Flat tires

[eebuckeye4life]

Hi, I'm mowing off a field that hasn't been mowed for several years. Its loaded with black berries and I really didn't expext it to be a problem until I started mowing. I got approximately 20 acres mowed when I noticed my front tires on my 4wd JX90u were loosing air. I went and filled them up again, and yes, they were leaking bad. This is a relatively new tractor with only 500 hours on it, and this is the first time I've mowed a field with it. I parked the tractor for the day, came back the next and the front tires were almost flat. Rather than repair them right away, I filled them, mowed another hour and a half, and then parked it again. When I went back the following day, one of my rear tires had gone flat. I never expected the thorns to puncture the back tires. I spoke with a tire dr. and he said it would be useless for him to fix them. He recommended that I get a 5 gallon bucket of fix-a-flat and fill all 4 tires with it and also to get tubeless hardware for my valve stems to seal off the route of least resistence for the air escaping my tire tubes. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am open to anything. I still have about 10 acres to mow, and I don't want to pay a lot of money to fix the tires, just to have to fix them again in a week.

Thanks
Todd

 

[LBrown59]

One thing you could do is foam fill the tires.

Hi, I'm mowing off a field that hasn't been mowed for several years. Its loaded with black berries and I really didn't expext it to be a problem until I started mowing. I got approximately 20 acres mowed when I noticed my front tires on my 4wd JX90u were loosing air. I went and filled them up again, and yes, they were leaking bad. This is a relatively new tractor with only 500 hours on it, and this is the first time I've mowed a field with it. I parked the tractor for the day, came back the next and the front tires were almost flat. Rather than repair them right away, I filled them, mowed another hour and a half, and then parked it again. When I went back the following day, one of my rear tires had gone flat. I never expected the thorns to puncture the back tires. I spoke with a tire dr. and he said it would be useless for him to fix them. He recommended that I get a 5 gallon bucket of fix-a-flat and fill all 4 tires with it and also to get tubeless hardware for my valve stems to seal off the route of least resistence for the air escaping my tire tubes. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am open to anything. I still have about 10 acres to mow, and I don't want to pay a lot of money to fix the tires, just to have to fix them again in a week.

Thanks
Todd

Or stop mowing black berrie patches.

 

[Soundguy]

You must have some real MONSTER black berries.. around here.. the largest growth thorns dont get to 1/4".. nothing that could puncture a rider lawnmower tire.. let alone a tractor tire.

I think I'd put slime in them and go.. and when you break them down in the future, feel around for thorns sticking thru.. remove them, and then go in with tubes..

soundguy

 

[mlauk]

I put Berryman's tire sealer in my tires to keep from getting flats. I'm always running over new growth locust trees and until I started using Berryman's, I was constantly fighting flat tires.

 

[J_J]

Todd,


Try this stuff. It was developed to seal bullet holes in military vehicles. It is called Gemplers

It is a big deal to break down that tire, and find the leak. It is either your time, if you have the tools, or a tire shop, which will cost you. Handling that back tire is a real challenge.


Ultraseal Tire Sealant -- 1-gal. Bulletproof Grade - GEMPLER'S

 

[tallyho8]

It is hard for me to believe that you can get a flat from blackberry vines. I am always running over blackberry vines, boards with rusty nails, barb wire, cut-off staubs, broken fence posts, etc, and the only flat tire I got from an object in the last 15 years was when a railroad spike penetrated my back tire a couple of years ago. I have had a flat from a tire that was so worn that the tube was sticking out of a hole and finally blew out and I had a couple of flats on front of my Yanmar caused by rusty rims wearing a hole in the tube.

I must have a lot tougher tires than you guys or else I am just plain lucky.

PS I never keep over 15 psi in my rear tires because someone told me that a tire with more pressure gets punctured easier.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Gemplers is the way to go with a tire sealant.

But, Like soundguy says it is not the blackberry thorns that are doing you in.

I have 40 acres of blackberries. in some areas the berries are 20 feet high. Most are just 10 foot high...

What I found was that the canes are doing my tires in. I would bet that either your valve stems have been knocked loose your have plant material jammed into the rim of your tire.

I go through 2 tires every 10 hours doing my blackberries in.

 

[eebuckeye4life]

I too thought that the valve stems might have been the culprit, but seeing as the air is escaping around the hole in the rim that houses the valve stem, and not the valve stem itself, I can't blame it on the stems. Also keep in mind that my tires have tubes, and they are not tubeless. As to the size of the thorns, I have pulled some off the tires that are about 1/2" long.

 

[woodlandfarms]

1/2" long is still not that big... The thorns these guys get into would kill a human.. Our weenie blackberry thorns I doubt are the culprit to your flats

So you are tubed. I thought you had said tubeless.

One thing that happens on my tubed tires is that the valve stems get knocked around by all the brush. Ripped, Torn, Punctured. You should weld on valve stem protectors.

 

[eebuckeye4life]

Just as a clarification, my first post mentioned that the tire dr told me to get tubeless valve stem hardware. However, my tires do have tubes. His reasoning was that since the tubes are punctured, the air was escaping the path of least resistance, which is through the valve stem holes in the rims. Therefore, he thought that if I put the tubeless valve stem hardware and washers on my valve stems, it would close off the path of least resistance and slow down any leaks. Does that make sense to anyone else. Either way, I just want to solve the problem. Filling up the rear tires take forever and it is just becoming a pain.

 

[Soundguy]

If you go tubeless valve stems.. I think you got to run without tubes. If I was you.. I'd break down a tire and see exactly why it is leaking.. might be a cheap thin tube that is tearing at the valve stem.. I've seen that when brush pulls on the stems alot.

Some guys weld a piece of pipe over the stem onto the rim.. then put a pipe cap on it.. etc.

soundguy

 

[Egon]

If you have been pulling thorns out of the tubes you know what the problem is. A sealant may be the easiest way to go till you are finished as you will surely pick up more thorns.

After that it is decision time on what you wish to do.

My toy tractor has a sealant in the front tires due to Hawthorns and perhaps blackberries.

 

[Soundguy]

If you have been pulling thorns out of the tubes you know what the problem is. A sealant may be the easiest way to go till you are finished as you will surely pick up more thorns.

After that it is decision time on what you wish to do.

My toy tractor has a sealant in the front tires due to Hawthorns and perhaps blackberries.

I see where he mentione dpulling thorns of hte tires.. and then later where he mentioned a punctured tube.. but i also see where he mentions the tires weren't broke down because the tire guy didn't want to keep doing them.... so.. if he is indeed getting thorn punctures thrut he tire to the tube.. I'd get a sealer.. and perhaps later repalce the tubes and then boot the tires.. or get tougher tires!

soundguy

 

[Egon]

Yep, isn't that sorta what a lot of people have been saying.

 

[Soundguy]

Yep, isn't that sorta what a lot of people have been saying.

I believe i said it too.. a few posts back.. but.. I'm the curious type.. If it were me.. I'd sure break the tires down and find out what/why they are leaking.

slime and similar products are great insurance to get home.. but I'd hate to know I have a hole and think that a few polymer strands and some goo was what was keeping my tire up as i ran down the road, in traffic... Temp fixes have their place... And a tire iron ain't THAT hard to use on a limited basis..

soundguy

 

[Egon]

Yup, but the fellow wants to get finished mowing you Know. Later he do all the proper things can't he!

 

[Soundguy]

Yup, but the fellow wants to get finished mowing you Know. Later he do all the proper things can't he!

And that's what the slime is for!


soundguy

 

[eebuckeye4life]

Keep in mind that the field I am mowing is 7 miles from my house, and I do not have access to a barn or electricity at this site. I am bringing a compressor with me to fill up the tires. This is the main reason I haven't pulled off a tire b/c I don't feel comfortable doing that in a field, but I also don't feel comfortable driving it back to the house this way either.

 

[ultrarunner]

Keep in mind that the field I am mowing is 7 miles from my house, and I do not have access to a barn or electricity at this site. I am bringing a compressor with me to fill up the tires. This is the main reason I haven't pulled off a tire b/c I don't feel comfortable doing that in a field, but I also don't feel comfortable driving it back to the house this way either.

Just had the tires of my Kubota Foamed Filled for that very reason... so far, I noticed much better backhoe operation from the extra 300 pounds the foam added.

 

[Egon]

Consider a small 12 volt air pump. They range from cheap to affordable and do an excellent job. For rear tires they may be a bit slow though. I have one in the truck [ Canadian Tire special at about eight dollars ] with enough wire so I can reach all the trailer tires. I also have one of the plug kits to seal larger leaks with. Never had to use it though.

The pump has been used on the tractor when out at the Farm!

And that's what the slime is for!

Yup, your right on just like lots of fellows have said!