Tiger Cat Owners: Flat Free Casters Or Not??

db52282

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To all you Tiger Cat / Tiger Cat II owners ...

My dealer is telling me that it would cost $100 per wheel to replace the pneumatic casters with the Flat Free version.

Is there any benefit to the upgrade?

Better ride?

Thanks!!
 

Mad Mackie

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Having had to replace both front tires on my Tiger Cub, I'm going to say go for it.
These tires are not easy to remove from the wheels. I had to hold the wheels on my 20 ton floor press so I could get the tires off and then install the new tires.
Both tires had a small puncture on the tread area, I don't know what punctured them, but having to reinflate them every several days was a pain.
The 48" and 52"models have the same size tire and wheel, the 61" model has a wider fork, tire and wheel, still nasty to change.
 
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BlazNT

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I would think you could go to a tire shop and get them fiber filled for no more that $50.00 each
 

Mad Mackie

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Local power equipment dealer would much rather sell the flat free wheels/tires.
I called around about getting them filled, no one around me does it.
 

bertsmobile1

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So what was wrong with a plug ?
I do about 60 a season.
I have had good luck so far with the Stens Tyre goo on cracked sidewalls by filling the tyre and spinning it for 1/2 hour on its side with the mill and a strip of old inner tube.
Can't see why you would need to replace the tyre for a small puncture in the tred area.
 

Mad Mackie

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I plugged the 1st leak. This plug kit had a much too aggressive tool and the plug leaked. I went out to buy a new plug kit, but only found the same kit, so I bought new tires. These new tires although still rated 2 ply, are stronger and heavier which made them a bear to install. I had intended to buy a plug kit that was better adapted to plug smaller tires, but never did. With seldom use, the rubber cement dries up too soon in these kits. I installed inner tubes on all the tires on my GTs, so plugging them is not an option.
Having the no flat front tires gets the operator away from this type of problem altogether.
 

Carscw

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I slime all my tires and carry a plug kit.
I don't like the flat free tires. It's like running 50psi in the tires. You feel every bump.
 

Mad Mackie

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One of the machines that we had at a cemetery had the flat free tires that were made up of old tires and radially assembled, they were like using a concrete roller.
Not sure how hard the current flat free tires ride, but must be harder than a pneumatic tire.
Having been an aircraft mech for many years, I have a different mindset about tires, just one of those things that get into ones head!!!
I was also part owner of a trucking company and tires were a frequent problem mostly due to lack of checking the pressures, but also due to several careless drivers. Today is the 1st anniversary of my business partners passing. We had shut down the company some years ago when his health started to decline and the costs of operating a trucking company started increasing dramatically.
As for my mowing, I'm down to about 2 1/2 days a week, getting to old for this stuff. Still doing machine maintenance for a few operators, but this has also slowed down.
 

jekjr

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We keep an air compressor on the trailer and a plug kit in the tool box. I also put some slime in them as well. I do not think I want the no flat tires. I ran a Turf Tiger Demonstrator with them a few weeks ago and did not like the ride.

We plug tires some times daily at times. I have plugged side walls on them with great success. Front and back in fact.
 

Carscw

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We keep an air compressor on the trailer and a plug kit in the tool box. I also put some slime in them as well. I do not think I want the no flat tires. I ran a Turf Tiger Demonstrator with them a few weeks ago and did not like the ride. We plug tires some times daily at times. I have plugged side walls on them with great success. Front and back in fact.

I carry a tank. Make sure it's has 60psi every day. I have done yards and had to plug all 4 tires.
 
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