Believe me when I say this: a flat lawn mower tire can be more frustrating than a flat tire on your car.
I’d been meaning to mow my lawn for some time now but didn’t get the opportunity. So, last Sunday, I thought I’d bring out my trusty old riding lawn mower and get the job done. Imagine my irritation when I took it out, only to find that it had a flat!
But as my readers know full well, I’m not a person who gets easily daunted. I immediately looked up how to fix a flat tire on a riding lawn mower online. After a bit of research and browsing through videos, I was able to get the tire fixed.
Hi! I’m Stacy Smith. And today, I’m going to help anyone else facing the same problem with a short guide on fixing a flat tire on a riding lawn mower.
So, let’s not delay further and get to work immediately.
Fixing Flat Tires On A Riding Lawn Mower
Tools Required For The Task
Truth be told, once you know the entire process, it takes about twenty minutes to finish the task. However, this is provided you already have all the necessary tools. To help you with that, here’s a list of the essential tools you’ll need to get the flat fixed.
- A pair of pliers
- A good quality hydraulic jack
- Suitable tire sealant
- Water and soap
- A reamer tool
- Tire stripes
- A knife and a threading tool
- Safety gear such as hand gloves and goggles
Once you’ve got the gear ready at hand, you now need to follow the simple steps outlined below.
Steps To Fix A Flat Tire On A Riding Lawn Mower
1. Removing The Spark Plug
First thing’s first: make sure your lawn mower is on an even surface so that it doesn’t get dislodged from its position. Once correctly placed, put the mower into parking mode and carefully remove the spark plug.
2. Raising The Mower
This step will require you to place the hydraulic jack under the mower and raise it for checking the tire. The position where you put the jack will depend on the location of the flat tire. In case of a flat front tire, place the jack under the front wheel’s deck edge. In case of a rear flat, you need to place the jack under the back deck.
After you’ve placed the jack properly, press down on the handle of the jack to raise the mower. Once you’ve raised it to about six inches above the ground, lock in the jack to maintain position and avoid any accidents.
3. Finding The Puncture
With the mower raised, take a close look at the flat tire to find the puncture. You might need to rotate the tire to get to the punctured location. In case you notice any foreign object attached to the tire, use the pliers to take it out.
If you can’t detect the puncture point, mix a bit of soap with water and spray it all over the flat tire. Next, fill the tire with air; you’ll find soapy bubbles coming out from the puncture point with a hissing noise.
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4. Using The Reamer Tool
After you’ve found the puncture, take the reamer tool and push it into the puncture point. Don’t worry! This will only make the puncture uniform so that you can quickly mend it in the following step.
5. Setting The Tire Stripes
This is the step where you complete the repair job. Here, you’ll need a sticky tire stripe, preferably circular and with long, sticky sides at both ends. You’ll also need a threading tool to complete this step.
A threading tool is a device with a needle in front and a handle at the rear. The needle should have a hole where you can insert a thread.
Now, take a tire stripe and put it into the needle hole so that there are equal parts of the stripe on either side of the hole. Carefully insert the threading tool (along with the stripe) into the tire’s puncture point. Make sure you push in the threading device so that at least two-thirds of the stripe is inside the puncture.
Then, pull the threading tool towards yourself so that the needle comes out, but the stripe doesn’t. Use the knife to cut any extra stripe hanging outside the tire; make sure you cut as near to the tire as possible.
6. Final Checkup
Finally, inflate the tire and check if any air is coming out of the puncture point. If everything is fine and there’s no air coming out, you can lower the mower and remove the jack. Now, your lawn mower is ready to be used again.
A Word Of Caution
Before wrapping up this discussion, a word of caution: the entire process involves using multiple tools and can lead to severe accidents if not handled properly. So, make sure that you wear protective goggles and hand gloves during the entire process.
Also, don’t ignore the flat tire and use the mower anyway. This will cause your tire ream to bend, thus leading to more hassles and expenditure. And never over-inflate the tire; always stick to the tire manufacturer’s recommended levels.Final Words
And that’s it! That lawn mower tire is now as good as new, and you can easily use it to trim your lawn to perfection. Just try and keep your yard free of any stones, pebbles, or small, sharp objects that can lead to further punctures.
If you find that your lawn mower tires are getting repeatedly deflated despite taking all precautions, consult a professional about it. It might be time to replace the tires with new ones.
That’s all for now. Till next time!