Best Lawn Mower Tires

Learn about Lawn Mower Tires and How to Find the Best Ones

Updated November 26, 2019

It’s usually pretty obvious when the time comes to replace your lawn mower tires. If the tires have lost so much tread that they spin when making turns, you could end up damaging your lawn or putting yourself in a dangerous situation. When you start looking for replacement tires, you’ll quickly realize there are plenty of options available. Price is always a consideration for everyone, but you also want to make sure the quality fits your needs. Your needs may involve the type of terrain you mow on, whether you have hills or mostly flat land to mow and even how many trees or other landscaping obstacles you have to navigate around. We’ve researched and tested out numerous different lawn mower tires to help you decide which ones check off the most boxes for you, and help you find the best fit for your mowing needs.

This review comes to you from our Outdoor Tools expert Scott
Published January 9th, 2019

Expert BioExpert Bio

Scott set out on his first woodworking project when he was eleven years old. He has been involved with many hundred woodworking projects since then. For the last 46 years, Scott has custom-built cabinets and mantels, remodeled several homes, installed hardwood floors/trim work, and consulted or advised for a number of large home improvement stores on their product offerings to the expert DIY community. Whenever possible, you will find Scott in his custom built woodworking shop hard at work on his latest project.

Lawn Mower Tires

Learn about Our Team’s Favorite Lawn Mower Tires.

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Editor's Choice

Carlisle

Turf SaEditor's Choicever Lawn & Garden Tire - 15X6-6 A

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You want to have control of your lawn mower when you’re mowing, and these tires will help you tremendously.

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This 4-ply tire is 15”x15”x6”, has a 6” rim diameter, a load index rating of 2, a speed rating of “A” and a tread depth of 14/32”. When you purchase this product, you’ll get the tire only, as the wheel is sold separately. Its main uses are for consumer lawn mowers, golf cars, commercial turf equipment and utility vehicles.

Editor's insights

Customers who have purchased these tires don’t have many bad things to say about them once they are installed. A problem with zero turn mowers is sometimes the tires will spin when making sharp turns or changes of direction, causing skid marks in the yard. These tires have enough traction where that’s not a problem, so you can mow smoothly and efficiently without having to worry about damaging your yard in the process. As highly rated as these Carlisle lawn mower tires are, customers have indicated installing them isn’t very easy, especially if you don’t have experience with replacing tires. They also come compressed from the manufacturer, which presents even more challenges. The trick is to warm them slowly, even if it takes a couple of days, to allow them to decompress so they are easier to work with.

Value Pick

Kenda K500

Super Turf Lawn and Garden Bias Tire - 16/6.50-8

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This Kenda K500 Super Turf lawn mower tire has dimensions of 16”x16”x6.5”, a rim diameter of 8”, weighs 6.4 pounds and has a 4-ply rating.

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This is a great replacement for all lawn mowers, but especially for zero turn mowers, since the traction is good and won’t damage your yard like some tires will. It’s a tubeless tire and has a 620 pound load capacity.

Editor's insights

The main benefits that stand out for customers who have purchased this tire are the great price, the increased traction when mowing, the durability and not having to worry about making marks in the yard when turning. The installation is also simple for most people. And to the surprise of many customers, you actually get two tires when you purchase it, so the value is incredible. When you consider the price and the quality, it’s hard to find anything bad to say about these tires, so they are a great value selection for lawn mower tires.

Contender

Hi-Run

LG Turf Lawn & Garden Tire -18/9.50-8

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This Hi-Run LG Turf tire has dimensions of 18”x18”x9”, a rim diameter of 8” and a tread depth of 6/32”.

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The tread blocks on this tire are closely packed to offer great balance and outstanding traction. The wide shoulder design also minimizes any potential damage to your lawn during use. It has a maximum load capacity of 695 pounds, inflates to 12 psi and is a 2-ply tire. It’s one of the best values you will find in a lawn mower tire when it comes to ease of installation, quality and price.

Editor's insights

Customers love the fact that these Hi-Run tires are easy to install right out of the box. They don’t ship compressed, so most people can install them on their own without having a special machine. As far as the actual use of the tires go, customers say they offer a great amount of traction, even when mowing in wet conditions. Another bit of praise is this 2-ply tire doesn’t tear up a lawn like other 4-ply or 6-ply tires will. One thing to be aware of is some customers have indicated the tires are slightly narrower than what’s indicated in the description, which may not be an issue for you if you’re purchasing a full set anyway.

What to Look for When Evaluating Lawn Mower Tires

If you operate a lawn mower on rough terrain with steep hills, you need a tire with the most traction and toughness. The tread depth and tread pattern should be some of the most important characteristics in this situation, as well as deciding whether you need a 2-ply, 4-ply or even a 6-ply tire. A 2-ply tire will puncture much more easily than the others, so it’s only ideal if you have mostly smooth terrain with minimal rocks, sticks or other similar objects. So 4-ply or 6-ply tires are ideal for rough terrain since they are more durable and have a less likelihood of getting damaged during normal use.

Evaluating the design of the tire is also important, especially if you have a zero turn mower. While there are plenty of benefits to zero turn mowers, they are known for making marks in yards when making sharp turns. A lot of these marks can be minimized through experience by the operator, but the tires play a big role as well. Tires with a wide shoulder design are ideal for these situations, as well as tires with a straight rib.

Shopping Guide for Lawn Mower Tires

Most experts will promote the tread depth and design as the main factors to consider when selecting lawn mower tires. However, this should only be the main consideration if traction is an issue. For people who simply need a lawn mower tire as a replacement for their riding lawn mower in their small or medium-sized yard, the less traction a tire has may actually be better. A tire with flat treads aren’t going to grip the ground as much, which will minimize damage to the grass.

A good rule of thumb is to take the experiences you’ve had from your old tires and use them to your advantage. The dimensions should be located on the sidewall of the old tire, and can help provide a good starting point for your shopping. The sidewall may also indicate the ply rating. Most of the time you don’t want to downgrade the ply rating with your new tires, so it’s important to keep this in mind when shopping for new tires.

Reading customer reviews and online guides like this one can help you narrow down your options tremendously. Start by making a list of the things you need from your lawn mower tires, and another list of the things you want from them. Take critical customer complaints seriously, but also take them into the perspective of the reviewer and how they used them. A particular tire may be highly rated for rough terrain, but if you don’t mow on rough terrain, then it’s potentially useless for you.

Why Lawn Mower Tires?

It’s important to monitor your lawn mower’s tires so that you notice when they need replaced. While this doesn’t need to happen every year, you will likely need to replace your lawn mower’s tires at least once in the mower’s lifespan, so know what to look for in replacement tires!

What Are the Benefits of Good Lawn Mower Tires?

Good quality lawn mower tires can make your mowing experience much easier. No one wants to tear up their yard every time they mow, and most of the time the type of tire plays a big role in that. You are going to get what you pay for when it comes to lawn mower tires, and a cheap tire will likely require much more maintenance than anyone wants to deal with. This doesn’t mean you have to purchase the most expensive tire, but it does mean it’s well worth the time and effort to research the perfect tire to suit your needs.

Your lawn mower tires shouldn’t be something you have to worry about when mowing. Of course, there may be times when you run over a sharp object and puncture a tire. But in general, the extent of tire maintenance should only include airing them up frequently. And when you invest in a good set of lawn mower tires, you shouldn’t have to worry about replacing them for several years, depending on the amount of mowing you do throughout any given year.

If you’re looking for other tools for making your lawn look the best, keep browsing our site.

Best Lawn Mower Tires

Learn about Lawn Mower Tires and How to Find the Best Ones

This review comes to you from our Outdoor Tools expert Scott

Lawn Mower Tires

Bottom Line

About

Editor's insights

Carlisle

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Editor's insights

Kenda K500

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About

Editor's insights

Hi-Run

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Editor's insights

What to Look for When Evaluating Lawn Mower Tires

Shopping Guide for Lawn Mower Tires

Why Lawn Mower Tires?

What Are the Benefits of Good Lawn Mower Tires?

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Best Lawn Mower Tires

Learn about Lawn Mower Tires and How to Find the Best Ones

This review comes to you from our Outdoor Tools expert Scott

Lawn Mower Tires

Bottom Line

About

Editor's insights

Carlisle

Bottom Line

About

Editor's insights

Kenda K500

Bottom Line

About

Editor's insights

Hi-Run

Bottom Line

About

Editor's insights

What to Look for When Evaluating Lawn Mower Tires

Stay Connected

Shopping Guide for Lawn Mower Tires

Why Lawn Mower Tires?

What Are the Benefits of Good Lawn Mower Tires?

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