Ten tips to help avoid flat tires on your lawn equipment

No one likes a flat tire. Here’s our best advice on avoiding flats on your lawn and garden equipment.

1. We recommend that you check the air pressure in your vehicle’s tires each month. Well, that goes for your lawn mower, too. Properly inflated mower tires have far less air than automotive tires, so these smaller tires will lose air quicker than your vehicle’s tires will and, more importantly, they’ll lose a greater percentage of their total air volume.

2. Before your mowing session, grab a tire pressure gauge and make sure that it’s capable of reading lower air pressures.

3. If you’re not sure what the pressure should be in your mower’s tires, take a look at the owner’s manual. Can’t find it? Check the sidewall of the tire. Be careful, though – the sidewall will give you the maximum air pressure.

4. Unscrew the valve caps (put them in your pocket for safekeeping) and check the air pressure with the gauge. Repeat to ensure consistent readings.

5. Low on air? Fire up the air compressor and begin filling the tire with air using a regular air chuck, and…

6. STOP FREQUENTLY and check the air pressure. You really don’t want to overfill the tire.

7. Check the air pressure again.

8. You may need to let air out to get down to the manufacturer’s suggested air pressure.

9. Check your pockets for those valve caps and screw them back on.

10. Avoid overinflation and underinflation.

Overinflating the tire can happen very easily and can be dangerous. If you use a tire that is overinflated, it could fail. And that, as you may have guessed, is no good.

Underinflation of a tire can be just as bad as overinflation. When a tire is underinflated, the weight of the mower is riding on the sidewall of the tire. Over time, this can cause the inside of the tire to wear. Because you can’t see the inside of the tire, you won’t notice the tire breaking down, which can mean tire failure when you least expect it. Keep your tires properly inflated, and check them frequently!

Have questions, or want help finding the best tires for your lawn and garden equipment? Feel free to give us a call at (866) 961-8668.