Wheelbarrow tire goes flat

Patch the hole? Replace the valve? Fill it w/ neverleak? Fill it w/ air when it needs it?

There's this:

I have a couple of solid tires on mine. One is rock hard, the other somewhat spongy. You might try one of those.

I use Slime in my ATV tires, and haven't had a flat in four years. Haven't really run over anything that big, either.

I think that sitting in the sun and dryrotting is the biggest enemy of those little tires.

Steve

PipeDown wrote: ....

All it takes is the metal valve stem cap w/ the built-in stem wrench...your friendly tire dealer where you trade regularly (you trade w/ one so you have good relationship w/ him, don't you? :) ) will undoubtedly just give you one...

Pagan wrote: ....

For that small, even the hand bicycle pump is short work... :)

That's factor, certainly although the one on the barrow here is probably at least 30 years old in SW KS, certainly a hot/dry/moderately high UV environment. The biggest problem here is goatheads....

I second the idea to replace it with a solid tire. They absorb shocks pretty well, with standard rubber case, with some kind of polyurethane foam inside. Available at home depot, complete with rim, and standard axle hole. Not cheap, but wonderful never to have to pump it up.

I've had to reinflate it a few times already and it's only about 4 years old. Not every time, but it seems like after 6-12 months, it's flat. I'm looking whistfully at Harbor Freight ads for a 10" wheel for $5 (don't know if mine's 10", though!).

It's a Union Made (I think that's the brand), the big one (6 foot?). Is there something I can do to make it not leak? I use one of those plastic valve caps already. Thanks.

Dan

Ours went flat regularly. It was mainly due to building a home in the AZ desert with all its various cactus 'spines'.

I patched the tube about 5X then gave up and bought the new one on sale 50% off at HFT for $ 4.99 A friend said to put green "Slime" (bike and M/C shops have it, perhaps also Walmart) into the tire but I don't know if it works with tube type tires or just tubeless.

Green slime is only effective for a narrow range of small holes. otherwise it just makes a big mess in the wheel when you finally decide to replace the tube.

Take the wheel off, pump it up and submerge it in a bucket of water (may need to overinflate to show it up good)

Such a slow leak might be the valve stem. for less than $1 at a bike store you can get a new valve and a couple bucks more for the tool to get it out.

Makes that $5 wheel sound reasonable though

Put a tube in it.

My wheelbarrow has a "solid" tire. It's spongy to absorb shock and will never go flat. Got it at Home Depot.

I'm a farmer. If I get 3 years from a tire, I am doing good. Those tires are made poorly, they dry in the sun and crack. They do not seal around the bead well at all. Once they come off the rim, you can spend (waste) half a day to get them back on the rim.

The solution is to put a TUBE in the tire. They cost $5 to $7. Well worth the cost if you spend several hours a few times a year fighting with the tire. Of course if the tire is cracked or looking bad, get a new tire at the same time. Tubes are durable, but if the tire rips open, your tube will be junk too.

Forget Harbor Freight, unless you like to waste your money on junk. Farm & Fleet, Tractor Supply, or other farm supply will have them.

Your tire should have the measurements right on it, just like any tire.

Mark

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"Pagan" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Those are just to keep dirt out of the valve stem,not to keep air in.

Even car and truck tires need to be checked periodically;driving with underinflated tires is dangerous and lowers gas mileage.

It's a BITCH to pump the recommended amount of Slime through that tiny valve stem. While you're pumping in Slime,displaced air has to come out,or the Slime is just coming back out.

IMO,that stuff is useless.

Tires naturally leak air out slowly over time.

Duane Bozarth wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@swko.dot.net:

I prefer a FOOT pump,they need less effort than a hand pump.

"Roger Taylor" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

I'd like to find a source for that foam to put in my electric scooter tires(inner tubed),they always go flat,usually at the worst time.

unless the bead is not seated...

You will never get past that with a hand or foot pump.

rusty redcloud

:I have a couple of solid tires on mine. One is rock hard, the other :somewhat spongy. You might try one of those. : :I use Slime in my ATV tires, and haven't had a flat in four years. Haven't :really run over anything that big, either. : :I think that sitting in the sun and dryrotting is the biggest enemy of those :little tires. : :Steve

Well, this one gets kept in the garage. Thanks to everybody who has responded.

Dan

:Duane Bozarth wrote in :news: snipped-for-privacy@swko.dot.net: : :> Pagan wrote: :> ... :>> ... A cheap auto compressor makes short work of it. :> :> For that small, even the hand bicycle pump is short work... :) :> : :I prefer a FOOT pump,they need less effort than a hand pump.

Yeah, I've got all three. The quickest.is the foot pump. It's just a hassle I'd like to forego if I can get the tire to not leak.