No-flat Tires

[wkashner]

Looking for thoughts on no-flat tires for use on a Cub Cadet Yanmar Sc2450 backhoe (sub-compact). Factory rear tires are 26 x 12 - 12 NHS, Traction Master OTR tubeless.

 

[spndncash]

I have the same size rears on a 2182, I have turf tires on wheels for lawn/summer use and lugs that are foam filled (any commercial tire dealer can foam fill tires). they will need to be cut off the rims to be changed but they are weighted and will never go flat. I am not suggesting it I am just saying I have a set with chains and weights and foam filled for winter snowblowing duty. they have are effectively solid tires. you can shoot them with a gun and it wont hurt them

 

[spndncash]

Reference tire slime: in agreement with Matt Gonitzke, he has often stated versions of “ that stuff is a great way to make a rim so pitted and rusty you’ll never a tire on it to hold air without a tube” a friend is selling a child’s atv and asked me for help getting it in running condition - four year old gas replaced and it runs fine! Now for the bad part the rims are all leaking at the bead or have holes rusted through them. The atv is less than 20 years old so safe to say this is the result of less than 20 years of running slime. It’s a 2002
I media blasted all four rims then mig welded the holes and worst pits primed and painted. Washed out the slime from the tires and plugged the holes with plug-n-patches. These tires run 2.5-5 psi max. They need a patch/plug not just a plug.

 

[wkashner]

Does foam have the same effect on the rims as slime?

 

[spndncash]

It does not. Foam is a two part chemical that expands and cures to a solid. Last set of foam filled tires I had (of course had to be cut off the rims) were replaced with tubeless tires. if you want to switch back cut the tire open with a saws-all remove the foam and then dismount the two beads that are left on the rim. it is a little dirty but it comes off pretty easy.

there might be some cured glue looking residue but no rust, pitting etc

there is also non air filled tire called a "tweel" they require wheel and tire. I left michelin before they launched so I dont know much about them. they look like they could load up with mud. I have seen them on commercial mowing equipment. not sure how they are spec'ed for backhoe or if that is not an option.

 

[tfrashure]

I will never use foam again. I had a front tire on a simplicity broadmoor that I could not keep inflated. Took to tire shop that fills with foam thinking that would be the end of it...WRONG. After they went flat again, had to take a saw to them to get them seperated. Another thing is that tractor would lift the opposite rear tire up in the air when a front tire fell into a hole. You wouldn't think it would be that much of a weight difference and maybe if the rear tires were loaded too, I wouldn't have noticed, but it was a serious pain in the butt. Buy new tires, clean rims up good, good layer of paint, and be generous with bead sealer. Been a couple of years now and no more problems. Maybe the shop didn't fill up entirely with foam, and even when they got low on air tire stayed on wheel, but if you want to mow level with same pressure in tires-foam didn't work for me. Not to mention it wasn't exactly cheap to be given this big pain. I'm sure rear tires would cost even more.

 

[etopel]

Tim- I'm not sure what went wrong with your tire, but urethane filled tires are basically solid tires and can't go flat. The urethane that was in the tires on my Terramite backhoe was like solid tire rubber when I cut them apart.