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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!!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

jekjr said:

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.

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

In one of my trucks I had installed a 120 AMP alternator and an inverter, wired both 12 VDC high amps and the 120VAC into one of my trailers and had an air compressor. With this package, I did both mowing and house call servicing.
Since 1996 and just over 4,000 hours of mowing with a number of machines, I've only had 5 or 6 tire punctures, so I guess that I've been fortunate in that regard. I have gone thru 4 clutches on my GTs and one on my ZTRs however. Although I've slowed down, I still have a clutch for my GT and Scag ZTR in stock. I am a one person operation.
I am wondering what has caused so many punctures to you operators???

With as many punctures that some of you are speaking about, I think that I would go with the front flat free tires at least. This would reduce the puncture repair time.
I did replace the stock seat on my Scag Tiger Cub with a mid level suspension seat. My Hustler X-ONE is a much heavier machine and has a very comfortable stock seat. As the Hustler is used in a cemetery, the operation of it is slow and tedious going around grave stones and other objects although we have had two front punctures on it since 2012 and 450 hours, both of the punctures were from broken glass. We never know what we will find left there as some of the local low life congregate there for whatever reasons!!!!

Mad Mackie said:

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.

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There is a big difference between plug kits.
If you are using the type that needs vulcanising cement you have the wrong gear.
Push bike shops and mower shops both sell cold self sealing plug kits.
They are not cheap,
The kit I bought when divided by the number of plugs that came with it works out at $ 8.00 ( Aust) per plug & I charge $20 same as the tyre shops do.
They made plugging car tyres illegal down here about 15 years ago so no tyre shop will do it on a car.

Naturally every car parts chain now sell highly dangerious poor quality plugging kits supposedly for "off road vehicles only " however these will almost never work on a mower because they all require heat that builds up in the tyre to complete the seal. The Puncture proof plugs I use do not need heat or glue or cement and work flawlessly every time but they are expensive.
Then again that is the norm isn't it buy cheap get rubbish.
So if you are looking for a mower plug read the instructions if it tells you to deflate the tyre before plugging or run for X minutes or miles after plugging then put them back & go some where else they will not work reliabily on a mower tyre.

Mad Mackie said:

In one of my trucks I had installed a 120 AMP alternator and an inverter, wired both 12 VDC high amps and the 120VAC into one of my trailers and had an air compressor. With this package, I did both mowing and house call servicing.
Since 1996 and just over 4,000 hours of mowing with a number of machines, I've only had 5 or 6 tire punctures, so I guess that I've been fortunate in that regard. I have gone thru 4 clutches on my GTs and one on my ZTRs however. Although I've slowed down, I still have a clutch for my GT and Scag ZTR in stock. I am a one person operation.
I am wondering what has caused so many punctures to you operators???

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We operate under what I would imagine much rougher applications down here. There is everything from pieces of wire to thorns to nails oct in yards many times that you never see.

jekjr said:

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.

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Going to be hard to get a plug to hold if there's Slime in the tires.

John R said:

Going to be hard to get a plug to hold if there's Slime in the tires.

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I plug tires all the time that have slime in them.

Carscw said:

I plug tires all the time that have slime in them.

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That's good, I've not had any luck getting a plug to hold if the tires have Slime in them.

John R said:

Going to be hard to get a plug to hold if there's Slime in the tires.

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I plugged one yesterday that has slime in it. It has been plugged before in the same hole. I really need to replace the tire but just keep plugging it. it is a hole at the end of a cut. It now has a total of three plugs in the hole to get it to hold. I would be afraid to guess how many holes in that tire have plugs in them. it is a front tire on a Tiger Cat.

I replaced both fronts on my Scag with flat free - they were about $100 each - I just got tired of airing them up before every cut. I just replaced the fronts on my sons Exmark and found some nice tires online at Northern Tool - got both for $75. It required some modification of the yoke - had to drill them out to accept a larger bolt that was same as bore size of new wheels. Total mods cost about $100 and an hour of my time, but I think it was worth it.

In the terrain I mow with my Tiger Cat, I knocked both front tires off their rims in about 2 hours. Flat free for me- goodbye kidneys...

Slime works for me, putting enough in each tire does matter, some holes take longer to plug the leak, if hole is in sidewall of tire it will take longer. I am not a pro mower so, its a lil different for me.