Tires 400 Series Implement Tire Options

MossRoad · Sep 16, 2003

OK, as most of you PT400 series owners know, and you potential owners should know, the finish mower, brush hog and snow blade all use the same inflatable rubber tires. Many of us have had problems with them deflating. I have put solid rubber tires on my brush hog and they work great. Sooo, the other day, after the fourth consecutive day of deflated tire on the finish mower, I swapped them out with the solid tires. Guess what, they don't do such a good job on the finish mower. They tend to bounce a lot more than the inflatable tires and make for a very uneven cut and rough ride for the finish mower. They also will mark the lawn when making a tight turn.

So, how do I remedy the deflating inflatables without going to solid tires? Slime won't do it, because it is not a small leak, it gets ripped off the rim at the sidewall. Do they make tubes for such a small tire? If so, I would like to try them. I tried over inflating them, as suggested by others, but that didn't do it. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

marrt · Sep 16, 2003

This is strange. I've only had a tire deflate one time when my wife was mowing. I even keep the pressure kinda low so the mower will absorb bumps better. I have noticed, when going over an obstacle (my sidewalk leading to the front door is made of large flat stones), that I can get the tire in a bind and it would probably lose the seal around the rim if I kept going forward. When this happens, I just stop and approach at a different angle. Have you actually seen the seal break to know what circumstances cause the behavior? BTW, I only have the finish mower. Maybe the behavior is different on different attachments.

MossRoad · Sep 17, 2003

Marrt,
That's exactly what happens. I get in a turn on a little hill that is at the end of the drive, where the road shoulder comes up. If I turn on that little hill, the tire gets into a bind and you hear a sucking pop sound and the tire comes off the rim. GRRRR! I drive back to the garage, wrap a ratcheting tie down around the tire, fill it with air and go on. It only takes a minute to get going again, just annoying as heck!!! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

So you say, "Well, don't do that!" I know, but it just happens and I'd like to not have to be carefull in that one spot. If the neighbor with the Deere lawntractor sees it happen, I'll be mortified... so much so, that I'll hafta go swap to the tooth bucket and dig up something /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

bubenberg · Sep 17, 2003

i have gone the shake, raddle and roll way (filled tires of ALL sorts) also and have gone back to Francis's old farmer way. just as a sideline he is gone for six weeks, but many of his suggestions live on. and most of my inflatable tires ( and i have a few) have now intertubes and slime applied.

Edward_DiMaria · Sep 17, 2003

I am sure they make tubes for them - what is the tire size?I don't have one anymore - I had this problem with the small front tires on my Greenaire - very heavy machine
after I put tubes in them I never had a problem again

I will check and see if they are available