DIY Guide to Choosing the Right Riding Lawn Mower Tires. Riding lawn mower wheel

DIY Guide to Choosing the Right Riding Lawn Mower Tires

In 1837 blacksmith John Deere fashioned his first polished-steel plow. These days, the John Deere company is making self-driving tractors. The John Deere Tango autonomous mower is out there driving itself around distant yards with white picket fences. The Husqvarna Automower competes with it in the war of the mowing robots.

Lawn mowers have come a long way, and now they’re going a long way without the help of a human operator. But for those of us who aren’t interested in letting a robot do the work for us, there’s still the big world of riding lawn mowers and the people who love to use them.

Riding lawn mowers are state-of-the-art, and so are the tires. If you have some serious mowing to do, it helps to have a tire that can handle the type of terrain you need to tackle. Here’s a rundown on the world of riding lawn mowers and riding lawn mower tires.

Difference Between a Riding Mower and a Tractor

A lawn tractor is a heavy-duty beast of a machine for large jobs. Manufacturers took the farm tractor prototype and miniaturized it, attaching a deck with blades to the bottom. Consider a tractor if you have more than half an acre to tackle, and an incline to ascend. According to Consumer Reports, tractors get better traction than riding mowers, so they’re better for hills, and you get a reliably even cut.

The zero-turn-radius riding mower (ZTR) isn’t great for hills. However, these mowers have better maneuverability than tractors, so they’re best if you have plenty of obstacles to deal with in your lawn. They’re also faster than tractors. While tractors cut a 42- to 54-inch swath, ZTRs cut 42- to 60-inches. The best ZTRs cut as evenly as tractors and are a lot like the mowers landscapers use.

If you don’t have a ton of money or space to store a tractor, and your lawn is smaller than an acre, the rear-engine rider may be right for you. Be advised, they only cut a 30-inch swath, they’re slower than both ZTRs and tractors, and they don’t get as even of a cut.

Both ZTRs and rear-engine riders have gas-powered, one or two cylinder engines in the rear, while the tractor’s engine is in the front. There are also electric options, such as the Ryobi R48110. All types of riding mowers can side-discharge, mulch, or bag grass clippings. The best kind for you depends on the nature of your yard’s terrain.

Lawn Mower Maintenance

Like any vehicle, your riding lawn mower requires maintenance over time. An electric requires blade-sharpening, and a gas-powered requires tune-ups and oil changes. Mike Lafollette from Angie’s List recommends taking the DIY approach. To tune up his own mower, Mike spent 30, while the professionals quoted him 50 to 75.

Mike took the following steps to tune his mower:

• Disconnect spark plug
• Drain oil
• Install a new air filter
• Install a new spark plug
• Use a metal file or bench grinder to sharpen the blade
• Add new oil and gas
• Connect spark plug

Additionally, you’ll want to check and make sure your tires aren’t worn-out. A worn-out tire won’t get the traction you need. There’s not a lot worse than finding yourself sliding down a steep incline on a mower. If your riding lawn mower tires are damaged, consult a sizing and buying guide.

Riding Lawn Mower Tires: What to Look for

There are multiple types of riding lawn mower tires to choose from, and you want to make sure you buy a tire that’s right for your mower. If you’re running a tractor and your lawn’s on a hill, you want a tractor tire that offers toughness and traction. The Carlisle Fast Trax is a low profile tire for maximum speed, and it has an aggressive tread pattern for maximum traction on hills.

If you’re running a ZTR, there are specific tires for those too. The Carlisle AT101 has a design that makes it ideal for the maneuverability a zero-turn-radius requires. It also offers good traction so you can get the most out of your ZTR in diverse terrain.

For an affordable, all-around tire that will go great on your rear-engine rider, the Carlisle Straight Rib is good call. Straight Rib tires are tough, with a long life and good traction; they’re cheap riding lawn mower tires that won’t leave ruts in your lawn when it’s a little wet outside but you need to get the job done.

The Luxury of Riding

Overall, a riding lawn mower enables you to cut your grass faster than a manual-reel (the old-fashioned kind), a push mower, or a self-propelled mower. And there’s something downright luxurious and fun about sitting back and steering your way around your lawn.

If you’re like Stephen Volkins, you take the speed factor seriously. Clocking in at 87 mph, Volkins broke the 80 mph landspeed mowing record with the Runningblade—a custom-made mower that’s not even on the market. Don’t worry, there are a number of other luxurious mowers you can buy. As autonomous mowers whir their way into the market, riding lawn mower manufacturers keep making more advanced technology to stay ahead of the robotic competition.

DIY Guide to Choosing the Right Riding Lawn Mower Tires was last modified: September 13th, 2017 by Tires-Easy

Everything You Need to Know About Buying Lawn Tractor Tires

A great lawn is something to be proud of. It can do wonders to boost your home’s curb appeal – and regular maintenance of your yard’s grass can help it grow better. But a lawn is only as good as the landscaping equipment you use to maintain it. Having a quality lawn mower or tractor is obviously an important piece of the puzzle – but you may not even think about the quality of the lawn tractor tires on these types of vehicles.

You will need to replace your lawn mower tires and other equipment from time-to-time – especially if they get damaged. Worn-out tires can compromise your precious lawn and cause your mower to spin out or create deeper grooves in soft soil.

Further, if you use your equipment for more than just mowing, you might need more versatile lawn tractor tires than what a typical model delivers for improved grip or extra strength when towing heavy loads.

Today, we are going to break down everything you need to know about lawn tractor tires to help you find the ones that fit your needs best.

Tread Pattern Types

First, you need to understand the difference between tractor tire tread types – and what each pattern equates to.

Smooth Tread

This tire has no tread pattern grooves whatsoever and is used on zero-turn mowers – of which have two control levers instead of a steering wheel. This allows mowers to make tighter turns, but it does not provide much traction.

The smooth tread pattern is primarily used for golf and ground maintenance equipment.

Straight Rib Tread

This tire pattern features straight, shallow ribs and are designed for riding lawn mowers and lawn trailers. These tires work well on wet, slippery surfaces like recently watered lawns or slightly muddy terrain after a rainfall. The straight grooves help to dispel water for better grip and minimal turf damage.

This pattern is ideal for both residential and commercial equipment – and can be used on lawn trailers, tractor attachments, transport vehicles, and farm implements.

Chevron Turf Tread

This is one of the most common tractor tire tread patterns – as it provides adequate traction for mowing typical front lawns or other grassy areas. This pattern helps to provide grip on wet or dry grass without damaging the turf beneath.

The Chevron turf tread is used on commercial and residential mowing equipment – like garden tractors, walk-behind mowers, turf maintenance vehicles, golf carts, snow blowers, and utility vehicles.

Commercial Turf Tread

As the name implies, this tread pattern is used on commercial mowing equipment that is larger than a typical lawn tractor. This tread pattern provides superior traction and long-lasting tread that resists punctures.

Round Shoulder R/S Turf Tread

This is another common tread pattern for lawn mowers and garden tractors because it enables tires to be highly maneuverable and can make tight turns. Tires with this pattern are intended for those looking for superior traction with the least amount of damage.

The round shoulder R/S turf tread, generally used for residential mowers and garden tractors, is widely considered to be the most popular and is highly praised for its ability to work on any terrain without causing much impact.

Lug Traction Tread

This pattern is a top choice for lawn equipment – such as trenchers, ditching machines, and larger garden tractors since the deep lugs offer extremely powerful traction, especially in soft dirt. Tires with the lug traction tread are ideal for serious landscaping – and would more than likely damage a typical lawn.

Modified or Wide Footprint Chevron Turf Tread

This wider chevron pattern provides better weight distribution for larger mowing equipment – of which may also be towing heavy loads. This pattern is ideal for commercial mowing equipment and applications – commonly used for golf course fairway mowers.

Understanding Lawn Mower/ Lawn Tractor Tire Size

One of the most confusing parts of finding new lawn and garden tires is determining which size you need for your specific piece of equipment.

Thankfully, lawn and garden tractor tires have numbers on the tires which indicate the size.

Now, some tires use a two-digit number here while others use three. An example of a two-digit number would appear as 9.50 – 8 while a three-digit number would be 18x 9.50- 8.

So, here is what those numbers mean.

The first number in a three-digit system (in this case 18) refers to the diameter or height of the tire. Note: this is the height of a tire that is inflated – but not bearing any load.

The second number in a three-digit and the first in a two-digit (in this case 9.50) is the width of the tire in inches.

The third number in a three-digit and the second in a two-digit system (8) is the rim diameter size, which is the smaller hole in the middle of the tire. On lawn mowers and tractors, this number will typically be smaller than the width of the tire, since these types of tires are generally wider than the rim.

Now, you may be wondering just what does NHS mean on a tire.

If you see these letters after the sizing numbers, you will know that your tires are “Non-Highway service. This simply means that they are not rated for highway speeds, which is pretty common for lawn tractor tires since the equipment isn’t designed to go very fast.

You will tend to see more information on the side of a lawn tractor tire – which refers to the ply rating or load index. Higher numbers will mean that the tire is stronger and able to withstand heavier loads since they are made with more ply layers.

The load range system uses letters to indicate how many plies the tire is. Here is a useful chart to help you:

• Load Range A (LRA) = 2 ply
• Load Range B (LRB) = 4 ply
• Load Range C (LRC) = 6 ply
• Load Range D (LRD) = 8 ply
• Load Range E (LRE) = 10 ply
• Load Range F (LRF) = 12 ply

So, a tire that has the measurements 15 x 6.50 – 6 NHS LRA would be 15 inches tall with a 6-and-a-half-inch width for a 6-inch mount. It is 2-ply and not highway rated.

Best Lawn Tractor Tires

There are lots of lawn tractor tires on the market that fit into all budgets. However, some brands offer better quality tires that are longer-lasting or provide a more comfortable riding experience.

Here are some of the best tractor tires to consider, depending on the type of lawn tractor vehicle you own and how you will be using this equipment.

Riding Lawn Mowers and Lawn Trailers

Greenball Soft Turf Lawn and Garden

This tire has a square shoulder design for superior traction and even weight distribution for minimal turf damage and a smooth, comfortable ride.

• Available in a range of dimensions from 11” to 24” with a tread depth of 4 millimeters.
• Chevron tread design
• 2 and 4-ply
• 12 PSI
• Applicable for both front and/or rear

D. Available Sizes

Deestone D265 Turf

This lawn mower tire also uses square shoulders along with a broad tread pattern for great traction on grass and minimal tearing and turf damage. A popular choice for commercial and residential mowers, the D265 is an all-purpose tire that comes in a wide range of sizes. Suitable for garden tractors, walk-behinds, and turf maintenance vehicles. Classic chevron turf tread pattern provides excellent traction and stability.

• Diameter ranging from from 10.4 – 20 inches with a tread depth of 2.8 – 8.4 millimeters, depending on tire size
• Chevron tread design
• Available in 4 and 6-ply
• Strong nylon construction ensures durability an long wear
• Wide tread for optimized ground contact and damage reduction
• 28 PSI
• Designed for both front and rear applications
• The Chevron pattern provides exceptional grip on both wet and dry turf surfaces.
• Excels at reducing turf damage

D. Available sizes

Deestone D837-Turf

This lawn and garden tire is not just for lawn tractors and mowers – it can also be used on wheelbarrows, small construction vehicles, and trailers. The rib pattern makes it extremely stable and durable without damaging the soft turf beneath it. B. Features

• Ranging from 13 to 18-inch diameter with available tread depth of 2.2, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, 3.7, and 4.3 millimeters.
• Straight rib tread design
• 4 and 6-ply
• 48 PSI
• Available for both front and rear applications
• Superior performance on dry, wet and snowy surfaces thanks to the excellent traction provided by the straight rib tread design.

D. Available sizes

Tires for Wheelbarrows and Garden Equipment

Deestone D601-Rib

This straight rib tractor tire is designed for smooth steering, easy roll resistance, and durability with even weight distribution so that the soft soil beneath is not damaged. This tire is typically used for wheelbarrows, but it can be used on lawn mowers, tractors, and lawn equipment. B. Features

• Available in 12 to 16-inch diameters with a tread depth of 4 millimeters
• Straight rib tread design
• Comes in 2 and 4-ply
• 50 PSI

D. Available sizes

Deestone D407-Utility

This tire is made for garden tractors to provide great traction and performance on wet and dry surfaces.

• Diameter ranging from 13-16 inches with a tread depth of 9.7 – 12 millimeters, depending on tire size
• 4 ply
• Strong nylon construction ensures durability and long wear
• Large ground contact enhances handling stability

D. Available sizes

Greenball Wheelbarrow

This tire is recommended for use on gardening equipment like wheelbarrows or small trailers. It comes in a tubeless tire design, so it can easily roll over hard surfaces, loose dirt, or grass.

• 16-ince diameter with 3.175 Millimeter tread
• Straight rib tread design
• Available in 2 and 4-ply
• 50 PSI
• This tire is designed for great traction on both wet and try surfaces – and multiple types of terrain.

D. Available sizes

Tires for Hand Trucks and Hand Dollies

Greenball Stud Lawn Garden Stud Tread

This tubeless tire is best for handcarts, small garden trailers, and other type of lawn equipment. B. Features

• Available in 8 to 16-inch diameters with a tread depth of 5 Millimeters Dimensions
• Stud tread design
• 4-ply
• 24 PSI

D. Available sizes

Greenball Rib Lawn Garden

This straight rib tread design is optimal for heavy loads on gardening equipment like trailers, hand trucks, and equipment like pressure washers as well as lawn mowers and tractors. B. Features

• 11 to 18 inch diameters with tread depth of 5 Millimeters
• Straight rib tread design
• 4-ply
• 12 PSI

D. Available sizes

Tires for Hand Trucks, Hand Dollies, Handcarts, and Small Utility Trailers

These types of tires use commercial/diamond head tread or Sawtooth tread patterns – and are designed for driving on harder surfaces like concrete, asphalt, pavement, as well as turf. These types of tires are best for residential gardening equipment or industrial product usage as they can withstand heavy loads.

Greenball Sawtooth Lawn Garden

This lawn and garden tire has a Sawtooth tread pattern for easy rolling over multiple types of turf. These tires are extremely sturdy and able to withstand up to 440 pounds. B. Features

• This tire is available in 8 to 12-inch diameter with a 4 Millimeter tread
• Sawtooth tread design
• 4-ply
• 50 PSI
• The non-directional Sawtooth tread pattern provides excellent traction on both wet and dry surfaces.

D. Available sizes

Trac Gard N775 Sawtooth

This bias tire is designed for utility golf carts and is also suitable for lawn and garden equipment like small tractors, lawn mowers, and wheelbarrows. It features a zig-zag Sawtooth tread for a stronger biting edge that provides extra traction. B. Features

• 8 to 16-inche diameters with a tread depth of 9.5 Millimeters
• Sawtooth tread design
• 4-ply
• 38 PSI
• The zig-zag tread Sawtooth pattern allows for even weight distribution and superior traction on wet and dry surfaces.

D. Available sizes

Trac Gard N766 Turf

This tire is designed for a wide range of use on numerous lawn and garden equipment – and can handle both off-road and on-road surfaces. The unique tread pattern design helps to support heavy loads while resisting punctures, making it a great choice for heavy duty gardening tasks. B. Features

• 11 to 24-inch diameters with a tread depth of 7.1 Millimeters
• All-purpose tread design for versatile use with minimal turf damage
• 4-ply
• 30 PSI
• This tire’s all-purpose tread pattern provides superior traction on multiple types of terrain, including wet and dry surfaces.

D. Available sizes

Conclusion

No matter what type of lawn or garden tractor vehicle you are in the market for – or what types of applications you will be using it for – you can find a top-quality tire to fit your needs (and your wallet).

The quality of your lawn tractor tires can improve the appearance of your yard or garden and make any task much easier.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our tire experts at Giga Tires if you have any questions. We’re happy to point you in the right direction and help find the lawn tractor tire that is just for your needs!

How to Remove a Stuck Lawn Mower Wheel

In this article, you will learn step-by-step how to remove a stuck lawn mower wheel from your riding lawn mower.

When your lawn mower wheel is too stuck to remove, you probably feel equally as stuck.

The last thing you want to do is take it to a professional and drop a load of money on what could potentially be a 15 minute fix.

Just like learning to balance your own lawn mower blades, or how to seed, fertilize, and lime your own lawn, removing a stuck wheel may not actually prove to difficult one you know what you’re doing.

And doing it yourself could save you some serious time and money.

In this piece, we’re going to learn how to remove a stuck lawn mower wheel.

We’ll assume you know how to typically remove a lawn mower wheel and already tried it to no avail.

How to Remove a Stuck Lawn Mower Tire

This process isn’t as easy or straightforward as how to change a lawn mower tire that isn’t stuck. In this case, you aren’t able to quickly take off the tire and replace it.

Believe it or not, they actually make a stuck wheel removal tool if your lawn mower wheel won’t come off after trying everything below.

Otherwise, if you don’t have one handy and need to get it off now, try to follow the steps below.

Step 1 – Park It

The first thing we want to do is park the lawn mower on a flat and level surface. If your tire is too far gone, this step might require some manual labor.

When you’ve got the lawn mower in a good spot, it’s time to make sure it’s safe to work on.

Disconnect the spark plugs and kill the battery.

If your mower has a hubcap, go ahead and remove that now. You can use a flathead screwdriver to carefully pry it off without scratching it too much.

Loosen the bolts using the appropriate sized socket wrench like you normally would when changing a tire. Do this BEFORE you jack up the mower to keep the wheel from spinning in the air.

Step 2 – Raise the Lawn Mower

Use a jack to raise the lawn mower up high enough so you can work on the tire.

For an extra level of protection, throw the mower on jack stands so it doesn’t go anywhere.

If the stuck wheel is at the rear of the mower, block the front wheels with wood blocks or rubber chocks so it doesn’t roll on you. If the stuck lawn mower wheel is in the front, block the rear wheels.

Step 3 – Start the Surgery

Now it’s time for the fun stuff to start.

If your mower has a hubcap, go ahead and remove that now. You can use a flathead screwdriver to carefully pry it off without scratching it too much.

With the axle connection exposed, go ahead and coat it with some WD-40 penetrating oil.

This will loosen up the assembly for you and make things a lot easier. Coat the axle at every point that it meets the rim of your tire.

Let the oil sit for a few hours before you start the next step.

At this point, you might be able to remove the wheel. This all depends on how rusty and stuck your wheel was in the first place.

For the unlucky majority, it still won’t budge.

Step 4 – Brute Force

You’ve been nice enough to the wheel already and it didn’t want to cooperate, now it’s time for brute force.

Grab a rubber mallet and start evenly tapping the tire around the circumference. You want to hit the tire on both sides.

The goal here is to loosen the wheel and remove it from the area that’s trapping it.

After each round of tapping, see if the wheel can be removed. If not, apply another generous coat of penetrating oil.

This time you only need to wait around 20 minutes. Repeat this step a few times and see if you make any progress.

You can also try to hit the axle with the rubber mallet. Aim for the area right before it meets the wheel.

If this doesn’t work, it means your wheel is seriously stuck. Time to possibly take it to a pro.

Possible Step 3b – High Heat

The last thing you can try is blasting the axle and wheel with heat to see if it loosens up.

ONLY try this if you have not sprayed it with any type of oil as this could be extremely dangerous.

For this step, you’ll want to use an oxyacetylene torch.

You want to heat up where the axle meets the wheel. Try to avoid hitting the wheel, and limit how much you heat up the rim.

Be mindful of where you’re standing and holding during this process. The assembly is going to get red hot and you don’t want that touching you.

Heat the axle and when it starts glowing, grab your rubber mallet and tap the wheel just like you did in step 3.

The wheel might come right off, or you might have to repeat this step a few times.

Make sure that when the wheel comes off it doesn’t hit you at all.

This is the final step and if this doesn’t work, you’ll have to have a professional take a look at your mower and see what they can do.

Lawn Mower Wheel Won’t Turn? – Top 3 causes

Pushing a mower isn’t fun, especially a self-drive model, they’re even heavier. But help is at hand and you are in the correct place for self-drive repair. I’m a mechanic for over twenty years and I’ve repaired a ton of these types of issues.

A mower wheel won’t turn for three common reasons:

In this post, you’ll learn how to diagnose why your mower wheels won’t turn and you’ll learn how to fix them right now.

Mower Drive Belt Worn

Mower drive systems are driven by a belt and two pulleys. The belt is fitted to the engine’s crankshaft pulley which drives a second pulley on the transaxle. The drive belt works really hard, despite this they tend to last years without issue. Belts of course wear out over time, no big surprise there.

A worn belt commonly results in the belt:

Common symptoms of a worn-out drive belt include:

Checking The Belt

To check the belt, the mower will need to be turned on its side. But before we do that we’ll need to make it safe to work on and to that, we’ll remove the spark plug wire and turn the gas off (to prevent accidental starting).

Gas tap – If your mower has a fuel tap, turn it off. You can read all about finding and using your fuel tap here “Mower fuel shut off valve”.

A mower may only be turned over with the carburetor side facing upwards. Turning a mower incorrectly will cause the engine to flood with gas and oil, possibly preventing the mower starts.

Turn over – Mower carburetor side up, need help finding carburetor side? I wrote a post about turning your mower over correctly and you can read about it here, “Which way to tilt your mower”.

Is Belt On Both Pulleys, Loose or Worn Out?

Most mowers are rear-wheel drive and so the transaxle is located at the rear wheels. All mowers employ a shield on the underside of the deck, it protects the belt, pulleys, and transmission from flying debris. You usually don’t need to remove the shield in order to verify if the belt is on the pulleys, your view is obscured but you should see enough. However to replace a belt the cover will need removing. Have your WD40 to hand as old grass eats the shield bolts.

The belt on Pulley’s – With the mower turned over, air filter side up, check the belt is fitted around the transaxle pulley and crankshaft pulley.

Tight – If the belt is around both pulleys, go ahead and check it’s tight. A loose belt won’t transfer power. It may be loose because it’s worn or there may be a missing component such as a tension spring or perhaps the transmission itself employs an adjuster to remove belt slack by pivoting the transmission.

Many basic drive systems are adjusted by removing slack from the drive cable (see below).

Worn Out – A worn belt is the root cause of many a self-drive problem.

If the belt is in place, tight, and in good condition, then move on to the next section, the belt isn’t the reason your mower wheels aren’t moving.

If on the other hand your belt is loose, broken, or has jumped off, you’ll need to replace it. It’s possible to refit a jumped-off belt, but you’ll soon be refitting again. Belts usually jump off because they are worn out.

New Belt – Fitting a new belt is a job you can take care of, however, some mowers are challenging to work on. Many will require blade removal and some may require partial removal of the rear axle.

You may find this video helpful “Self drive troubleshooting”, which includes fitting a drive belt.

Mower Drive Cable Needs Adjustment

Mowers use a belt and pulleys to get power from the engine to the axle, but all that power is useless without control. Power is controlled by way of a transaxle lever, attached cable, and bail lever at the handlebars. Cables are just like bicycle brake or gear cables, they are a two-part component – black outer casing with a steel braided inner cable, and like a bicycle brake cable, they stretch out and break over time and need adjusting and eventually replacing.

All good drive cables will have a user-friendly adjuster that allows for easy drive cable adjustment.

How To Check If Your Mower Drive System Needs Adjustment?

Test – To check if your drive cable needs adjustment, apply the drive bail lever at the handlebars and drag the mower backways.

If the cable is adjusted correctly, the drive wheels will lock, if they slip, we’ll need to adjust. This whole process is covered below or checks out “Self drive troubleshooting video”.

How To Adjust The Mower Drive System?

Locate – First locate the drive cable, follow the cable from the transaxle to the bail lever to confirm you have identified it correctly.

Now look for an adjuster screw, commonly it’s at the handlebar anchor where the cable fixes to the handlebars, otherwise an inline adjuster may be fitted.

Open – All adjusters incorporate a lock nut. Open the lock nut and adjust the outer cable to remove slack from the inner braided cable.

Adjust – Lengthen outer to remove inner braided cable slack.

Test 1 – Before tightening up the lock nut, check by applying the bail lever and pulling the mower backways (as before). Wheels should lock, readjust until they do.

Test 2 – When it’s adjusted, pull the mower backways again, this time without the bail lever applied.

The wheels should turn freely. If they don’t, back off the adjuster until they do. Now your drive cable is in the sweet spot, go ahead and tighten the locknut.

Check out this post, “Honda self propelled slow” it covers a Honda drive adjustment in greater detail, but all mowers run similar setups. If you need video help check out the “Self drive troubleshooting” which covers many of the common problems.

Mower Wheels Worn

Most mower wheels are made from plastic and many use plastic gear inside the wheel. The axle drive gear which is metal, wears away the plastic wheel drive gear and the mower drive slips at first, before eventually losing drive altogether. The only fix is to replace the wheels, most wheels are inexpensive but some Honda wheels can be spendy.

To check the drive wheel we’ll need to remove them. A single fastener in the center of the wheel removes them. However, a plastic wheel cap will likely conceal the fastener. A flat screwdriver will pry loose the cap. Loosen and remove the fastener and the wheel pulls off.

Check – Check the gears inside the wheel, if they’re worn you’ll need to replace them. Best to replace both axle wheels. This is a Honda wheel and the gear is metal, they last longer than the plastic teeth but will wear out too. Check out “Fitting a wheel video”.

Drive Gear and Pin Wear

Drive Gear – While the wheel is off go ahead and check the drive gear and axle pins. They wear out on older mowers, learn more in this post “Honda mower slow”. or, if you need video help, check out “Self drive troubleshooting”, which covers wheel and drive pin replacing from start to finish.

Axle Pins – Axle pins transfer power from the axle to drive gear and are under constant stress, and are a common drive fault. Replacing is all covered in “Self drive troubleshooting”.

If you need new wheels, check out the Amazon link below.

Hey, I’m John, and I’m a Red Seal Qualified Service Technician with over twenty-five years experience.

I’ve worked on all types of mechanical equipment, from cars to grass machinery, and this site is where I share fluff-free hacks, tips, and insider know-how.

And the best part. it’s free!

Removing a Wheel from a Riding Mower?

How do you get a wheel off a riding mower?

Answers

Usually held on with a snap ring. sometimes covered with a plastic cap. The cap can be pried off with a small straight blade screwdriver. However the only practical way to remove the snap ring is with special “snap ring pliers”. Try someplace like Harbor Freight for inexpensive pliers or plier sets.

Questions

Ask a Question Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question.

Question: Removing Wheel on MTV Riding Lawn Mower?

We have an MTV Riding Lawn Mower and my husband has been trying to take off the back wheel. He removed the bolt and tried to pull it off. It wouldn’t come off, so he sprayed it with WD40. No luck,so he bought a puller and he said all it was doing was bending stuff. Can you tell me what the problem is and how he can get it off safely without tearing something up on it. We would be so grateful. Blessings to all of you and thank you.

Answers

Have your model number other relative info written down, then telephone and ask part removal question; please purchase wheel from them. they want to help, but also want to stay in business!

I’m assuming you meant “MTD”, not “MTV”?

True, they want to stay in business, but have you seen their PRICES? I recommend Lowes for wheels, which come with the tire already mounted and inflated for less than 60 each. Of course, that’s for after you get the old wheel off! I’m leaning towards a gear puller of some sort. I fully expect my MTD rear wheels to be thoroughly stuck, after 12 years! My mower has always been kept inside our garage and never put away wet. As a last resort, consider putting tubes inside the old tires and get another 10 years use out of them. Tubes are very cheap on ebay.

How Can a tube be put in without removing the old tire

Question: Removing a Wheel from a Toro Garden Tractor?

How do we remove a wheel from a Toro garden tractor?

Answers

According to this article from thrifty fun, you might want to invest in a set of snap ring pliers:

Usually held on with a snap ring. sometimes covered with a plastic cap. The cap can be pried off with a small straight blade screwdriver.

However the only practical way to remove the snap ring is with special “snap ring pliers”. Try someplace like Harbor Freight for inexpensive pliers or plier sets.

Question: Removing the Wheel on a MTD 13538 Riding Mower?

I have an MTD 13538 ride on with a flat front tyre. How do I get the wheel off?

By glenn from Melbourne, Australia

Answers

Well, I have a John Deere and the instructions may be similar. this would be for both front and read wheels.1. Remove Plastic cap.2. Remove snap ring. To remove the snap ring you will need a special pair of pliers. This ring is what holds the wheel in place.

Remove the wheel and washers.4. For the rear wheels there is a shaft key, 2 washers and a spacer that also slides out.5. If this does’nt help then visit a shop that repairs mowers and ask them to show you how to remove the wheel.And lastly, Have you tried to inflate the tire with a hand air pump?

Question: Removing Wheel from Toro Lawn Tractor?

My husband can’t get the flat tire and wheel off his Toro riding mower and he his getting frustrated.

Answers

I need instruction on how to remove a front flat wheel from a Toro riding mower model CT 2200?