grayblazer
New member
Lurked around this board while researching getting better traction for my zero turn, so thought I should post up the results.
I received an older 15 hp, 42" Snapper zero turn from my parent's when we bought our new house. It mows nice but traction was terrible with the stock 18x8.50-8 turf tires, even with my yard being pretty flat and some small ditches and a mound that separates my yard from the field in the back. You were constantly struggling and fighting with the thing on any type of mild incline or ditch, and even steering response was vague a lot of time on flat ground because of the tires slipping and sliding all of the time. My dad had bought this thing new years ago and always made the same comments, and also will say that his newer 52" Ex-Mark has absolutely no issues on slopes and ditches that would leave the Snapper floundering around.
I experimented with tire pressure and while lowering it did help some the traction was still poor. Finally decided on some new tires and started researching ATV tires. Settled on a set of Duro Easy Trail tires in an 18x9.50-8 size and had them delivered to my house for just over $80.
These are considered a "sport ATV" style tire as I wanted a fairly flat profile tread (not ballooned out) and I would consider the tread a medium aggressiveness. The pictures show the new tires with 24 psi in them (needed to seat the beads and get them back into shape after being smashed for shipping) so they look a little more rounded.
Summary:
Very impressed with the increase in traction. Lowered pressure down to about 12 psi before mowing and there is a huge difference in the overall feel of the machine. Actually felt more jerky at first when turning because the tires were not slipping. Now you turn and manuever however you want and the mower will do that, but obviously have to watch what you are doing to not tear up the grass. But overall it's not any worse on the grass then before as spinning turf tires are harder on the grass than non-spinning knobbies. I can now do ditches that I wouldn't touch before, and actually have control on them also.
Lowered pressure down to 5 psi and will try that for next I mow the grass.
All in all, really happy with the $80 upgrade.
I received an older 15 hp, 42" Snapper zero turn from my parent's when we bought our new house. It mows nice but traction was terrible with the stock 18x8.50-8 turf tires, even with my yard being pretty flat and some small ditches and a mound that separates my yard from the field in the back. You were constantly struggling and fighting with the thing on any type of mild incline or ditch, and even steering response was vague a lot of time on flat ground because of the tires slipping and sliding all of the time. My dad had bought this thing new years ago and always made the same comments, and also will say that his newer 52" Ex-Mark has absolutely no issues on slopes and ditches that would leave the Snapper floundering around.
I experimented with tire pressure and while lowering it did help some the traction was still poor. Finally decided on some new tires and started researching ATV tires. Settled on a set of Duro Easy Trail tires in an 18x9.50-8 size and had them delivered to my house for just over $80.
These are considered a "sport ATV" style tire as I wanted a fairly flat profile tread (not ballooned out) and I would consider the tread a medium aggressiveness. The pictures show the new tires with 24 psi in them (needed to seat the beads and get them back into shape after being smashed for shipping) so they look a little more rounded.
Summary:
Very impressed with the increase in traction. Lowered pressure down to about 12 psi before mowing and there is a huge difference in the overall feel of the machine. Actually felt more jerky at first when turning because the tires were not slipping. Now you turn and manuever however you want and the mower will do that, but obviously have to watch what you are doing to not tear up the grass. But overall it's not any worse on the grass then before as spinning turf tires are harder on the grass than non-spinning knobbies. I can now do ditches that I wouldn't touch before, and actually have control on them also.
Lowered pressure down to 5 psi and will try that for next I mow the grass.
All in all, really happy with the $80 upgrade.
