Zero Turn Tires

[Buggs67]

My Hustler Raptor ZTM came with Big Bite tires, which the dealer made sound like a selling point. IMO they skid and spin too easy. I've reduced the inflation pressure and tried regrooving with my tire groover and they still skid and spin, tearing up the grass in the process.

I'd hate to buy new tires but I'd like to be happier while mowing.

Any suggestions?

 

[BoylermanCT]

I replaced my Hustler X-One tires with AT-101 tires. No more skidding, spinning or tearing up turf. Best upgrade I made to my mower.

AT101 Chevron Tire

AT101 Chevron is a specialty lug design with bars that taper. The shorter lug depth, allows it to be used as a drive tire on zero-turn mowers (ZTR).

www.carlislebrandtires.com

 

[rcio7684]

You can also check out Carlisle Versa Turf tires, designed for traction and not tearing up lawns. I use them on my subcompact tractor and they work well, don't tear up the lawn and great traction - Versa Turf Tire. -

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

That is a pretty light mower to have much traction. I have AT-101 tires on mine and they GREATLY improved traction over the turf tires. But mine is 1,700 lbs before I get on it. So there is weight to mash the contact patch into the ground. I bet they will help you with the spinning to a degree, but on the residential zero turns you really have to be very smooth, deliberate, and pretty slow with turns. Try being very exaggerated with "K" turns (think 3 point turns in your car) at the end of rows. Never let a tire sit still and don't try to have one going forward and one reverse.

 

[sklunk]

Another vote for the Versa-Turfs. I put them on my Deere Z900 this spring since my turfs were spinning too much. I LOVE them. Yes you have to be a little more careful during turns but they still don't tear up the lawn as bad as chevrons. They are also radial so you can run them at a lower psi for a softer ride.

 

[DK35vince]

I run my Chevron AT 101's at 8 PSI for a better ride
The stock turfs were near useless slip/sliding around.

 

[John0829]

I replaced my Hustler X-One tires with AT-101 tires. No more skidding, spinning or tearing up turf. Best upgrade I made to my mower.

AT101 Chevron Tire

AT101 Chevron is a specialty lug design with bars that taper. The shorter lug depth, allows it to be used as a drive tire on zero-turn mowers (ZTR).

www.carlislebrandtires.com

 

[Bullwinkle123]

It's an interesting topic and sjstyles hits on an important point: 3-point turn techniques. I've only had my 1200 lb mower a year and still have yet to master not ripping grass on turns. The 3-point stuff and generally respecting momentum works to a degree, (i.e. slow down before you turn). But sometimes those treads just spin and rip grass, particularly if I try to back out of a spot so that I'm backing uphill. I can get wedged and unable to back out if I'm not careful. I leave those corners to the string trimmer now.

I have the standard turf tire and have been wondering if there's something that will work better, the tires really are hard on my grass at key turn points, or where I have to turn on inclines. And it's all magnified (bad) if the ground is damp, which has been a near constant condition this year. Meanwhile, I've resigned myself to mud patches where I used to have grass. I've also wondered if a lighter mower might have been better.

Would a tire like that AT101 actually somehow work better on my grass (not ripping it) than a standard turf tread for a 1200 lb mower? (Or nearly 1500 lbs with me on it).

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

It has been my experience that the bar tires help a lot on the problems you are describing. But, they are less forgiving to mistakes from the operator not controlling turns or momentum well. Basically they are not as prone to spin but when they do they will dig a hole rather than slide on the grass.

 

[herm0016]

you can also check to see if any ATV tires are the same size, i put some ATV tires on my cub and they were fantastic. chinese ebay knockoffs similar to

Carlisle HD Field Trax.​

 

[rcio7684]

I've had Carlisle Field Trax on a JD X500 and the Carlisle Versa Turf's currently on my Massey subcompact. The Versa Turf's have been better with traction and not tearing up the lawn than the Field Trax, but the Field Trax were still pretty good. My property is all hills and most are fairly steep.

 

[BoylermanCT]

My Hustler X-One is a 1200 lb mower, and the AT101's stopped the spinning that the turf tires always did. Simply put, the AT101's give you awesome traction, so you don't make skid marks, you just give yourself whiplash! I did change to K turns instead of turn on a dime turns. I can do them just as fast and not leave a mark in the grass.

 

[4570Man]

An AT101 is the only tire to have on a ZT.

 

[skipmarcy]

I put some Sedona Bazooka ATV tires on mine and has worked-out very well for a couple of years now. My machine is only 800 lbs. plus my 220 lbs. makes it less than others so the extra traction really helped on my hilly ground. Only took a little while to re-learn turns and now I tear up less than the turfs did when they would slip & slide on wet OR dry grass.

 

[Buggs67]

My Raptor SDX only weighs 666lb. Maybe that's part of the problem.

I put some Sedona Bazooka ATV tires on mine and has worked-out very well for a couple of years now. My machine is only 800 lbs. plus my 220 lbs. makes it less than others so the extra traction really helped on my hilly ground. Only took a little while to re-learn turns and now I tear up less than the turfs did when they would slip & slide on wet OR dry grass.

Those look like what I'd need but they don't come in my size. I've found some others under ATV-All Terrain.

 

[kf4uda]

I started a thread on zero turn tires a few years back looking for a solution to the same problems that you are having. I ended up going with the Kenda K472 bar tread tires. I am still running them and am very pleased.

Zero Turn Rear Tire Suggestions

I have a SnapperPro S-150x zero turn mower that I have been running for a few years now. It is time to replace the rear tires and I am looking for suggestions on the replacements. Tire size is 22x11-10. The current tires are Carlisle Turf Master. They have been OK tires but I wouldn't mind...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[Buggs67]

I started a thread on zero turn tires a few years back looking for a solution to the same problems that you are having. I ended up going with the Kenda K472 bar tread tires. I am still running them and am very pleased.

Zero Turn Rear Tire Suggestions

I have a SnapperPro S-150x zero turn mower that I have been running for a few years now. It is time to replace the rear tires and I am looking for suggestions on the replacements. Tire size is 22x11-10. The current tires are Carlisle Turf Master. They have been OK tires but I wouldn't mind...

www.tractorbynet.com

Several people have suggested this type (paddle) tire. Seems like it's be too aggressive. My tires only have about 100 hours on them. And laying out about $200 isn't chicken feed.

EDIT: I read thru that old thread and am now leaning towards the bar type tires. WHile I do K turns when I'm turning in the hilly sections it's the braking and getting the up-hill wheel to back up that is the issue.

I also suspect the drives need some adjustment as they don't seem to react the same. The left seems to spin much easier than the rights side.

I was also considering wheel weights.

 

[Buggs67]

https://simpletire.com/brands/bkt-tires/w207-atv#v=1&tireSize=22-11.0010&mpn=94027057

 

[sklunk]

Just some other options:
Spartan Mowers and Bad Boy Mowers both come with "special" tires that are supposedly only made for them, but Kenda makes the ones for Bad Boy (called "Reaper", bias-ply, Kenda K3012). If you check ebay and search for something like "Bad Boy tires" with your size you can find them. Here is just 1 example:

(2) Reaper K3012 HD Tire Assemblies 24x12.00-12 Bad Boy Outlaw 54" 022-4050-00 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for (2) Reaper K3012 HD Tire Assemblies 24x12.00-12 Bad Boy Outlaw 54" 022-4050-00 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

The Spartan tire tread is radial and looks like this:

Tires - Rear - Page 1 - Spartan Zero Turn Parts

spartanzeroturnparts.com

I haven't found the manufacturer but you can buy the tires online at the above link or at your local Spartan dealership.

 

[Buggs67]

Just some other options:
Spartan Mowers and Bad Boy Mowers both come with "special" tires that are supposedly only made for them, but Kenda makes the ones for Bad Boy (called "Reaper", bias-ply, Kenda K3012). If you check ebay and search for something like "Bad Boy tires" with your size you can find them. Here is just 1 example:

(2) Reaper K3012 HD Tire Assemblies 24x12.00-12 Bad Boy Outlaw 54" 022-4050-00 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for (2) Reaper K3012 HD Tire Assemblies 24x12.00-12 Bad Boy Outlaw 54" 022-4050-00 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

The Spartan tire tread is radial and looks like this:

Tires - Rear - Page 1 - Spartan Zero Turn Parts

spartanzeroturnparts.com

I haven't found the manufacturer but you can buy the tires online at the above link or at your local Spartan dealership.

Those treads aren't much different from the Big Bite