Who's running foam filled tires?

[davygp38]

I got a flat on my L4400 two days ago (nail.) I got a patch put on, and drove the two miles back into the woods to install it, and it rolled off the rim within 10 minutes. Now the bead is ripped up, and I was thinking about getting the fronts filled. is anyone running foam filled on their TLB? Pros cons?

 

[Bird]

I never had foam filled tires myself, although one of my brothers had the front tires foam filled on a cheap riding mower because they'd roll off too easily. And one of the biggest Kubota dealers in this area also has rental units and told me years ago they foam fill the tires on their rental units.

Pros? No more flats.

Cons? Very expensive to get foam filled and if you ever replace tires, you either replace wheels, too, or have quite a job cutting them off the wheels.

 

[Jay4200]

is anyone running foam filled on their TLB? Pros cons?

No, but I'd hate to think what taking the tire off would be like once it wears out. Do you have to cut it off with a sawzall or something?

I'm liking the tubes I put in after blowing the front beads about 100 times doing loader work. I never got a front flat since, but I picked up a nail in one of my L4200's rear tires this summer. Luckily, I had a tube in that tire too (other rear doesn't). I had my backhoe installed, so I lifted it up using the stabilizers and popped off the wheel. The beads break on those big rears just by jumping on them - I have a bead breaker but didn't need it - then I pulled out the affected section of tube between the tire and rim. The nail make a nice clean hole in the tube, so I simply stuck on a tube patch (bicycle patch kit for $2 at corner store). Back up and running 10 minutes later.

JayC

 

[powerstroke444e]

I have foam all around in my B26 and on the front the M5400 no issues on either. Had foam on L3300 sent it to the tire shop for new tires and they took old ones off and put new ones on and foamed the new ones also. I dont remember him charging any extra for changing them.

 

[Duffster]

Cons? Very expensive to get foam filled and if you ever replace tires, you either replace wheels, too, or have quite a job cutting them off the wheels.

OR, you have them recapped.

 

[SixHoeBob]

I run foam filled tires on my skid-loaders. Never a flat tire delay. I can work in any kind of debris and ignore the nails, I try to avoid slicing the tires. Because of the normal rough condition of skid-loader tires, they cannot be recapped.

Currently my Lx885 has large patches of rubber missing, I have literally worn the tires down to the foam in several places. Never removing the tires except for replacement saves wear on the threads in the hubs and the rim's holes. Worn out tires can be cut off with a Sawzall. Use a course blade for the rubber and foam, a fine blade for the steel cords of the tire bead. The rims are un-damaged and clean.

If I had $4K, I would go with a set of the solid rubber tires with the cross holes molded through the rubber.

 

[Duffster]

Because of the normal rough condition of skid-loader tires, they cannot be recapped. .

I have been running recapped SS tires for several years.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I had my fronts filled with foam at Les Schwaub tires. They said it added about 168 lbs. to each tire. So they are great but really hard on lawns. It cost about $2 a lb. I think if you wanted to be brave if you had nothing to loose and squirt some of that canned stuff for insulating walls might do it. You would have to keep rotating them to make the foam disperse evenly.. I don't have to worry about flats now which is nice.

 

[Sandlot]

We foam fill all of the tires on our maintenance carts (Cushman) and forklifts. One thing it does do is make these carts rough riding. Tires are a very important part of the suspension system on a vehicle. We are considering going with Ultra Seal the next time around.
Tire Sealant - Puncture Repair - Air Retention

 

[EddieWalker]

I have the front tires foamed on my full sized loader/backhoe and my 35hp tractor. I've been fighting flats for years, and finaly just got fed up with the time it took to get them fixed, and losing out on being productive for the rest of that day, and not being able to get back to work until its fixed.

My original tires were five years old and about half wore out. I decided to buy brand new tires to have filled. I figured it was cheaper to do it now and not mess with them again any sooner then I had to. I'm told that they just recap them when the treads wear off. With my usage, that will be well over a decade!!!!

Eddie