Do lawn tractor tires age to the point where they will lose traction?

[amanda11270]

I have an issue with a mower I picked up last year, its a Massey Ferguson front mounted deck, I cannot think of the model number now, but it is the exact same mower Simplicity makes called a Lancer, Massey just labels it as their own to sell under their name.

Its a great mower, however my property is hard on mowers, not hard, but its not all even ground. I mow 6 acres, and for the last 5 years I used a MTD Troybilt tractor, well it was 12 years old (used it at my last property for 7 yrs, 1 acre), and finally the engine started smoking and that was the end of that mower, definitely got my money out of it though being 12 years old.

When I say my property is hard on mowers, I say that because part of my mowing is a hill, not steep and dangerous, just a long hill, probably an acre or a little more is this hill. And this front mounted deck mower I absolutely love, but on this hill from time to time the tires slip. This mower I picked up used, it is a 2007 model and I think the tires are not the rubber they used to be for traction, however they have alot of tread.

My question is could these tires be old and not as rubbery as they used to be causing this slip? They are a 18 x 9.5 x 8 and dont appear cracked at all due to age. I was thinking of the possibility of different turf tires or I see they even make ATV tires in this size. Is this a good idea (ATV tires) or not? Maybe just new turf tires? Or maybe its just the design of the mower. I love the mower mainly because its a fast mowing machine, its only 44 inch cut, but its quick and easy to maneuver. And it makes a great cut.

Thoughts anyone may have would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[Cpjlube]

That looks like it's rear steer with front drive tires. The turf tires would slip a bit on a climb. It's pushing the deck and dragging the back up the hill. The drive tires don't appear to steer, I think you should go with cleated tires or atv style. Should work good.

 

[KYErik]

I'm not familiar with your machine but you may want to check that your deck wheels are adjusted so that there is just very light pressure on them. If there is a lot of deck weight carried by these little wheels, it would make for a lot of extra drag.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have an issue with a mower I picked up last year, its a Massey Ferguson front mounted deck, I cannot think of the model number now, but it is the exact same mower Simplicity makes called a Lancer, Massey just labels it as their own to sell under their name.

Its a great mower, however my property is hard on mowers, not hard, but its not all even ground. I mow 6 acres, and for the last 5 years I used a MTD Troybilt tractor, well it was 12 years old (used it at my last property for 7 yrs, 1 acre), and finally the engine started smoking and that was the end of that mower, definitely got my money out of it though being 12 years old.

When I say my property is hard on mowers, I say that because part of my mowing is a hill, not steep and dangerous, just a long hill, probably an acre or a little more is this hill. And this front mounted deck mower I absolutely love, but on this hill from time to time the tires slip. This mower I picked up used, it is a 2007 model and I think the tires are not the rubber they used to be for traction, however they have alot of tread.

My question is could these tires be old and not as rubbery as they used to be causing this slip? They are a 18 x 9.5 x 8 and dont appear cracked at all due to age. I was thinking of the possibility of different turf tires or I see they even make ATV tires in this size. Is this a good idea (ATV tires) or not? Maybe just new turf tires? Or maybe its just the design of the mower. I love the mower mainly because its a fast mowing machine, its only 44 inch cut, but its quick and easy to maneuver. And it makes a great cut.

Thoughts anyone may have would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Yes. Traction comes from 2 things; 1] interlock with the ground or vegetation - your treads, and 2] friction with the surface. Old tires lose a good portion of that friction - particularly on a "soft" surface that cant grab the rubber. New softer rubber does its share of the grabbing.

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

When I was a kid my Dad ran tire chains on our lawn mower year round because his yard is all hills. I mowed most of the time and never had an issue while the chains were on. Without them I spun out all the time. I don't recall ever tearing up the lawn with the chains because I never lost traction. Try them out, I bet it will fix your issue.

 

[Weedy Fields]

I've got a 40 year old Wheelhorse that has its original tires. I use it for running around hauling a utility trailer. Hauling firewood, rocks and dirt. I drive it in the woods. I have chains on it at all times. I don't think the tires are the problem, I still will get temporarily stuck with chains on it. When I get stuck I put it in Low range and 1st, let out the clutch and get out and push it. Try that with a hydrostatic trans.

Get chains and forget about traction issues.

 

[jerrybob]

When I was a kid my Dad ran tire chains on our lawn mower year round because his yard is all hills. I mowed most of the time and never had an issue while the chains were on. Without them I spun out all the time. I don't recall ever tearing up the lawn with the chains because I never lost traction. Try them out, I bet it will fix your issue.

I have hills and also lots of rain.......I run chains year round. I have a JD LT180......she's going on 13 yrs.....had to replace the crappy tranny a few years back......still has original tires. I take good care of her but will never own a non serviceable tranny in the future. Tractor still looks almost new.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I'd try the tire chains if you have the room, but I don't see any reason why ATV tires wouldn't also work well. They are extremely aggressive for the most part, so maybe a tame atv tire would be a good upgrade.

 

[crazyal]

I have a tire groover and every couple of years I cut the edges of the knobs to make them sharp again. I haven't had to do it on my latest rider yet. It has the added advantage of opening up the gap between the knobs. Like you my yard is rough on mowers. With the little woman always having me remove more and more trees to make more yard I'm always looking for more ways to make my life easier. If you do decide to go with ATV tires find some that have stiff sidewalls.

 

[Snap]

My 20+ year old JD445 has original tires with very low hours.
I'm convinced that they don't hold nearly as well as they used to, especially in snow.

I'm resisting because the tread s still deep but will have to replace them before this winter season.
Sometimes I can't get the Tahoe in the b ack to haul the stuck tractor out.