Wheelbarrow tires going flat

[Captain Dirty]

Have you sprayed tubes with Flex Seal ? Seems like the new rage.

No, I am a retro-grouch roadie who patches my flatted tubes with rubber cement and permanent patches. Tubeless bicycle tires apparently require at least 2 windings of special rim strip tape to prevent air escaping through spoke holes and also require a shot of Slime or similar to be distributed over the inside of the tire to seal the bead and offer the hope of self-seal on chance minor punctures. Changing a "Slimed" tire is messy. Flex Seal may be the new rage to compensate for thin, permeable tubes.

 

[MHarryE]

Small tires with small air volume are the worst. I'm 76 and have been fighting them my lifetime. I put up with it. But overall tire things are better than in the past. My last 3 cars have not had spares - and no flats. I have continual flats with one rarely used tractor, my only old one, made in America tire and assume the tube is also made in America. Have a small air compressor to air it up any day I want to use the tractor. I learned to live with leaky tube type tires, especially small ones. Solids if you don't want flats.

 

[shecub]

I'm kind of giving up on small air tires and going to solid where possible. I've done a retrofit on one wheelbarrow and getting ready to do it on another.


Side question .... Anybody using the dual wheeled ones? They look like they'd handle more load, but not corner as well.

I use one and it handles well

 

[rocco611]

since your in OZ , I suspect an awnry Kuokka is huffing the air from your wheel barrow as you sleep

 

[joc664]

Why is it that small wheels with inner tubes keep going flat?

One of our wheelbarrows with a 13" wheel, with inner tube, just won't hold pressure. I've removed the tube, inflated it, and it shows no leaks. The valve does not appear to leak. But after re-assembly and inflating to 30 psi, next morning -- flat!

What's the go here?

I bought a 13" trailer tire, fit the wheel fine, holds air and is wider, flat at the tread, rolls better.

 

[oldpilot]

Mine was a hand truck. Finally took it to my favorite garageman to fix, and he gave the same advice: get solid tires. I bought a Milwaukee hand truck from Amazon in 2013 for $69.97, and those tires still haven't lost a pound of pressure. Amazon is now out of stock, but Walmart.com has it for $97.67.

(Inflation? What inflation? It was transitory!)

(The one thing I learned in math was the Rule of 72. Divide 72 by the inflation rate, and you have the number of before when the US dollar will lose half its value.)

 

[Gord Baker]

I suggest your 'leak Detection' method failed. Inflate the tube and totally immerse it in a big tub.
You may find a tiny pinhole that you missed before. Double check the valve stem area and install a new valve core. I have heard that Chinesium Tires cannot be plugged. Bamboo and glue or something.
I personally don't own a Mexican Backhoe.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Re: The water test. Lately I have experienced several slow leaks with the tires going soft overnight or over a couple of days. Instead of the stream of bubbles released through a thorn hole or similar puncture, a bubble slowly forms on the surface of the tube and is released over one or two seconds. Often when one immerses a tube in a bucket of water, some air is trapped or adheres to the tube to be released later. Furthermore, if the tube is folded or buckled to fit in the bucket the sides of the tube pressing against each other may stop the slow leak As a result, a thorough water test is more laborious and time consuming than simply dunking the tube. Large water tubs or troughs may help.

 

[twowoode]

I bought a bottle of tire and tube sealant from lowes. Tires have stayed inflated now for 6 months

 

[OzarkChris]

I'm kind of giving up on small air tires and going to solid where possible. I've done a retrofit on one wheelbarrow and getting ready to do it on another.


Side question .... Anybody using the dual wheeled ones? They look like they'd handle more load, but not corner as well.

It seems 2 wheels are the only kind they sell 'round here. I personally don't care for them, the extra wheel seem to always find something to catch on. Another problem I have (at least with the ones I find locally) is with the way they mount them up front. I swear every company must have 4 foot employees. They put the wheels so far toward the bucket that when I pick up to move the front end digs into the earth. I've literally moved the axle assembly on four different brand two wheel wheelbarrows at least 4 inches and from the center of the frame to the bottom to keep the front of the frame from digging in. I'm only 6'1" so I can't imagine what would happen to others that are taller (I've got the axel as far as it will go - guess you'd just have to get larger tires). I've fixed them all so they do work, but I'm not so sure there is that much difference between 1 & 2 wheels.