Let's talk tires...

[chipwitch 73]

Never fails.  Every time I go to use a tractor, I have to add air to the tires.  Since the tractors are stored away from any electric, I have to pump up a little pancake compressor and haul it to the out-building.  I'm really tired of this.  A few months ago, I installed tubes in one of the tractors.  Now, I'm having the same problem with them.  My guess is foliage.  There's one bougainvillea at the corner of the property and the lawn is overrun with this invasive weed I only know as 'caltrop,' so called because the seeds look like a caltrop (armored tank counter-measure used extensively during WWII).  They're about 1/4 to 3/8" long and hard as nails.

 

I just removed one of the leaky tubes, and the leak is right in the center of the tube.  Definitely a puncture.  I know I can patch it, but the worse thing than having to fill the tires every week is having to patch a tube!  I don't want to buy new tires for the Deere.  They're original and still good condition otherwise.  I'm in the market for tires for the Horse, but haven't seen belted tires.

 

Anyone have any suggestions?  Of all the things that can go wrong on a tractor, it seems this one should be most preventable.  Surely, you all don't just accept constantly having to fill tires.  I wouldn't mind the filling part, if they'd just hold enough air each week that I could drive over to the compressor.

[Racinbob 10,265]

I just tubed my tires due to an elusive slow leak. I've done this many times over the years and it saves a lot of hassle. I'm guessing you made sure there wasn't something stuck in the tire when you tubed it? That's a sure fire way to puncture a new tube immediately. It sounds like your problem is the caltrop. I've never heard of it but if it's capable of puncturing a tire I don't have any suggestions other than to eliminate it. 

[Racinbob 10,265]

I just did a quick search. You've got a tough battle trying to get rid of it. But I'm thinking that until you do tire punctures will be a way of life. Good luck.

[stevasaurus 22,229]

I'm with Bob on the weed...don't know what that is.  Maybe try this...I take my wheels to my Miller Tire guy...they will give me a price for taking off the tire, tubing it and re mounting...give me the rim and let me fix any holes, etc...take the rim back to them...and they will tube it and mount the tire.  I have done that on 4 horses...I had a bunch of them that wee filled with chloride 40 to 50 years ago, and the rims were rusting.  Got the rims back from them, welded the holes...a little Bondo and painted them, and then they tubed them and remounted the tire...(sometimes new tires).  It has worked well for me and has not been overly expensive...about $20 for the tube and R&R--not counting new tires...which are very reasonable also. 

[Geno 1,928]

Skid steer 6 plys on the rear should take care of the rear.  Deestone makes a cheap front 4 ply ag tire that should help on the front too.  

 

You don't need 4, it's just the only pic I have of them here.    

 

   

[Don1977 604]

Some one posted an old drag racers trick to keeping the tires inflated over on My Tractor Forum. Liquid starch some people had good results that tried it. Can't be any worse then "Slime" and a lot cheaper. I haven't tried it yet I have some old tires on an old Ford that get driven short trips and less then 1000 miles a year that the tires will not stay up in cold weather. I bought some need to get it in soon.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Don1977

[chipwitch 73]

I'm not a big fan of slime.  Besides, I want to liquid fill the tires for traction.  I'm planning on buying ag tires for the rear.  That should help, but even 6 ply.... will probably end up with punctures.  I'm getting 6 ply for the front as I hope to make a FEL for it some day.

 

On a hunch, I googled "tire protector" and found that bicyclists insert a liner between the tube and tire.  Looks like it's made of thin polypropylene.  I could probably buy a 3/32" sheet of that for 50 bucks I'm guessing.  That would probably do both of my tractors.  Anyone ever hear of anything like this?

[Digger 66 3,476]

[chipwitch 73]

Joe, those are pretty nifty, but they won't correct the problem of punctures.  True, they'd allow me to drive to the garage for air provided the leak was a slow one and I only had one or two minor punctures.  But, they won't work with fluid filled tires.

[boovuc 1,090]

Hit the Caltrop over and over for a month with Roundup. (Buy the condensed version and mix it strong).

I know it doesn't have normal roots but it will kill it eventually. You can also call your State Agriculture Extension Office on eradicating this invasive species. 

Deestones are a good cheap tire but it doesn't matter what you put on your rims until you make sure your rims are also clean, no rust, no wicks, good valves, etc.

 

I bought two new DeeStone Ag tires delivered to my door today with shipping and 6% PA Sales tax cost me 120 bucks from a popular auction site online dealer.

 

I'm not a fan of the atypical turf tires. I like ags/bar tires along with the aggressive ATV type tread patterns. I mowed around Chinese Chestnut and wild Honey Locust trees. These are nasty on tires but with newer more aggresive treads, I never had problems and I ran over and mowed everything that fell from them.

Just my 2 cents.

[Wayne 28]

sounds alot like what we call goat heads out here in AZ. if they have leaves that look like a fern, it's the same thing. I have found, though time consuming  as all get out, if you pull them up by the roots (easy to find once you get used to it, just look where all the vines come together) you can just drop them, and they will die. also, i have burned them with a large propane burner hooked to a grill propane tank. no recovery from that! I tried slime, but it won't re seal until you pull it out, so kind of pointless. this works too, but don't get it on anything you don't want dead. just took one healthy application, right at the root and in a week it's dead.

[chipwitch 73]

I bought two new DeeStone Ag tires delivered to my door today with shipping and 6% PA Sales tax cost me 120 bucks from a popular auction site online dealer.

 

 

How are the Deestones?  I read a thread, on here I believe, that showed a significant difference in diameter.  Seemed there was a discrepancy between what they called a 23" tire and what Carlisle did.

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

Its not cheap, but you could always get your tires foam filled.

 

I would do this with brand new tires though, because its a long term thing. You can get a cheap set of rims and give them a quick paint job since it wont matter how well it seals to the rim.