Riding Mower Tires and Fix-A-Flat

just as I finished my lawn today, i found a flat. This is a rear tire on a cub cadet 48" riding mower. I took the tire off and went around the tire about 10 times and never found a nail or such, but it's still flat. So, now my problem is how to fix it. We live in the country and I could probably take it to a repair shop and pay a lot of money for someone to tell me that I need to replace the tire, or maybe just take it to a gas station and fill it with air and see what it's like in a day or so.... but I remembered I had two cans of Fix A Flat stashed in the garage. (Not the brand name, this one is a 'Wally World' brand.

My wife says not to and in fact, I've heard many stories of how it 'ruins' tires. but then again, this is a lawn tire. What is the consensus here? Use the can of Fix-A-Flat or find a way to repair?

 

............Put a tube in it!

 

Inflate the tire and spray soapy water on it or submerse it in water to look for bubbles where the air is leaking out.

 

It's rarely a puncture. It's extremely common for the rim to leak.

A tube will work if you can find the right size.
I usually break the tire off the bead...... clean the rim..... add some gorilla snot (bead sealer adhesive) to the rim and then reseat it.

 

I put some of the green slime stuff in a lawn mower tire one time & later took it to a tire shop to fix a leak. When he got through scolding me about putting it in there & the fact that now he had to work in all that goop in the tire..... I have never used anything like that again.

I agree, air the tire up, use some soapy water (preferably in a spray bottle) & find the leak. Check the valve stem first, then around the rim, then around the tire.

I use tubeless tire plugs when possible, but last year, I had to put tubes in a couple of old dry rotted lawn mower tires.

 

Any form of tire sealant is not going to ruin a tire, but it sure will make a mess for anyone trying to install a tube.
Most often I've found it to be a leaking valve stem, simple to check with some soapy water brushed on.
A tube is simple to install, there's plenty of DIY video's on You Tube how to do it.

 

Or it could be bad valve stem. It's loose or maybe a piece of dirt got lodged in it. My UTV from Cabela's kept loosing air the 1st year. The dealer threw in some of that slime and it's been good ever since. I put that stuff in my bicycle tires and it's been terrific. I see no degradation to the tires.
Check back with the dealer, my riding Craftsman had recall on tires and they replaced them.

 

My wife and I are in lockdown still, so a trip to the hardware store is ...for the moment, not possible. I hate to leave it flat very long. What is this 'slime' you have mentioned?

 

The Slime stuff?

I use it in farm equipment tires all the time. I buy it in gallon pump containers from Menards and O'Reillys. It's always worked for me in tubeless and tube type tires - large and small. Green Slime is what it goes by.
It's not overly expensive and lasts a couple years.

 

found it online. Interesting stuff. Ok, so for a single tire, if I get a 16 oz bottle, how much do I put in??

Oh wait, found this...https://www.slime.com/us/slime-calculator.php

 

The green slime actually works really well. I think it's better than a tube in that a tube can get punctured and then requires removal and replacement but the slime just fills the new puncture and seals it. It also stops leaks at dry rot cracks which is probably the most common tire leak I see. It is a mess if you have to take the tire off and deal with it, but it usually lasts long enough to see the mower through the rest of it's useful life. It's really not that horrible to deal with if you do have to change one with it in it. People are too worried about getting their hands dirty these days.

 

On the big rear tractor tires, I used to patch the tube which is a lot of time and work. Taking the tire off, breaking it down and patching is quite a project. Hiring it done is about $100.

I started using Slime about 5 years ago and haven't taken one off since. I just add a little more Slime when it stops sealing which is quite a while. It's the only new part on my mowers - keeps them going.

I would use Slime before Fix a Flat.