How Often Should You Replace The Tires On Your Riding Mower?

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The interval for replacing the tires on your riding mower or lawn tractor is a lot like replacing the tires on your car; it depends on how often and the manner in which it's used. While some riding mower manufacturers, such as Ryobi, include indicators for when it's time to replace the tires in the mower's owner's manual, others do not.

Ryobi says it's time to replace the tires on its Electric Lawn Tractor, model numbers RYRM8006 and RYRM8007, "when the depth on the tread is 0.16 in (4 mm) or less." The manual also includes some common-sense indicators, such as when there is damage to one or more of the tires.

The conditions in which you use your mower also require consideration. For example, if you only mow on flat level ground when the grass is dry, your tire tread will be serviceable at lower depths than if you mow sloped ground when it's wet. Mowing in slippery conditions with worn tires can lead to a dangerous loss of traction.

Other clues that it's time to inspect your riding mower's tires include frequent loss of air. If the tires have cracked or dry rotted to the point that they won't hold the proper air pressure between uses, it's time to replace them. However, the air could be escaping from a puncture or a leaking valve stem, conditions that could be repaired at a lower cost. You could either take the leaking tire to a tire shop or plug the puncture and replace the valve stem yourself.

When it's time to replace the tires on your riding mower, you have a few options. You can take the entire mower (or have it taken) to a repair shop and let them deal with it. If you have the tools and methods to safely support the riding mower with the wheels removed (one, two, or all four at once), you could take your old wheels and tires to a tire shop to have new tires mounted on your wheels. The most intensive DIY approach is to buy new tires, making sure they are the recommended type for your mower, and install them yourself.

While removing the old riding mower tires and installing new tires on your existing wheels isn't necessarily an easy DIY project, it is possible. However, you'll need some tools, and you'll want to avoid some common mistakes people make when changing tires on any vehicle.

If you're attempting this DIY project, you should already have a jack, some jackstands, the tools required to remove the wheels and tires from your riding mower, and the knowledge to use them safely. In addition, you're going to need tire spoons to remove the tires from the wheels, such as the Tonda Tire Spoons kit that includes valve stems, valve cores, rim protectors and three tire spoons priced at $16.99 on Amazon. On top of all that, you'll need an air compressor with a tank to provide a large enough influx of compressed air to seat the new tires onto the wheels.