No Flat tire Foam/Filler

[Ken Higginbotham]

Does anyone have experience using the tire foam / filling products? I have several pcs of equipment that I need to put air in the tires all the time. I tried the slime stuff but it does not alawys work good. The filler/foam stuff I have found seems expensive!

[John Ziebron]

Hi Ken, I don't have any first hand experience with foam filled tires. I do know that it's expensive and makes for a harsher ride if used on riding equipment like a tractor. I understand that, mainly because of these drawbacks, foam tires are used in areas where punctures are a high probability.

I would first ask why these tires are always low on air. Is it because of slow leaks around the valve stem or rims, which is easily checked by spraying a solution of water and a little dish soap. Or do the tires have nails in them or other small punctures. Again, easily checked with a spray solution or, if the tire is small enough, put it in a tub of water and watch for bubbles. If it's a valve stem, I would replace it. If it's a rim seal issue that tire side should be broken and resealed. If it's small punctures, I would use Slime.

I have used Slime successfully many times. You just need to make sure you follow the instructions. If you can take the weight off the tire and freely spin it after putting in the Slime that would be best. And I would put a little more Slime in than recommended for the tire size (cheap insurance). My first experience with Slime was on some used lawn tractor rear tires that I installed on a little utility cart to keep it from sinking in soft ground with a load. But after a few years the sidewalls started cracking from constant outside exposure and air was slowly leaking out. I added Slime to both tires and have never had to add air again. That was 24 years ago. The cart is still outside and the tires are still holding air.

[Paul F Franklin]

I've gradually replaced all the small wheels on things like generator, power washer, garden cart, wheelbarrow, etc. with solid tires from Harbor Freight. They go on sale all the time and with the 20% off coupon they are cheap. Those little tires always seem to slow leak at the rims and I got tired of fussing with them. HF seems to have most of the common sizes.

I've seen videos of folks drilling a couple of holes in the tires and filling with can foam but I think it's pretty easy to blow them off the rim and then you're in trouble.

[Tim Boger]

Can you have tubes installed?

[Tom M King]

Any time I buy a new piece of small equipment with pneumatic tires, I go ahead and buy tubes for the tires, so I can put them in while everything is nice and clean. Wheelbarrows in the barn only need air topped off in the tires every year or so since I put tubes in the tires. I've never had tubeless small tires in things like the BillyGoat blower, wheelbarrows, or riding lawnmowers, and boat trailers to hold air for more than a couple of years before they start going down fairly quickly. Anything less than a load range E (E's on the gooseneck flatbed) gets a tube put in it early.

[Ken Higginbotham]

Thanks for the posts - My latest episode was with a couple hose reel carts that had 10"wheels. I went to Tractor Supply and they had the solid type but they were $25ea! Having tried Slime in my wheel barrow only to have it leak down again(probably needed to use more than I did but Slime isn’t cheap either), I wasn'tcrazy about chasing that rabbit again. I did find some of the Harbor Frt tiresthat were not an exact match but are the same size and solid rubber for $9 ea.so we went with them. It's really aggravating to be in the middle of a job youweren't motivated to do in the first place only to have to stop and take timeworking on a chronic flat tire -

[Tom M King]

Tractor Supply should have all the different sizes of tubes you need in stock. That's where I buy them. I've done the slime thing too, only to ruin a built in gauge on a Milton inflator-never again in anything. Wheelbarrow tires are so thin, it's amazing that they hold air for the first year or two.

I have one wheelbarrow with one of the solid/no-flat tire. None of us likes using it. It doesn't go over the smallest of bumps, like a rock, anywhere nearly as easily as a pneumatic tire does.

You can use a couple of old screwdrivers to get the tire bead over the outside edge of the wheel. You might have to use your knees to get one side of the tire's bead up into the smallest diameter part of the wheel, so you can get the other side over the outside of the rim. Some will come over easier than others.

Once you get one side of the tire bead on the outside of the wheel/rim, the tube can go in the tire, and the valve stem out of the hole in the rim. Cut the old valve stem off on the inside with a utility knife to get access to the hole. Tubes come with a straight, or bent valve stem-notice which one will work best for the application before you go to get the tube.

When the tube is in, do sort of the reverse of what it took to get the tire bead to the outside. One side goes in, and then the bead has to be worked over the rim. I use a plastic tool for bicycle tires that zips it right around.

A tube will make life much easier. Even if one of the trailers I have doesn't get used for years, and the tire goes flat, the tube allows it to be inflated without having to put a tourniquet around the outside of the tire.

[Mike Rohmfeld]

There is a product that goes into the tire as a two part liquid that turns to foam. It is loaded with the correct amount of pressure to Quote get the same ride quality back but I think it is stiff. but you will never have another flat tire on that tire. We see tires that were foamed and worn out and have to cut the tires off the rims to reuse the rims. On tractor tires that work mesquite brush there is a great amount of sticks and stuff stuck in the foam, but never a flat. It does add weight to a tire by a lot especially if the tire is a large tire. Yes it is pricey but if never having a flat is the objective this is the cure. You will never have the excuse honey the mower has a flat, I can"t mow the yard.

[Kev Williams]

A friend of mine buys and sells heavy equipment. He tells me he puts foam in virtually every tire on his own equipment. He says the tires will handle more weight, and the money saved in no more down-time and labor in fixing flat tires more than pays for the foam.

But for 10" tires... might be overkill!

[Brian Elfert]

I bought a Toro Groundmaster with snowblower last fall. The wheels had to come off to get the thing into my trailer. It turned out the tires are foamed completely full. The tires are HEAVY! It takes all your might to lift one back on the lugs. I think they did it to add weight to the wheels instead of steel weights.