticker on your vehicle to your tire sidewall. They will not be the same.


#11

T

TobyU

SamB said:
My ztr manual says 15 psi rear, 20 psi front. Sidewall numbers are what the tire will withstand without exploding, not what works best for the mower the tire is on. Compare your door sticker on your vehicle to your tire sidewall. They will not be the same.
Click to expand...
Sidewall pressures are NOT the max pressure the tire will stand without blowing up !!!
They are the pressure that will give the max load capacity for the tire -esp on autos.

Many small lawn tires say "inflate to 14 psi" and also say "When seating on rim do not exceed 40 PSI"

Car tire recommended pressures are a real mess and farse.
They almost always recommend lower pressure than the tire manufacturer would recommend for the weight esp on a pickup truck or ful size SUV.
This is usually for comfort ride but I think they also want to help sell new tires. 😆
If you don't remember, go look up the Firestone Explorer tire debacle .
Wikipedia has a good page on it.

If they would not have recommended only 26 lbs in tires this would not have happened.
26 might be a bare minimum safe but few cars esp before TPMS had tires kept to recommended levels.
They got low. They eventually got aired back up.
If you recommend 32 and they get a little low... no blowouts. Start at 26 and they get low and problems.
BIG PROBLEMS in this case.

Every one of these tires had at least 35psi stamped on sidewall and possibly even higher number as many SUV tires are 44 or even 51 for max load.

I will never put less than 35psi in any automobile tire as I DO NOT give the manufacturer out that car the benefit of the doubt.

I know we're talking lawn and garden tires and they are far lower pressures and lower is usually better with more traction and more comfortable ride since we use them on damp grass and rough yards.


#12

TonyPrin

TonyPrin

BTW, don't forget to check blade height if you change tire pressure.


#13

D

DK35vince

I run 8 or 9 PSI in my zero turn tires. Front and rear.
Much better ride.


#14

S

SamB

DK35vince said:
I run 8 or 9 PSI in my zero turn tires. Front and rear.
Much better ride.
Click to expand...
I think 10 instead of recommended 15 may help my mower's ride. I'll try that. Thanks.


#15

S

SamB

TobyU said:
Sidewall pressures are NOT the max pressure the tire will stand without blowing up !!!
They are the pressure that will give the max load capacity for the tire -esp on autos.

Many small lawn tires say "inflate to 14 psi" and also say "When seating on rim do not exceed 40 PSI"

Car tire recommended pressures are a real mess and farse.
They almost always recommend lower pressure than the tire manufacturer would recommend for the weight esp on a pickup truck or ful size SUV.
This is usually for comfort ride but I think they also want to help sell new tires. 😆
If you don't remember, go look up the Firestone Explorer tire debacle .
Wikipedia has a good page on it.

If they would not have recommended only 26 lbs in tires this would not have happened.
26 might be a bare minimum safe but few cars esp before TPMS had tires kept to recommended levels.
They got low. They eventually got aired back up.
If you recommend 32 and they get a little low... no blowouts. Start at 26 and they get low and problems.
BIG PROBLEMS in this case.

Every one of these tires had at least 35psi stamped on sidewall and possibly even higher number as many SUV tires are 44 or even 51 for max load.

I will never put less than 35psi in any automobile tire as I DO NOT give the manufacturer out that car the benefit of the doubt.

I know we're talking lawn and garden tires and they are far lower pressures and lower is usually better with more traction and more comfortable ride since we use them on damp grass and rough yards.
Click to expand...
Yeah,TobyU, you are so very correct! Like the Ford Explorer/Firestone debacle, following the "experts" can get you killed(or worse!)


#16

T

TobyU

SamB said:
Yeah,TobyU, you are so very correct! Like the Ford Explorer/Firestone debacle, following the "experts" can get you killed(or worse!)
Click to expand...
Yes, and also often when we talk about cars or lawn mowers and we state something different than what the manufacturer or the manual recommends...
Someone often says something about the person thinking they know more than the manufacturer and the engineers and the people that are trained and have lots of experience in building and designing these things...

My answer to that is...Well, yes, apparently in many cases I do have a better, safer answer than the manufacturers and the so-called professionals recommend!

This Firestone Ford Explorer issue is one good one I used to prove my point but then they often want to say that is one unique situation so then I can go on.

I can go on too things like recalls!
When you read into them and see what the problem is and see what the official fix is you're just shaking your head going who in the world would have thought that was going to work anyways?

Like the plastic Wheels which by the way if you have any snow blower with plastic wheels, most all of them are under a consumer protection safety recall and they will overnight you free ones wheels and tires.

I've done at least two sets. They used a hard plastic wheel on a snowblower instead of the tried and true steel wheel that work just fine.
I guess that's the trend with everything for the past 25 years is if there's any possible way we can make it out of plastic let's do it..


#17

shurguywutt

shurguywutt

TobyU said:
Yes, and also often when we talk about cars or lawn mowers and we state something different than what the manufacturer or the manual recommends...
Someone often says something about the person thinking they know more than the manufacturer and the engineers and the people that are trained and have lots of experience in building and designing these things...

My answer to that is...Well, yes, apparently in many cases I do have a better, safer answer than the manufacturers and the so-called professionals recommend!

This Firestone Ford Explorer issue is one good one I used to prove my point but then they often want to say that is one unique situation so then I can go on.

I can go on too things like recalls!
When you read into them and see what the problem is and see what the official fix is you're just shaking your head going who in the world would have thought that was going to work anyways?

Like the plastic Wheels which by the way if you have any snow blower with plastic wheels, most all of them are under a consumer protection safety recall and they will overnight you free ones wheels and tires.

I've done at least two sets. They used a hard plastic wheel on a snowblower instead of the tried and true steel wheel that work just fine.
I guess that's the trend with everything for the past 25 years is if there's any possible way we can make it out of plastic let's do it..
Click to expand...
Yup, just wondering when some genius engineer and his bean-counter brigade are going to roll out a plastic exhaust ROFL. I guess all these batteries solve that problem!


#18

Tiger Small Engine

Tiger Small Engine

shurguywutt said:
Yup, just wondering when some genius engineer and his bean-counter brigade are going to roll out a plastic exhaust ROFL. I guess all these batteries solve that problem!
Click to expand...
Most tires that come in my shop from customers are all over the place on tire pressure. Usually low on pressure. The point is, just like car tires, people do not check tire pressure enough on mower tires. Some have been continually airing up tires with leaks for months or years.


#19

T

TobyU

Tiger Small Engine said:
Most tires that come in my shop from customers are all over the place on tire pressure. Usually low on pressure. The point is, just like car tires, people do not check tire pressure enough on mower tires. Some have been continually airing up tires with leaks for months or years.
Click to expand...
Yep, and nothing wrong with that on a lawn mower because..... it's a lawn mower.
There's really little fear of blowout and almost know chance of injury or anything other excessive from neglecting air pressure on these.

The only thing would be the quite extra aggravation if you let one Get low and then drive it or turn the wheel and it pops off the bead because you will play heck getting it to air back up often.
But, for a great many homeowners, they are not much more capable of airing up at extremely flat tire let alone one that pops off the bead around the rim, so they are going to call someone or take it somewhere if anything happens!

I really believe that some people simply shouldn't own equipment.
I'm quite harsh about it but the rash of incompetent, or at least not engaged, hands off people has created a real cycle or a real cause and effect in this country.
They try to make things idiot proof, I mean, user friendly....and then we have kind of whole industries or supporting industries of people trying to do mobile services and stuff that I feel shouldn't exist or at least shouldn't be so widespread.
This just isn't in the lawn mower world either.

I don't know, I just have some weird ideas about things.
I just think you should do most things yourself, or find a friend, coworker, neighbor to come over and help you.
This is really how it used to work and how it works a lot better.
See, traditionally, and for a lot of things you would solicit someone's help with something or a project etc and they would come guide you through it or at least show you how to do it and for a lot of people this got them started I'm doing this or even related things for themselves in the future.

If every time you need anything done more complicated taking your bag of trash out and putting it in the bin, you call someone, are you some dumb app on your phone and have it done for you, you stay a little chance of improving or increasing your skills and becoming a little bit more self-sufficient etc.

After years of this we have pretty much dumbed down people.
It seems in previous generations or times, people used to get smarter and more confident or add more abilities to their repertoire as they got older.
Now it doesn't seem to be the case.


#20

Tiger Small Engine

Tiger Small Engine

TobyU said:
Yep, and nothing wrong with that on a lawn mower because..... it's a lawn mower.
There's really little fear of blowout and almost know chance of injury or anything other excessive from neglecting air pressure on these.

The only thing would be the quite extra aggravation if you let one Get low and then drive it or turn the wheel and it pops off the bead because you will play heck getting it to air back up often.
But, for a great many homeowners, they are not much more capable of airing up at extremely flat tire let alone one that pops off the bead around the rim, so they are going to call someone or take it somewhere if anything happens!

I really believe that some people simply shouldn't own equipment.
I'm quite harsh about it but the rash of incompetent, or at least not engaged, hands off people has created a real cycle or a real cause and effect in this country.
They try to make things idiot proof, I mean, user friendly....and then we have kind of whole industries or supporting industries of people trying to do mobile services and stuff that I feel shouldn't exist or at least shouldn't be so widespread.
This just isn't in the lawn mower world either.

I don't know, I just have some weird ideas about things.
I just think you should do most things yourself, or find a friend, coworker, neighbor to come over and help you.
This is really how it used to work and how it works a lot better.
See, traditionally, and for a lot of things you would solicit someone's help with something or a project etc and they would come guide you through it or at least show you how to do it and for a lot of people this got them started I'm doing this or even related things for themselves in the future.

If every time you need anything done more complicated taking your bag of trash out and putting it in the bin, you call someone, are you some dumb app on your phone and have it done for you, you stay a little chance of improving or increasing your skills and becoming a little bit more self-sufficient etc.

After years of this we have pretty much dumbed down people.
It seems in previous generations or times, people used to get smarter and more confident or add more abilities to their repertoire as they got older.
Now it doesn't seem to be the case.
Click to expand...
Most/many people have no interest, sense of urgency, sense of challenge, motivation, etc. in learning basic everyday tasks and skills pertaining to life. It isn’t really about tire pressure specifically, it is about self reliance, pride, sense of accomplishment, etc. However, they don’t see it that way. We are not talking about rebuilding an engine here, we are talking about checking and adjusting tire pressure. Please remember, most people don’t even have an air compressor or can find and use a tire gauge. They just don’t care. The “more important thing to do” mentality leads to 15 more minutes screwing around on their phone watching Tik Tok videos. Done ranting…


#21

R

RayMcD

Tiger Small Engine said:
Most/many people have no interest, sense of urgency, sense of challenge, motivation, etc. in learning basic everyday tasks and skills pertaining to life. It isn’t really about tire pressure specifically, it is about self reliance, pride, sense of accomplishment, etc. However, they don’t see it that way. We are not talking about rebuilding an engine here, we are talking about checking and adjusting tire pressure. Please remember, most people don’t even have an air compressor or can find and use a tire gauge. They just don’t care. The “more important thing to do” mentality leads to 15 more minutes screwing around on their phone watching Tik Tok videos. Done ranting…
Click to expand...
Bingo, they somehow expect Uncle Biden ( who can hardly stand-up right himself) to handle their issues.... Cheers Ray


#22

S

SamB

Tiger Small Engine said:
Most/many people have no interest, sense of urgency, sense of challenge, motivation, etc. in learning basic everyday tasks and skills pertaining to life. It isn’t really about tire pressure specifically, it is about self reliance, pride, sense of accomplishment, etc. However, they don’t see it that way. We are not talking about rebuilding an engine here, we are talking about checking and adjusting tire pressure. Please remember, most people don’t even have an air compressor or can find and use a tire gauge. They just don’t care. The “more important thing to do” mentality leads to 15 more minutes screwing around on their phone watching Tik Tok videos. Done ranting…
Click to expand...
Not really a rant. More like a observation of how things/people have become. I have a couple of people next door that bought a another vehicle and have a temporary paper tag on it instead of a valid legal license plate. I know, the paper plate is good for 30 days. They've been driving the vehicle now for 2 months and counting. The 'modern' don't care attitude!


#23

T

TobyU

SamB said:
Not really a rant. More like a observation of how things/people have become. I have a couple of people next door that bought a another vehicle and have a temporary paper tag on it instead of a valid legal license plate. I know, the paper plate is good for 30 days. They've been driving the vehicle now for 2 months and counting. The 'modern' don't care attitude!
Click to expand...
Well, I can understand and agree with most of that mentality.
The ONLY reason I go get the proper plates or renew then is to avoid a greater expense in eventually getting pulled over and likely ticketed if I don't eventually do it.
The real win win is of you put it off and don't get ticketed BUT in most instances you don't save ANYTHING by waiting.
There are certain situations if you are transferring etc and have a birthday renewal coming up where you will save some money by waiting until a certain time to transfer and renew so in this case, it may be financially fulfilling IF you don't get pulled over.

I don't agree with a lot of societal norms or requirements that have become laws and feel absolutely zero guilt or any desire to comply with them.
If I can find a way around, all the better.
Usually, it's not worth the effort to try to circumvent though.
The system also knows this.....lol.


#24

T

TobyU

Tiger Small Engine said:
Most/many people have no interest, sense of urgency, sense of challenge, motivation, etc. in learning basic everyday tasks and skills pertaining to life. It isn’t really about tire pressure specifically, it is about self reliance, pride, sense of accomplishment, etc. However, they don’t see it that way. We are not talking about rebuilding an engine here, we are talking about checking and adjusting tire pressure. Please remember, most people don’t even have an air compressor or can find and use a tire gauge. They just don’t care. The “more important thing to do” mentality leads to 15 more minutes screwing around on their phone watching Tik Tok videos. Done ranting…
Click to expand...
I was mainly referring to it being ok for them to just keep adding air when they get low.....lol.
You are correct about people though.
They seem to not even want to be self-sufficient. They have little desire to try...at least a lot of them.
I do see a lot who will Google it and if course end up on YouTube videos where most are done either the WRONG way or the HARD way.

The young, poorer ones do this. Being broke is an amazing motivator!
The ones I can't stand are the slightly older ones who are much better off with plenty of disposable income who just don't want to bother doing things.

They are willing to pay and overpay for convenience, speed, etc.
This has literally created entire industries of services that I feel should not exist.


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