Ballast Foam filling tires????

Kays Supply · Mar 21, 2009

Lets hear the pros and cons of putting foam in tractor tires. I have some contractors using it in skid steers. I am having a lot of flats while brush cutting.

lawn_king · Mar 22, 2009

The cost here insane! I got a quote of $800. to fill the turfs on my 21 hp kubota! I can buy new tires for less!

Treemonkey1000 · Mar 22, 2009

There are several threads in here about the foam in tires. There are tire sealants that will help decrease the chances of a flat. I use my tractor to drag logs out of the woods and didn't want any punctures out there. It is very expensive at about $2 a lb.

nikkopepper@yahoo.com · Mar 22, 2009

Whether the flat problem is front or rear may determine what you do. On my little JD855 the tri-rib fronts were driving me crazy with thorn punctures. The little 5.00x15 size allowed me to have them foam filled for $70 each here in N Tx. Added more weight than I had anticipated.(good for me)

Kays Supply · Mar 22, 2009

I was afraid of the weight. I use my 24hp tractor to bush hog now but later I will use it more on my lawn. I am waiting to see if they can vulcanize a patch in the side wall. The tires still have the **** on the tread they are so new. It will be $40 for a patch or $300 for a tire.

Treemonkey1000 · Mar 22, 2009

Kays Supply said:
I was afraid of the weight. I use my 24hp tractor to bush hog now but later I will use it more on my lawn. I am waiting to see if they can vulcanize a patch in the side wall. The tires still have the **** on the tread they are so new. It will be $40 for a patch or $300 for a tire.

Wouldn't the politically correct term be, "the tires still have the udders on the tread they are so new"?

The other poster mentioned the extra weight of the tires while driving on lawns. That is an issue. I end up leaving large tread marks in the lawn when the ground is soft from rain.

Kays Supply · Mar 23, 2009

I think the sealant route will be the most practical for me. The leaks I am getting aren't from large things like fence posts. They are wire and hard tree splinters.

LoneCowboy · Mar 23, 2009

I looked into this
There are two types of foam, regular and ultra light, the ultra light is much more expensive than the regular. (it's also much lighter)

You can recap the tires 3 or 4 times.

So, you only have to get them foamed once and then recap them (3 days to a week) every 1000 hours or so.

Not cheap, esp on big rears but you have zero danger of any puncture, no downtime at all from flats and cuts.

BUT
My mechanic says NO. Says it puts a lot of weight against the moving parts and some parts have to slip.

At this point I haven't done it.

Perhaps on the skid steer (smaller tires) with ultra light.

Knight · Mar 27, 2009

I had all four tires on my B2410 foamed, I had the tractor for about 7 years, it was great. Drove on nails, etc. never looked back.

I just foamed all 4 tires on L3400.
They came out removed tires took the tires back to their shop. Brought them back 3 days later, foamed and installed $700. Industrial tires R4.
Love it, never need air, drive on anything.