Going bald


 
J

JayHeyl

TVWBB Pro
Speaking of my tires, not my head, though tips in that regard wouldn't be unappreciated. Specifically and rather oddly, my lawnmower tires. I've got a self-propelled walk-behind mower where the front wheels can be engaged to pull the mower. After four or five years of use this year I noticed the front tires are almost bald and are doing little other than just spinning on the grass. They help a bit once I get the mower going after a turn, but they're next to useless when the mower is stopped.

I've looked online and it appears replacement tires with the necessary gearing on the inner portion of the wheel cost about $25 each. I'm reluctant to pay that much since I don't really like the mower all that much anyway. When considering alternatives it occurred that I might be able to "stud" the existing tires. There's still about an inch of rubber on the tires so there's something there for studs to bite into. They're solid rubber tires so puncturing isn't an issue. I'm thinking along the lines of putting a couple rows of small screws around the tires. Small finishing nails might work too but I'm afraid they'd fall out too easily.

Has anyone tried doing something like this before? Any suggestions for a different approach that might work better?
 
Theres a guy on youtube on how to retread lawn mower tire.
I tried sharing the link but no go.
 
Thanks. Excellent idea. I found one guy on YouTube mentioned using tires Harbor Freight has for just $7. They're smaller so I'd need one for each rather than one bicycle tire doing two lawnmower wheels, but it looks like a new bike tire with aggressive tread would cost $20 so Harbor Freight would be cheaper.
 
I suppose it's possible. I used to ride a lot and would go through a set of tires in about two months. In the many sets I went through, only once did I need to do a replacement for other than tread wear. But then I wasn't riding off road. Perhaps trail bikes have more sidewall failures due to tears.
 
have you thought about grooving the tires you have, if they are solid rubber you could cut some notches across them and gain some traction
 
I have owned both FWD and RWD mowers. The FWD wheels wear out much faster then the RWD but both do wear out. $50 is not much to keep a mower going compared to the cost of a new one. Personally, I like the RWD much better. The Toro drive system that moves at the same pace you walk has been my favorite if you are considering new..
 
Steve Cleveland said:
have you thought about grooving the tires you have, if they are solid rubber you could cut some notches across them and gain some traction
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The thought occurred but it sounded like both a lot of work and an invitation to the ER.

JSaus said:
I have owned both FWD and RWD mowers. The FWD wheels wear out much faster then the RWD but both do wear out. $50 is not much to keep a mower going compared to the cost of a new one. Personally, I like the RWD much better. The Toro drive system that moves at the same pace you walk has been my favorite if you are considering new..
Click to expand...
When I got this one my income situation was unstable so I went for the cheapest mulching, self-propelled mower I could find. Had I to do over I would have put in another $150 and gotten a Honda or a Toro. I know Honda has one that's supposed to automatically adjust the speed so it feels like the mower weighs ten pounds. I'm now in a position I could afford a more expensive mower but it's hard to justify since this one does a reasonable job if I keep the blade sharp, assuming I can fix the self-propelled issue.

I bought a BMX tire at Walmart that has a pretty aggressive, stubby tread. Still need to cut it to size and try to install it on the drive wheels. I'm assuming it will work for at least a couple years. $15 to keep the mower going isn't bad.
 
The cool thing about the Honda mowers is the quadra cut system. Have to say it's way cool. Chops stuff up to basically powder. Best mulching mower I have ever seen
 
Did the retread on my mower tires today. Cutting through the bead on the bicycle tire was the most difficult part. I had to resort to the hacksaw to get through the metal wires. After that I used a pair of EMS scissors. They have one serrated edge that grabbed onto the tire and made things easier. Some of the videos suggested gluing the retread to the original tire. I have little doubt that would be better if you can find glue that will bond to both surfaces. I just used a bunch of screws, one about every two inches around the circumference.

I didn't mow the lawn afterward but I did give it a quick try and it looks like it's going to work. If the retreads don't fall off during the first mow I'll call it a success.
 
Follow-up on the retreads. They worked perfectly. The mower will once again push itself along without me having to get it going. I still need to take too many breaks before finishing the whole lawn but it's not as bad as before.
 
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