Everything About Buying Lawn Tractor Tires
Lawn tractor tires are important because they improve grip and strength when towing heavy loads. Worn-out lawn tractor tires can cause your mower to spin out or create deeper grooves in soft soil.
Smooth Tread
The smooth tread pattern is primarily used for golf and ground maintenance equipment, and it has no tread pattern grooves. It allows zero-turn mowers to make tighter turns, but it does not provide much traction.
Straight Rib Tread
Straight, shallow ribs are designed for riding lawn mowers and lawn trailers, and the straight grooves help dispel water for better grip and less turf damage. These tires work well on wet, slippery surfaces, such as freshly watered lawns or slightly muddy terrain after a rain.
Chevron Turf Tread
Chevron turf tread is found on commercial and residential garden tractors and lawnmowers, and it provides sufficient traction for mowing typical front lawns or other grassy areas. This pattern helps to provide grip on wet or dry grass without damaging the turf beneath.
Commercial Turf Tread
Commercial mowing equipment larger than a typical lawn tractor uses insect-proof tread patterns, which provide superior traction and long-lasting tread that resists punctures, and are safe to work on for extended periods of time after being mowed.
Round Shoulder R/S Turf Tread
The round shoulder R/S turf tread pattern is widely regarded as the most popular, and it is praised for its ability to work on any terrain without causing much impact; tires with this pattern are designed for those seeking superior traction while causing the least amount of damage.
Lug Traction Tread
Tires with the lug traction tread are ideal for serious landscaping u2013 and would more than likely damage a typical lawn. They are also ideal for larger garden tractors and trenchers, ditching machines, and lawnmowers, as they offer extremely powerful traction, especially in soft dirt.
Modified or Wide Footprint Chevron Turf Tread
The wider chevron pattern is ideal for commercial mowing equipment and applications, such as golf course fairway mowers, because it provides better weight distribution for larger mowing machines that may also be towing heavy loads like carts and trailers.
Understanding Lawn Mower/ Lawn Tractor Tire Size
A two-digit number would appear as 9.50 u2013 8, while a three-digit system would be 18x -9.50-8. The rim diameter size is the smaller hole in the middle of the tire. The load range system uses letters to indicate how many plies the tire is. For example, a tire with the measurements 15 x 6.50 u2013 6 NHS LRA would be 15x 6.50 u2013 6 NHS LRA.
Best Lawn Tractor Tires
There are a variety of lawn tractor tires available to suit all budgets, with some brands offering higher-quality tires that last longer or provide a more comfortable ride. Here are some of the best tractor tires to consider, depending on the type of vehicle you own.
Greenball Soft Turf Lawn and Garden
Chevron tread design. 2 and 4-ply 12 PSI. Applicable for both front and rear. Chevron tread pattern traction performs well on both wet and dry turf. Available sizes range from 11″ to 24″ with a tread depth of 4 millimeters.
Deestone D265 Turf
The D265 is an all-purpose tire available in a variety of sizes, with a classic chevron turf tread pattern that provides excellent traction and stability, as well as a strong nylon construction that ensures durability and long wear. Tread depth ranges from 2.8 to 8.4 millimeters, depending on tire size.
Deestone D837-Turf
Straight rib tread design with 4 and 6-ply 48 PSI for superior performance on dry, wet, and snowy surfaces. Sizes 13X5.00-6 and 16X6.5-8 are available.
Deestone D601-Rib
This tire is designed for wheelbarrows, but it can also be used on lawn mowers, tractors, and other lawn equipment. It comes in 12 to 16-inch diameters with a 4-millimeter tread depth and is available in 2 and 4-ply 50 PSI options.
Deestone D407-Utility
This tire is designed for garden tractors and provides excellent traction and performance on both wet and dry surfaces. It has a diameter of 13-16 inches and a tread depth of 9.7 u2013 12 millimeters, depending on tire size. It is made of strong nylon for long wear and durability.
Greenball Wheelbarrow
16-inch diameter, 3.175-millimeter tread, straight rib tread design, 2 and 4-ply 50 PSI. Recommended for use on wheelbarrows or small trailers. Tubeless tire design allows it to easily roll over hard surfaces.
What ply are lawn mower tires?
Lawn mower tires typically have one of three ply ratings: 2, 4, or 6. The higher the ply number, the greater the load carrying capacity; the lower the ply number, the softer the ride but the greater the risk of puncture.
Are 4 ply tires better than 2 ply?
A 4 ply tire is more resistant to punctures, can take more load, and can withstand tire repair better than a 2 ply tire. A 2 ply tire is usually less expensive than a 4 ply tire, but it can’t take as much load as a higher ply tire and flexes more when hot, so replacing a tire with a lower ply tire is not recommended.
What is the difference between LRA and NHS tires?
Load Range F (LRF) = 12 ply, so a tire measuring 15 x 6.50 u2013 6 NHS LRA for a 6-inch mount would be 15 inches tall with a 6-and-a-half-inch width.
What does NHS mean on a lawn mower tire?
The maximum tire pressure may also be embossed on the sidewall of an 18 x 9.5-8 tire, which is 18 inches high, 9.5 inches wide, and 8 inches in diameter. Those numbers may be followed by the letters “NHS,” indicating that the tires are only for nonhighway use.
What do numbers on lawn mower tires mean?
The three-number system for lawn tractor tires works a little differently: the first number before the “x” indicates the tire’s diameter when inflated and not under load, the middle number between the “x” and the “-,” indicates the tire’s width, and the final number indicates the rim’s width.
How much does a tractor tire cost?
How much do tractor tires cost? A radial design tractor tire from Titan Tire Corporation costs an average of US$1,600 to US$2,900 at retail. Some new tires are cheaper at US$400, but it still costs a lot of money for many people. Buying used tractor tires will save you money.
Is a higher ply tire better?
Trailer tires should be inflated to the maximum psi indicated on the tire; a tire of the same size but with a higher ply rating may be able to combat some of this, but will eventually develop the same problems; however, 14 ply tires will definitely outlast 10 ply tires.
Will 10 ply tires last longer?
Most 10 ply tires have a harder rubber compound than 6 ply tires and will last longer.
Is 4 ply a good tire?
Yes, they are significantly tougher, but they rode like a lumber wagon on my Tacoma. I’ve been very happy with the P-metric 4 plys on my Tacoma ever since. As Groan mentioned, if you’re not doing any heavy offroading, I’d stick with the lighter ply version. They will ride softer.
Can I put bigger tires on my riding mower?
Larger tires will provide additional clearance, though you may need to make adjustments to the deck and blades, and you may need to extend the axle to fit the new tires. We’ll also discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a larger tire.
What do the three numbers on a tire stand for?
B: TIRE WIDTH The three-digit number after the letter is the tire’s width in millimeters (from side to side, looking at the tire head on), also known as the section width. In this case, the aspect ratio is 65, which means the sidewall is 65 percent as high as the tire is wide.
How do you size a tractor tire?
The first number represents the overall WIDTH of the tire when mounted and inflated to the proper air pressure, but it is measured in millimeters; divide this number by 25.4 to convert to inches, and this will become the second number for a traditional tractor tire size.
What tire sizes mean?
The aspect ratio is the two-digit number after the slash mark in a tire size; for example, the 65 in a size P215/65 R15 tire means that the height is equal to 65% of the width; the higher the aspect ratio, the larger the tire’s sidewall.