How To Change A Ride-On Mower Tyre

A ride-on lawn mower is undoubtedly a godsend if you have a large area of grass to maintain, but one problem you'll experience on occasion is a flat tyre.  So how do you fix a flat tyre on your ride-on lawn mower?  You'll need a small amount of basic maintenance know-how for this job, but it's pretty straightforward.

Follow the guide below and you'll be back up and running in no time!

1. Lock it down: The first thing to do is to lock down the mower so that it doesn't roll while you're working on it.  To do this, put the mower in gear and apply the parking brake.  If possible, choose a piece of flat, even concrete on which to carry out the work.  This stops the mower from wobbling while you're working on it.  
2. Jack it up: Now, you'll need to jack the mower up so that you can remove the wheel.  Use the wheel jack supplied with your mower, ensuring that you position it under a cross-member so that you don't cause any damage.  Crank up the mower and engage the safety latch on the jack.  
3. Remove the wheel: Use pliers to carefully remove the rubber boot from the centre of the wheel.  Now take a flathead screwdriver and pry off the 'C' clip that you'll see beneath the boot.  Put the clip on one side so that it doesn't get lost.  You should now be able to see the tyre valve.  Unscrew the valve core and let out the air from the tyre.  
4. Break the beads: Using a tyre iron, break the bead seals on the inside the outside of the wheel, taking care not to touch the rim in case you damage it.  You'll find a tyre iron in the boot of your car.  Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to the end of the iron to lubricate it, and then use it to pry up the bead seals around the tyre edges. Take out the inner tube and remove the tyre from the wheel.  
5. Put on the new tyre: Apply lubricant (petroleum jelly will work well) to the new tyre's beads.  Place the tyre at an angle of roughly 45 degrees to the wheel rim and work it onto the wheel using the tyre iron.  Insert the new inner tube as you go.  Replace the 'C' clip and rubber boot.  
6. Re-inflate the tyre: Pump up your tyre using a foot pump or compressor and replace the valve seal.  Jack the mower back down to ground level, and you're done.

Although a flat tyre on your ride-on mower is frustrating, it's a problem that's easily fixed with the right tools and a little know-how.  Remember to call in at your mower supplier and pick up a spare inner tube so that you're prepared if you suffer another puncture later in the season.