Wheelbarrow tires going flat

Oz_Kioti · Oct 12, 2022

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?

thepumpguysc · Oct 12, 2022

Lol.. it’s black magic I tell ya.!!
Northern Tool and even Harbor Freight sells solid wheel barrow wheels..
(Cheap)

ROUSTABOUT · Oct 12, 2022

The best thing I've done in a while is catch them solid tires on sale. Fixed all six wheel barrows.

Diggin It · Oct 12, 2022

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.

jyoutz · Oct 12, 2022

Solid wheels are the answer

Spike56 · Oct 12, 2022

Oz_Kioti said:
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 should not go "off topic" on you, but I will.

ONLY, because your complaint is one I had all the time and I finally solved it with a rubbermaid wheelbarrow. This is one of the absolute best products I ever purchased. Had mine for about 10 years. WAY easier to move loads, indestructible. Solid tires...IMHO, the best there is.Yes, they are pricey now, but if you use one a lot. consider. A side benefit is it sits "level" unlike some "normal wheelbarrows"; which makes it better for certain tasks like mixing sacks of concrete. NO RUST, NO TIRE ISSUE, Much easier to move...
Sorry not to directly answer your question, but I gave up on wheelbarrows with air tires a long time ago.

Tinhack · Oct 12, 2022

It's the Chinese rubber. They don't know how to make it. I think they use old party balloons as base stock.

I remember back in "hard times" I had to buy some cheap truck tires. Two of the four had blowouts just sitting parked in my driveway. That just made times harder, and I vowed to never buy Chinese rubber again. If it can't be helped, plan on replacing it in 3-6 months.

5030 · Oct 12, 2022

One thing for certain, Chinese rubber stuff has an odd smell about it.

Tinhack · Oct 12, 2022

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

They corner fine. The wheels turn independently--Like zero-turn.

Shenandoah MF1760 · Oct 12, 2022

Spike56 said:
Rubbermaid wheelbarrow. This is one of the absolute best products I ever purchased.

I have one of these as well and can attest that they age well as I keep mine outside.

One of the problems that I've found is that they are not "Door Friendly" being too wide for use inside.

Back on topic - Many folks keep saying solid wheel, I think they mean the soft plastic non-pneumatic ones. Most solid wheels are hard, thin and prone to sink into the dirt especially when it's wet. The soft plastic wheels can be found as wide as a rubber pneumatic one and are much better on soft ground.

I just paid more for a wagon that had soft plastic wheels, thinking the cost difference was about what I'd pay to replace the wheels on a cheaper one and that it would save me a trip to Harbor Freight and the very real chance of me buying the wrong axel size as I can never seem to remember to measure first.