tensaw12 said:
Is there any disadvantage to filling your tires? Would they puncture more easily with the added weight?
I'll give it a shot...
Answering your 2nd question first, theoretically, yes. But in the real world, no. Filled tires take up air space inside the tire. Liquid does not compress and "air" does. So theoretically, with less air to compress, a spike may induce a slight increase in pressure like having a "harder" more full, more pressure in the tire. But this would be minuscule in real life so I don't think it would make any difference at all in real life....diddly squat.
For all the advantages gained by filling your tires, the disadvantages, ironically, come from getting the gains. That is, a filled tire with a rupture would cause a mess that an unfilled tire does not. Maybe the added weight disrupts your lawn surface more? There's an associated cost, of course, to fill the tires. etc etc. Those kind of disadvantages if you want to call them that, so in my book, they are not really disadvantages. LOL ... That's sorta like buying food to eat and claiming the disadvantage is you have to pay for it. The gains, however, far out weigh those disadvantages. More weight, more stability, way better traction. All this equates to better overall performance and safety for your tractor. Lets you utilize the hp and power your tractor has better to a certain degree.
I'm sure others will chime in with more info...