New Mower tires

[Danno77]

A while ago i mentioned that I ordered some new tires--> https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewreply/602854/

Well, i finally got them on the Rider a couple of weeks ago and Woo-hoo they are awesome. Now, What I had on there before was a soft turf saver type tire, and it would have been great if my yard was perfectly flat and never ever wet. They would spin all day long when trying to go up any incline, and forget mowing on the bank that borders my lawn, that was a huge PITA.

These new tires grip everything, and allow me to have much better control of the mower, the only problem is that every once in a while I give it too much gas and rip the yard up. still learning the limits of their grip. Before I could spin quite a bit and not even damage the grass, but spinning now means ripping up yard.

The next problem to conquer was understeer. I couldn't turn sharply, even at very low speeds, the front tires had absolutely no grip. adding weight to the front might have helped a little, but I like to pretend my little mower is a farm tractor, so i got lug tires for the front wheels too. I got those on yesterday. Now I'm making nice tight turns around trees and I find i'm not having to shift my weight around on the mower to get it to go where I want. I'm seriously considering a snow blade of some sort now. amazing what 150 bucks for some good tires can do. I can't express it well enough in writing... I guess I should throw a picture or two up now. it'll have to wait until i get some taken.

 

[velvetfoot]

That's interesting. I had the same problem with slippage on hills and went with extra weight in/on the wheels.
My problem might have been a little different than yours because the only way I could mow the back is to go along the hill contour rather than up and down. I go real slow and feel like I'm ready to bail at any time, but I also feel the weight down low helps. It also helped the traction.
It would've been nice if I could've gotten by with tires alone.
I don't think you can plow though without move weight, sice the blade will weigh some pounds, opposite the traction wheels.

 

[Jags]

The blade really doesn't enter in as counter weight to the drive tires, cuz as soon as you drop it, the weight is supported by the ground, not the tractor. For plowing with a lawn mower or garden tractor, chains are your friend. Without them, you probably won't get much work done (even with lug tires).

I didn't review your other post, so don't know what kind of tractor this is, but be aware that lawn mowers and garden tractors are two different beasts. Lawn mowers typically will have a much lighter drive train, and the stresses of plowing could cause premature failure. Garden tractors are designed to be traction engines and power plants for accessories. YMMV.

 

[Danno77]

I didn't review your other post, so don't know what kind of tractor this is, but be aware that lawn mowers and garden tractors are two different beasts. Lawn mowers typically will have a much lighter drive train, and the stresses of plowing could cause premature failure. Garden tractors are designed to be traction engines and power plants for accessories. YMMV.

Jags, This is NOT a garden tractor, so you are right, it does have a lighter drive train. That hasn't stopped me from abusing it, though.

 

[Jags]

Jags, This is NOT a garden tractor, so you are right, it does have a lighter drive train. That hasn't stopped me from abusing it, though.

I have seen some lawn mowers get the crap beat out of them and they still take it, although I'm not sure how. In Jags world I abuse the living crap out of my garden tractor/mule. It will often receive a trailer tongue weight of hundreds of pounds and yank my 5x10 trailer completely loaded (probably 3500 pounds) around the yard. It is pretty common to get the front wheels off the ground. :gulp: Its a 1976 model, I doubt if I will be breaking it in the near future. It is really my right hand man.

 

[Danno77]

We should start an "equipment abuse" thread, Jags. You could post pictures of your tractor pulling around obscene loads, I'm sure we'd have some Ford Ranger pics there, I could probably get a few pictures of my mower doing something it wasn't made for...

Here's my old mower towing in the "new mower" a couple of years ago. That thing just wouldn't die. Picture it pulling that same trailer with 1000lbs on it (uphill). I wish I still had it. I gave it to a neighbor in exchange for some work, then he split from his "girlfriend" and their kids and it eventually disappeared. He is back, but the mower isn't. Best $120 bucks I ever spent. 8hp could do anything I wanted it to.

 

[Jags]

The 8hp Briggs on my splitter came off of a mower just like that.