Filling wheelbarrow tire

[CMV]

OK...dumb question - can I fill a typical wheelbarrow front tire with Great Stuff expanding foam from a can? Can probably just buy a solid tire for $15, but figured I'd try the $4 solution first if that would work.

Removing stem and getting foam in there seems simple enough....just don't know if that stuff once hardened can hold up to lots of weight on it or would the foam just break down?

Done with tubes or anything pneumatic for this one - just stays flat no matter what. Been stored outside so doesn't have a whole lot of life left, but if I can keep the tire going, I can probably get a few more years until handles are shot and steel rusted thru.

 

[orangeandgreen]

I read on a forum, may have been this one, that someone had tried it and the foam collapsed when they put a little weight in the wheelbarrow.
I bought a solid tire as Orscheln a couple years ago for around $20, best investment to my wheelbarrow yet.

 

[Redlands Okie]

The spray can expanding foam like seen in a box store does not get hard or dense enough to carry much of a load.

 

[CMV]

thx. Will get a solid tire next time at TSC or HF

 

[Deere Dude]

I like a little cushion in the ride of my wheel borrow especially when hitting edges going up or down. Just put a tube in is my suggestion.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I too have Wheel Barrow tire issues.

Much insulating foam compresses. You would be pushing that tire around with a permanent flat.

 

[/pine]

I have filled several small pneumatic tires with canned expanding foam and they have held up well and supported hundreds of pounds...
...However these were not typical wheelbarrow tires...these are slightly smaller and had two part rims that bolted together so I was not using the valve stem hole to fill the tire...

I dismantled the assembly and removed the inner tubes and filled the tires with foam then reassembled the rims...in one instance I did not quite fill the tire full enough and the tire was lose on the rim...

 

[Texasmark]

I have a purchased solid tire/wheel. Don't know the makeup of the tire but it solves the age old problem. Wouldn't think twice about 15 bucks for the solid.

 

[Mace Canute]

I rarely use my wheelbarrow and usually when I had use for it, the tire was flat. I came across one of these at Princess Auto one day a long time ago and it was on sale at a greatly reduced price. It came home with me.

https://images11.palcdn.com/hlr-system/WebPhotos/20/202/2020/2020090.jpg

These days I'd just get a flat free wheelbarrow tire.

https://images11.palcdn.com/hlr-system/WebPhotos/83/839/8399/8399230.jpg

Of course if you want something a little different, there's these, flat free also. A buddy's 8 yo son has an old Craftsman lawn tractor sans mower deck that he likes to ride around their acreage so I swapped out the regular front tires for these. Faux front wheel assist! He likes it, so "mission accomplished!"