Jump to content

Tires for (lawn) mower


Coytee

Recommended Posts

I've got a John Deere 430 "Garden Tractor" (to me it's nothing more than a lawn mower)

 

Needs new tires as I'm done having to fill them up every time I go cut and since mowing season is right around the corner.....

 

It has what I would call "Turf" tires on it.  Since I live on a small hill, they can/do lose traction when I'm turning to go back up the slope.

 

This got me to thinking about a more aggressive tire pattern (attached)

 

Anyone use an aggressive pattern like t his on a lawn mower?  Though this is diesel, it's not going to see any time out on the farm, that's why I've got a bigger brother to it with R-1 tires.

 

I think I like (love) the idea of these tires on the rear but also fear they're going to rip up the yard a lot more than the standard tires

 

Thoughts?

Rear Tires.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
12 hours ago, Coytee said:

I think I like (love) the idea of these tires on the rear but also fear they're going to rip up the yard a lot more than the standard tires

If the ground is wet is may cause a little more damage but that lawnmower is not that heavy.

 

12 hours ago, Coytee said:

It has what I would call "Turf" tires on it.  Since I live on a small hill, they can/do lose traction when I'm turning to go back up the slope.

Probably have a terf tire on there now like this, I would think the ones you pictured would work better.

s-l1000 (1).jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

To me that looks closer to what is called a Industrial tire. On a small tractor not lawnmower my industrial tires look like this pic.

I use this 29 Hp tractor to cut grass and these tires do not do any damage unless the ground is really wet. Kubota calls this there Industrial tire

yard-71.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are a number of plugs in the tires. They were there when I bought the machine so the tires themselves had a slow leak irrespective of the rim.

 

DTEL I think what you have there is called an R4 tire which would also be known as industrial. R1 is the regular tractor tire that is on your every day tractor is more aggressive than the R4 tires

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, grasshopper said:

 When do the tire spin/slide, specifically? "Bottom of hill with steering to the lock" type thing.

 

When going sideways across the hill and needing to turn UP the hill, the weight shifts to the downhill tire, allowing the uphill tire to spin.

 

I currently simply adjust my weight, moving it over the uphill tire a bit however, because there is very little tread on the tire, it still doesn't get great traction.

 

One reason I bought this mower is being diesel, I knew it would be heavier than my old unit (which it is) however, I still have the spinning tire issues at certain angles.

 

Also, to lighten the commentary a bit....  I've used a riding mower since childhood (literally 8 years old and up....)

 

The machine had the clutch/brake on the left, throttle somewhere on the dash and in the old days, was a geared machine.  Later in life, it had a clutch/brake on the left but now, forward/reverse paddle on the right.

 

So, do this for 50+ years, then in a fingersnap, change to a machine with NO clutch foot pedal....  with NO right foot forward/reverse pedals.  Instead, there is a forward/neutral/reverse sliding knob on the dash.

 

When I get into a quagmire, I still find myself stabbing with my left foot for the clutch/brake.  Then, realizing it's not there, I reach for the dash control to change direction.  Since you are holding the control lever at the same time you might move it, your momentum can exacerbate the movement of said lever, thereby slinging you suddenly into the opposite direction you're going, then back opposite the oppoisite direction you're going and feel like it's going to buck you off.

 

(backstory:  I tend to cut at full speed so all these actions get magnified when you're twitching the lever violently)

 

Edited to add:  At times, it looks like I'm riding a wild bronco as I flail about with my left leg, stabbing at a foot control that isn't there, stabbing out with my right foot to reach for a lever that doesn't exist then like the bronco rider holding onto the knob in front of him, I'm holding the forward/reverse lever with my hand being jacked around the machine.  I really should simply slow down a bit until my highly tuned reflexes can unlearn 50 years of cat-like reflexes and just use the hand controls.

 

Ok, back to the inner tubes....  (which I try to avoid at all costs on all my toys)

 

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
2 hours ago, Coytee said:

DTEL I think what you have there is called an R4 tire which would also be known as industrial. R1 is the regular tractor tire that is on your every day tractor is more aggressive than the R4 tires

 When I bought the tractor I had a choice between the regular farm thread which is real aggressive, the turf tire which is the least aggressive or Industrial. I was told the turf tire is fine on a mower but with a tractor would slip more when pulling or pushing something and was really just good for mowing. I picked the Industrial tire, it's good on turf but also has good traction pulling and pushing things.

 

Been having it 15 years now, not one problem, love my tractor.

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, dtel said:

 When I bought the tractor I had a choice between the regular farm thread which is real aggressive, the turf tire which is the least aggressive or Industrial. I was told the turf tire is fine on a mower but with a tractor would slip more when pulling or pushing something and was really just good for mowing. I picked the Industrial tire, it's good on turf but also has good traction pulling and pushing things.

 

Been having it 15 years now, not one problem, love my tractor.

 

 

 

Evidently, you don't keep your tires very clean.....

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, grasshopper said:

 

I'm a simpleton...

How does it do turning down the hill?

 

Works fine.  Gravity is your friend.  Works ok going STRAIGHT up a hill too....  the real issue is turning the corner to then, go  uphill.  The weight shifts to the downhill tire and all forward momentum is lost until you move like Spiderman on the machine, putting your weight over the outside (uphill) tire.  Oh, so now you are leaning like a suicide person looking over the ledge of the Empire State Building, needing something to hold onto, lest you tumble off....  have to have a hand on the wheel.....oh, but WAIT, now you also have to use fine control of the forward momentum...  which means hand is OFF the wheel, holding onto the (movable) forward/reverse handle....  pity the idiot who's in this situation and their hand slips on the forward/reverse lever and they get jacked around.

 

At times, I LOVE the hand control but I think it would have been a nice addition to a machine like this....  there are times you need your hands on the steering wheel which by definition one of them can't be if it's on the forward/reverse lever.

 

I specifically hunted down a diesel unit....but with all hand controls, I admit I DO miss the foot controls.  I think they give you a lot more control and PLANT you into the machine better than the hand controls do.  I almost feel I need a seat belt!

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
42 minutes ago, Coytee said:

Evidently, you don't keep your tires very clean.....

Nope, the dirt will fall off next time there used, if the mud dries, if not it's like glue. That tire is original, 15 years old, now the front with a similar thread is worn down much more.

 

I did have to get one of the big rear tires fixed, they put a patch. About 2 years ago one blade on the 6' finishing mower cracked in half and a small piece flew out as fast as a bullet and went through the back tire.  

 

27 minutes ago, richieb said:

Lots of thought/calculations/geometry going into this. Buy a few goats — 

But you can't drive a goat, well 99.9% of people wouldn't.  Plus it is Coytee. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, dtel said:

About 2 years ago one blade on the 6' finishing mower cracked in half and a small piece flew out as fast as a bullet and went through the back tire.  

 

Glad we didn't h ear about it then (inferring someone would have been hurt).  I try to implore to my wife to stay far far away....  She's since moved into a  house two towns over and I keep asking if she can move further away but, that's a different conversation.  :unsure:  Flying blades could be deadly if you suddenly meet up with one.

 

 

20 minutes ago, dtel said:

Plus it is Coytee. 

 

Shaddup  

 

 

boxing_smiley.gif

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
3 hours ago, Coytee said:

Glad we didn't h ear about it then (inferring someone would have been hurt). 

Me to, I was cutting grass on a flat part of the yard and heard a noise and looked behind me and the blade was in two pieces on the ground, it cracked right where the single bolt goes through it to mount.

I stopped and picked it up and drove back to the house to order new blades and when I went back outside the back tire was flat. It broke into two pieces but I guess when it hit something under the deck a small piece flew out into the tire. It left about a 1/2" slit, luckily in a place they could patch.   

 

I was VERY lucky, those tires are really thick, if it could go through that is would have been like a bullet hitting me. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...