New lawn mower wheels. A Beginner s Guide To Lawn Mower Tires

A Beginner‘s Guide To Lawn Mower Tires

Your lawn mower needs the right tires in order to effectively move around your property. But there are so many options on the market, how do you pick the right one?

Here at PrairieLand Partners, we strive to make your life easier. We created the following lawn mower tire guide, helping you understand the different models and features. If you have any questions or want to shop lawn mowers for sale, reach out to our expert staff. We are happy to help with anything you need! We proudly serve those throughout Kansas.

Determine The Lawn Mower Tire Size

Different lawn mowers will need different tire sizes. Figuring out the tire dimensions on your specific lawn mower is a great first step. There are two common sizing systems and your model is likely one or the other.

With the two number sizing system:

• The first number is the tire width in inches.
• The second number is the rim diameter in inches.

With the three number sizing system:

• The first number is the tire’s diameter in inches. Note that it refers to the diameter when inflated, but not under load.
• The middle number is the tire’s width in inches.
• The third number is the rim’s width in inches.

Pick Your Ideal Ply-Rating

Lawn mower tires tend to come in one of two ply-ratings.

The standard option is A/2-ply. It meets most customers’ needs and works on smooth, level surfaces.

The other option is B/4-ply. This is well-suited for terrain that contains obstacles (such as thorns) or for handling heavy duty projects outside of mowing.

Choose Your Ideal Treat Pattern

Another key way that lawn mower tires differ is with their tread pattern.

• Is the standard choice
• Usually has circumferential rows of chevron shaped tread blocks
• Offers traction, even on slick grass
• Won’t dig up or damage the terrain
• Is commonly used for both residential and commercial lawn mowers

The knobby, all-terrain option:

• Usually has large tread blocks and deeper grooves
• Sometimes has a herringbone tread pattern similar to a farm tractor tire pattern
• Comes with a high void area, meaning there is space between the blocks that makes it easier to remove debris
• Can handle more challenging terrain such as dirt, mud, and sand
• Works well for those who rely on their lawn mower to also tow heavier loads

The straight ribbed option:

• Usually has circumferential grooves and straight ribs
• Built for durability and longevity at the sacrifice of some traction
• Leaves behind minimal turf damage
• Can dispel water, allowing you to mow a recently watered lawn or mow soon after a rainfall
• Comes with no pattern grooves
• Typically used with a zero-turn lawn mower
• Can help tackle tight turns, but offers minimal traction
• Often used for golf and ground maintenance lawn mowers

Set Your Budget

Finally, think about how much you want to spend on lawn mower tires. The various options will come at various prices. The exact cost will be influenced by factors such as the brand, features, benefits, and lifespan. Setting a budget helps you get the highest quality lawn mower tire that you can afford. You won’t fall in love with a model beyond your budget or unnecessarily pass on quality. Set your budget, then begin looking at options.

We hope you found this lawn mower tire guide helpful. For more advice or to shop lawn mowers for sale, chat with the friendly staff at PrairieLand Partner. We are happy to answer questions, provide advice, and assist in any way that we can. Explore our inventory online or stop by our dealership. We are proud to serve those in Kansas.

Lawn Mower Wheel Keeps Falling Off (Why What to Do)

One of the main issues I had with my push lawn mower is that the front wheels kept falling off. The lawn mower is in perfectly good condition and isn’t actually that old, but no matter what I tried, the front wheels just kept falling off.

With a bit of research, I found out that push lawn mower wheels are held on by a number of different factors, and unfortunately, all of them can go wrong. So, let me share with you what the different ways are and what can go wrong. Hopefully, this will help you fix your lawn mower wheel so you can get back to mowing.

Why Does My Lawn Mower Wheel Keep Falling Off? (The Short Answer)

The wheel on your lawn mower is probably falling off because there is an issue with the wheel retaining nut, a clip washer, a missing cotter pin, or a problem with the thread of the wheel axle. To stop the wheels from falling off, you’ll need to investigate the retaining nut, cotter pin, clip washer, and the lawn mower’s axles for any missing or damaged parts.

A Closer Look at Why Your Mower Wheel Might Be Falling Off

To get a better understanding of why your wheel fell off your lawn mower, let’s take a look at the different components designed to hold the wheel in place.

The Wheel’s Retaining Nut

The wheels on your push lawn mower are usually held onto the axle by a nut. Now, the nut will almost always be some type of lock nut that has a nylon insert that prevents the nut from spinning even when it is loose.

So, grab a socket wrench and remove the nuts from your lawn mower’s axle for each wheel. Then, take a look inside that nut to see if the nylon insert is still in place and looks to be in good condition. If it’s missing or it looks like it might not be doing its job, then you’ll need to find a replacement.

A test you can do once the nut is loose is to try to remove it with your fingers. If there isn’t any resistance, then this is a sign it’s no good.

Checking the Cotter Pin is in Place

Most of the push lawn mowers you’ll come across won’t use a lock washer with a nylon insert. Instead, they’ll use a cotter pin. This is a pin that passes through the axle of the wheel and then splits apart to hold itself in place.

Once the pin is installed, the nut holding the wheel on will no longer be able to fall off. So, take a look at the end of the axles and check to see if there is a tiny hole. If there is, then you know your axle should have a cotter pin. If your pin is missing, then this is why your wheel keeps falling off.

Checking if the Clip Washer is in Place

The third method I’ve seen for holding on push lawn mower wheels is with a clip washer. A clip washer is a washer with a section missing. It is designed to clip into a groove on a metal bar. In your case, it would be the end of the wheel axles.

So, take a look at your axles and see if there is a groove. If you find a groove cut into the axle, then there should be a clip washer installed to keep the wheel from falling off.

Lawn Mower Axle

The final reason I have seen a lawn mower wheel fall off is because of a damaged thread on the axles. This is usually caused by the bolt being cross-threaded at some point, and it can’t hold the nut in place anymore.

So, thread the nut onto the axle and check to see if it goes on without a problem. If it’s a struggle or feels loose, then you might find that the axle threads have been damaged. If this is the case, double-check that the nut isn’t damaged and inspect the threads.

You can usually tell if an axle has been cross threaded just by looking at it. If the threads look squashed or misaligned, then you’ll need to look for a new axle.

Fixing a Lawn Mower Wheel that Falls Off Regularly (Step By Step)

I’m guessing that out of these four potential issues, you found one that matches up with your lawn mower. So if your lawn mower wheel keeps falling off, here’s what you can do.

Replacing the Lock Nut with Nylon Washer

The trickiest part about replacing the nut is to find the exact replacement. So, you’ll need to look in the service manual and look for the axle bolt. This will tell you the dimensions of the bolt, including the size of the thread. Failing this, you can just take your bolt to the hardware store and have one of the store assistants help you out.

Stores like Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace Hardware all sell nuts individually, so you’ll only need to purchase what you need. So once you have your replacement nut, just attach the wheel and install the nut using your socket wrench.

Tools Parts to Install a New Wheel Nut

Installing a New Split Pin

If your split pin is missing, you’ll need to head to the hardware store to find a replacement. You’ll need to make sure that you get a new pin that fits the hole in the axle. So, once you have your new split pin, go ahead and reattach the wheel and the nut if there is one.

Then, thread the new split pin through the hole in the axle. Next, use a pair of pliers to separate the split pin and bend each section of the pin back around the axle and nut. You just need to make sure that the split pin can’t get back through the hole in the axle.

Alternatively, if you’re in a bit of a bind and you can’t find a replacement pin, then you can use pretty much anything metal that will fit through the hole in the axle. In the past, I’ve used a thin wood nail and even a large gauge wire.

Parts Tools to Install a Split Pin

Installing a New Clip Washer

If you found a groove at the end of your lawn mower’s axles, then you need to install a clip washer. Now removing a mower wheel retaining clip is much easier than installing one. But if you have a good pair of needle nose pliers, you should be ok.

So, head down to the hardware store and find a new clip washer. If you have one on another wheel, then I suggest you remove it and take it with you or take a look in the parts manual so that you get the right clip washer.

Once you have your new clip washer, reattach the wheel and any washers, then place the clip washer onto the axle. What you’ll want to do is slot the opening in the clip washer into the groove of the axle, then clip it into place using your needle nose pliers. Just watch out for your fingers.

Tools Parts to Install a Lawn Mower Clip Washer

Replacing a Lawn Mower’s Front Non-Drive Axle

Replacing a lawn mower’s non-drive front axle takes a little more work and a few extra tools. So, if you have a lawn mower like a Craftsman Precision Plus or similar, you’ll be able to swap out the axle assembly and stop your lawn mower wheels from falling off.

Also, this can fix a lawn mower with a wobbly wheel. So, let’s go over the steps to replace a lawn mower’s front non-drive axle.

Raise the Front of the Lawn Mower

First, find something to jack up the front of the lawn mower so that you can remove the front wheels. Usually, I just grab a piece of wood, like a 4×4, that I have sitting around in my garage.

Remove the Wheel Covers

Next, use a flat-headed screwdriver for popping off the wheel covers. If you look around the cover, you should see a little missing piece of plastic. This is where you can put the screwdriver without messing up the cover.

Remove the Retaining Nut, Clip Washer, Split Pin

Then, remove whatever retaining method your lawn mower uses to keep your wheels on your lawn mower. This could be a nut, clip washer, or split pin. So, use a socket wrench, flat-headed screwdriver, or a pair of pliers, respectively, and remove the retainer.

Remove the Wheels Any Washers

Once the retainers are removed, you can then remove the wheels, including any washers and bushing, then set them to one side for later.

Tilt Over the Lawn Mower

Next, you’ll need to tilt over the lawn mower the correct way so that oil doesn’t flow into the air filter. This is done in the direction that keeps the air filter pointing up.

Move the Plastic Retaining Tabs

Then, use a screwdriver to push the axle retaining tab out of the way. This can be a bit fiddly as you might need to move the plastic tab while you pull the axle. So, you’ll definitely need both hands. Now, not all lawn mowers will use this kind of axle locking method, so you might need to remove a bracket of some kind if your lawn mower is different.

Pull Out the Old Axle

Once the old axle is no longer locked in the body of the lawn mower, you can pull the old axle out of its mounting position and set it to one side to be trashed later.

Install the New Axle

Next, take your new axle and position it on your lawn mower, making sure you have it the right way around. Then, push the axle into the plastic tabs and click it into place. For you guys with other axle mounting systems, you’ll need to put them back into place and make sure the axle is properly secured.

Upright the Lawn Mower

With the new axle installed, you can go ahead and upright your lawn mower. You are now finished working under your lawn mower.

Jack Up the Front of the Lawn Mower

Next, use your block of wood to jack up the front of the lawn mower so that you have enough room to install the wheels.

Reattach the Wheels Washers

Now, reattach the lawn mower wheels making sure that you install all the washers, bushing, and wheels in the correct order. If you get this wrong, you could end up damaging the plastic wheels.

Install the Wheel Retainer

So, you’re nearly finished with this fix. Next, install the retainers that hold the wheels on the lawn mower and stop them from falling off. So, either install the lock nut with the nylon inserts, the split pin, or the clip washer using the method in the previous fixes.

Replace the Wheel Covers

Finally, grab your wheel covers and reattach them back onto your lawn mower. I find that if you line them up on the wheels and then give them a firm tap with your palm, they should go back on easily.

Lower the Lawn Mower

The last thing to do is remove the piece of wood that is jacking up the lawn mower and give the mower a test run.

Tools Parts to Replace a Lawn Mower’s Front Non-Drive Axle

About Tom Greene

I’ve always had a keen interest in lawn care as long as I can remember. Friends used to call me the lawn mower guru (hence the site name), but I’m anything but. I just enjoy cutting my lawn and spending time outdoors. I also love the well-deserved doughnuts and coffee afterward!

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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!

New lawn mower wheels

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