Difficulty of mounting a tire by hand?

[Finnster]

I have a new set of 23" turf tires for a compact tractor, a 26 horsepower a B series Kubota. Right now I have industrial tires and I want to put the turfs on my existing wheels. How hard would it be to do this by hand do you think? Don't want to have to take it to a tire shop.

 

[tow653]

If you have the tire irons,and tire hammer/maul,to break bead, to do it,it is not that bad. If you have to go out and purchase them,you would be better off taking it in and have it done.

 

[gwdixon]

The smaller the tire, the harder it seems to change them out. For me, a handtruck tire is a nightmare for instance. Wheelbarrow tires are insane.

Anyway, if an old guy like me can do it then anyone can. Breaking the bead can be a challenge but a couple of C-clamps or wood-jawed clamps can do it. My Harbor Freight bead breaker has paid for itself many times over. HF also sells tire irons.

If you reach the frustration level then a trip to town to get the tire changed is instant relief. It should run about $10 / tire.

 

[Dave M7040]

Others have talked about the challenge of breaking the tire beads, getting the beads set can be another challenge if the tires are tubeless.
A ratchet strap around the center of the tire can help just be certain to start backing off the ratchet as the beads set.
Use the correct tire irons because if you damage the tire bead you will regret it.
Dave M7040

 

[tow653]

Can always resort to ether if the ratchet strap doesn't work!

 

[Baby Grand]

I ended up getting a can of rim sealant, which has helped to get a good seal on one rim that would never seem to hold air for more than a week. I spent hours sanding & painting that rim, all to no avail. The rim sealant seems to close up any irregularities between the rim and tire bead. Highly recommended by this rank amateur. As gwdixon mentioned, the smaller the tire, the more difficult the job. I thought my neighbors might call the police when I changed the front tire on our B5100, due to the language being used. Great sense of satisfaction once the job was successfully completed, late on a Sunday afternoon, and just in time to finish the job that was interrupted by the flat.

 

[flusher]

I have a new set of 23" turf tires for a compact tractor, a 26 horsepower a B series Kubota. Right now I have industrial tires and I want to put the turfs on my existing wheels. How hard would it be to do this by hand do you think? Don't want to have to take it to a tire shop.

You can learn a lot about changing tractor tires from this video


Case/David Brown 1390 Tire Changing
CASE / David Brown 1390 Tire Changing - YouTube

Good luck

 

[radioman]

It might be harder with r4s then turfs. For zero dollars, you can break bead with your FEL and use couple tire irons. Or use a bottle jack and your truck hitch to push down on the tire bead like jdgreene did. you can use your crowbar, but keep in mind that is has square corners and it can cut the tire SOOO easy and you can ruin the whole tire since cutting the bead edge is bad. A better choice is go to HF and buy the manual tire changer for less then 50 bucks. It comes with everything you need to change tires and it pays for itself . I have one and used it so many times for so many tires already its worth the space it takes up in the garage.

 

[zionview]

I break the beads on tires with the FEL on my BX and it works well with a little patience. It's been mentioned using ratchet straps when seating the new tires. I have done this. Use the strongest ratchet strap you own. I used a one inch, 500# one seating the rear tires on my Gator. It broke and shot right past my head! I ended up chaining it to the welding table using a 5/16 chain and a chain tightener. I have a small set of tire irons that helps out a lot.

 

[arrow]

I break the bead on tractor tires by driving my p.u. truck onto the short 2x6 that is laid over the bead. Acts like a "ramp" and the weight of the truck busts the bead. To get them on, I use window cleaner with vice grips acting like a tire retainer when mounting. I find it easier to mount the tires with the wheels on the tractor. You need a couple of long tire irons. Northern tool sells them for around $8 a piece. (30") Get a spoon type and a straight type. Easier than one might think.