What to Do if Your Lawnmower Tires Keep Going Flat?

Is maintaining your lawnmower tires becoming a chore? We’ve got you covered. Our detailed guide provides practical and effective methods to keep your tires inflated. Say goodbye to the constant need to pump air into your lawnmower tires.

Regularly check tire pressure and keep within optimal range on sidewall. Inspect tires for punctures, replace worn ones, insert tubes if needed – buy quality originals. Avoid sun when parking, clear lawns before mowing, and prevent chemical exposure. If a flat occurs, locate the leak, patch the puncture, and properly reinflate before reusing.

Want to know the secret to maintaining lawnmower tires? It’s easier than you think. Our guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to keep your tires inflated longer. Read on to unlock these secrets.

What causes flat tires in lawnmowers, and how do you deal with it?

Once in a while, the tires on your mower will go flat. However, it is something that does not always require a quick fix. Quick fixes would only escalate the problem to a point where punctures become frequent.

Based on our experience with different types of lawnmowers, when tires go flat often, it signals an issue that could be more deeply seated than imagined. It is always that time you dug deeper and unearthed the real cause of flattening tires on your mower.

Do they have holes? Is it because of tread wear? Or could it be that tire sidewalls have cracks? These issues can occur at any portion of the mower’s life. If you’re lucky, the problem might be slow leaks. However, if the tires are prone to going flat often, it might be time to replace them for good.

The truth is that some tire problems are complex to determine unless you carry out an extensive diagnosis. It also means that the procedure for fixing flat lawnmower tires varies depending on the cause. But first, take note of the following causes of flat tires:

● Rough lawn terrain

As with rough mountain terrains that cause bike or car tires to go flat, lawn terrain is a factor to consider if your mower tires keep going flat. Watch out for ruts, tree stumps, and other debris sharp enough to inflict damage.

● Wear and tear

Old tires are more likely to go flat than new ones. You will experience occasional punctures with worn-out treads and sidewalls. Thus, guarding against such susceptibilities means you must buy brand-new replacement tires.  Moreover, periodically inspecting your lawnmower tires helps spot problems likely to cause unprecedented punctures.

● Exposure to heat

Exposing tires to heat is something you should guard against by all means necessary. According to physical science, heat causes the air in tires to expand. Consequently, when internal tire pressure increases, it often causes leakage or blowout in the worst cases.  

The best solution is, therefore, parking your mower in a shed, away from direct sunlight. Your home garage, where you park a lawn mower when not in use, should also be far from the fireplace.

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Using a pressure monitoring system (TPMS), you should check tire pressure often, especially in the morning before the day heats up. It helps determine over-inflation or under-inflation. Underinflated are susceptible to puncture, especially when you push or ride your mower over sharp objects.

On the other hand, overinflated tires may blow out. You have battery-powered pressure monitoring systems that can be charged with a USB charger or solar-powered versions. Check the prices here.

● Sharp objects cause tire puncture

Another known cause of flat tires in lawnmowers is the presence of sharp objects on the lawn.  It could be broken glass, a nail, or a screw. The nature of a tire blowout should shed some light on the nature of the object.

Most importantly, inspecting the tires could occasion a dreaded find, such as broken glass pieces lodged in tire treads. While you can clear lawns before mowing to free them from stones, pebbles, and puncture-causing objects, smaller objects are often hard to spot.

● Leaky valve stem

The valve stem makes it possible to inflate or deflate tires. You should ensure that mower tires have optimal pressure, either too high or too low, to cause a puncture/blowout. The correct pressure for lawn mower tires is something we will explore next, so keep reading to learn more.

Meanwhile, you should note that valve stems also wear and tear or could get damaged. Other causes of damage to the valve stem are corrosion and dirt. Should you discover that the valve stem is causing frequent flat tires, get help from a local service provider/repairer.

From our end of the bargain, we advise buying new valve stems before it is too late to make a fix. You can find Lawn Mower Valve Stems here.

What is the proper lawnmower tire pressure?

First, note that tire pressure should not be too high or too low. Both extremes are always bound to cause problems. You should, therefore, inflate your lawnmower tires to optimal pressure (psi). The big question is whether these machines have a standard pressure gauge or vary depending on the model.

The good news is that, like tires in bikes, airplanes, and cars, determining the optimal tire pressure for your lawnmower is as easy as looking at the sidewall.  It would be best if you spotted a labeling ‘Max.Press.XX ‘where xx is the recommended psi.

It could be 30, 34, or 40 psi, depending on the type of tires on your mower. For worn-out sidewalls, check the user manual for the optimal psi recommended by your lawnmower manufacturer. You can find tire pressure gauges here.

● The problem with overinflating tires

While the psi labeling on tire sidewalls helps you monitor the pressure gauge, the temptation to overinflate is often real. We always think overinflating makes tires strong, sturdy, and handy. But there is a real danger that comes with it. First, it affects the braking threshold, especially in riding lawnmowers.

Secondly, overinflating mower tires begets the risk of a blowout. It also speeds up tire wear and tear. With wear and tear, you should expect more problems, such as reduced traction.

Tips on fixing flat lawnmower tires

When lawn mower tires keep going flat, cutting grass becomes painstakingly tricky. You would rather do it manually than push or ride a punctured mower. But you should not give up just yet. There are a host of things you can do to save troublesome tires.

Apart from inspecting them for a puncture, a permanent fix becomes necessary. Based on our experience with these machines, we suggest fixing flat tires by doing the following:

● Park the mower on a flat surface

There is a real risk of mowing lawns with flat tires. The rims may bend, and that means you will have a bigger problem to handle. When you notice a flat tire, slowly ride/push the machine to a flat work surface and park it.

● Jack up the mower

With the mower parked, put a jack under either the front or back frame, depending on the flat tire’s location. Raise the machine enough so the jacked end allows the flat tire to spin freely.  We recommend jacking it up by half for stability and easy access to the wheel.

It should also give you enough workspace.  Put jack stands on both ends and let the mower rest on them.

● Locate the puncture

When locating a puncture on your lawnmower, note that many things cause flat tires. The next question you should ask is, what made the tires flatten? Roll out the hanging wheel slowly while paying close attention to objects lodged into the tire tread.

When you spot something fishy, say broken glasses or wire, use a pair of pliers to pull it out. Please ensure no fractured pieces remain in the tire, which could worsen the problem. Rub soapy water on the tire to locate a hole if there is none. A hissing sound and bubbles should signal a leak.

● Start repair

Using a reamer tool, widen the puncture hole to be even. You should insert it in and out of the hole severally. For those learning about a reamer tool for the first time, note that it looks like a file (circular) and has a handle. Next, get the tar strip and insert it, but first, remove its protective stripping.

A strip has sticky sides that seal onto the puncture holes.  Now, get a threading tool into which you insert a tar strip so that half of it goes through to the other end. You can use rubber cement to coat the strip further.

The threading tool should help you insert a tar strip on the hole you made, even using a reamer tool. A third of the strip should stick out. Cut the sticking strips as close to the tire as possible using scissors. You can find Lawn Mower Repair kits here. If your tire is in bad shape, it would be wise to install a new one.

● Time to refill the flat tire

Following the above steps, the letter should leave the patch tightly in place. Now, it is time to test the tire for puncture once again. You can also refill it with pressure while not exceeding the maximum limit. If the patch does not release air, roll down the jack and remove it.

You are now ready to start mowing your lawn once again.  Note that fixing holes on lawn mower tires follows the same procedure as fixing car tires. The only difference is that tires in mowers are narrower and smaller.  

Should you find the task challenging, we recommend seeking help from a specialist to avoid causing further damage to flat tires. Pumping your tire with a small air compressor is very convenient. You can find tire air compressors here.

How to avoid flat tires on lawnmowers

A flat tire on a lawnmower is one situation you don’t want to experience, especially when trimming grass on your backyard lawns. Thus, we suggest that you do the following to retain tire pressure at optimal:

● Check pressure regularly

Checking tire pressure is a pivotal maintenance routine. Whether you do it fortnightly or every month, lawnmower tires lose air faster, given their smaller size than car tires. If you don’t have a pressure gauge, consider checking into a refill station.  

Most importantly, especially for homesteaders with a pressure gauge, a gauge should read both high and low pressures. You can find tire pressure gauges here.

● Take care of max pressure

Maximum pressure labeling on tire sidewalls does not mean maximum refill. It could be lower. Max pressure means you should not exceed a set pressure limit lest you risk, among other things, a tire burst.

● Replace old worn-out tires with a new one

The chances are high that the tires on your mower are losing air faster than they should because of wear and tear. You can diagnose tires manually to determine if replacement is needed. Note that wear and tear occur not only on the treads after many years of use but also on the sidewalls.

Experts advise against harsh chemicals when washing your push or riding mower lest the tires wear and tear out faster. You can find Lawn Mower tires here.

● Do not park in the open sun

Have you ever wondered why tires go flat after some weeks, especially when you park a mower under direct sunlight? The reason is pretty simple. Direct heat from weather causes tires to crack, especially on the sidewalls.

Such is a phenomenon that leads to faster wear and tear of tires. You don’t want to spend on spares only a few weeks into buying a brand-new lawnmower because of recklessness.

● Cut grass regularly

Long, thick turf will likely harbor obstacles you cannot spot when mowing. For example, sharp stones and broken glass would prick tires, causing them to go flat while working. When you regularly mow grass in your homestead, you guard against unfortunate eventualities that may cause damage to your machine.

It would help if you had a clear sighting of everything lying about on the lawn before you can start mowing. Pick up the debris that might puncture tires before you start working.

● Insert tubes inside each tire on your mower

Tubeless tires have become popular, but they come with high maintenance costs.  Tubes prevent air loss; hence, not having them inside tires means you must be extra careful when mowing the grass. When tubeless tires hit a rut, there is a high risk of puncture.

It is also noteworthy that tubeless tires tend to separate from the rim, hence more likely to go flat than the ones with tubes. You can find Lawn Mower tubes here. Apart from keeping tires airtight, tubes also prolong their tires’ lifespan.

For those who do not know how to fix tubes into tires, feel free to seek the services of a professional or a lawn mowing service provider near you.

● Buy quality and/or original tires

There is a real chance of buying counterfeit tires today. The risk gets more natural for someone who has never considered replacing worn-out tires. So, you ask, what’s the catch with tire replacement? We advise you to purchase quality original lawnmower tires from a trusted dealer.

There are more than a dozen manufacturers of tires who enjoy a good reputation worldwide. Original tires will last long and lose their value without going flat unnecessarily. You can find Lawn Mower tires here.

In addition, it’s great for the longevity of your tires to use a formulated sealant like Stan’s sealant. This sealant can seal in the tire’s bead, preventing air loss. Don’t wait for flats; maintain your flat lawn mower tires proactively.

Maintenance tips for keeping lawnmower tires in excellent working shape

When using lawnmowers, your safety should come first. While we will not look at dangers associated with flat tires, you should ensure they always have optimal pressure. Ensuring the longevity of mower tires, therefore, means you do the following:

– Avoid sharp objects

Do not run over sharp objects such as nails, harpoons, rocks, cacti, porcupines, thorns, glasses, needles, and bolts. You should inspect your lawn for any of these before mowing.

– Store the mower in the shade

Construct a cool shed or a garage where you store your lawnmower when not in use. Dry rot on tires happens due to overexposure to direct sunlight. Tires cannot contain pressure for a long time with dry rot, which often manifests on the sidewalls. The risk of a blowout also becomes real.

– Avoid chemicals while washing

When washing mower tires, do not use harsh chemicals. But if you do, rinse off with plenty of clean water.

– The best way to keep tire pressure optimal tire pressure optimal

Underinflated tires cannot support the weight of a mower, hence risking damage. On the other hand, overinflating tires put them at risk of blowouts, something you don’t want to experience when mowing uphill/downhill.

Remarks

You don’t want to experience tire bursts and blowouts when mowing. Apart from halting your mowing, you are also exposed to risks such as accidents/injuries. But nothing should be alarming when you know how to keep tires from going flat or how to fix flat tires.