I use slime and plug kit to plug tires slime from tractor supply store I get gallon at time. If rear tire leaks I add quart and plug hole. Front tire add pint and plug. discount tire place don't charge to fix flats. Leakdowns are best stop by installing stainless steel caps on valve sterms throw plastic ones in trash can.

Hmmm ... I can relate - Ive had some relentless flat tire problems recently ...

As far as the slime thing goes - Ive had mixed results with it (mostly positive). But I'd bet all the change in my pocket - that a slime'd up tire (or any other special miracle tube ) is NOT going to hold air with 12 nails in it ...

So I think your going to need to take a proactive approach to this problem than a reactive approach...

Just kicking around crazy ideas; that I thought I might "put out there"...

I used to watch the cleaning people at work use these industrial strength vacuum cleaners ... No im not telling you to vacuum your yard :)

But on the front of these vacuums - there were a series of heavy magnets which lined the front of the vacuum - by the end of the night these magnets would be loaded with staples, paper clips, and the occasional nail... Hmmmm...

So perhaps a small strip of wood lined with magnets which could somehow be positioned in front of the front tires (or drug behind the tractor ? Maybe using nylon tie wraps to that this thing could be a little flexible...

I realize the idea is a little dreamy ... but on my tractor that would not be a too difficult to rig up...

Now with regards to magnets - I have worked on several projects where I use magnets from computer hard drives - I gorilla glue them to whatever im working on. (as an example I like to glue these magnets onto those little LED flashlights - I can easily attach and adjust them to what im working on )...

These magnets are *really* strong - as long as you don't get them near high heat sources (it completely wipes out their magnetic field - permanently)

With regards to broken glass - I dont have any ideas for that issue. I have a bit of broken glass along the roadside and dont get an flats over there. I dont perceive that broken glass is a real problem unless they are large offensive pieces...

Perhaps - take the magnet idea and simply stick them to a landscaping rake - hire a couple of high schoolers on summer break to go over the lawn and clean it up a bit... The if you can get enough of those magnets - you might be in good shape....

Or maybe drag the landscaping rake behind your tractor.

I dont see a clear and obvious answer to your problem ...

But good luck to you sir...

Dave

Lowes and other similar stores have a magnetic strips on handles for use around the shop, would that work?

The only general problem with magnets is the distance that they will attract. The very nail that is going to get stuck in your tire will be the one that is in a small depression that places the nail out of the pickup range of the magnet.

I would doubt a hanging "magnet sweep" will make any difference in the frequncy of punctures in this scenario. The reason I have this opinion is due to the admission that there is much debris "working its way to the surface", and there are many "non-magnetic" glass shards included in this trash. Any objects that are still bedded into the ground, but protruding enough to snag a tire, would not be picked up by the magnet, but would still cause tire damage. If the truth be known, you might wonder if the flats that have already happened were caused by embedded objects instead of loose surface objects. I can picture a piece of wire or a nail sticking out of the ground puncturing a tire, and then being pulled the rest of the way out of the ground as the tire rolls on. I can also picture some items puncturing a tire, and NOT getting pulled out of the ground by the tire. Those objects would be the most "hateful" because they would "get you" again and again. I have no experience with the No Flat product line, but I checked the web and have included a link for anyone interested to check out. As to the comment from the "local shop" about the tires being too heavy for the transmission...........I can't see where the added weight in this case (from what I gather so far) would be significant enough to actually harm the power train.

Here is a link that might be useful: C sharp or Be flat

Well, my brain is still "in bedded" this morning. I guess I pasted a link to the wrong subject in my previous post. THIS link may be more apt to what juror58 is referring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Will the

Here is another link to go with the coffee. Now this is a product I have had "some familiarity" with in the past. The "service truck" used by my employer to run around the facility (never went onto public roads, wasn't even "tagged") was plagued with flat tires from the wire and other metal "scrap". A rumor began circulating that the "foreign objects" were not finding the tires by "natural processes", but were actually "being set in harm's way" by a disgruntled employee ( one whose life mission was to "wreak havoc" into everything. One of the tire vendors we dealt with suggested that the tires be "foam filled". We followed the suggestion and never had another flat tire on that truck.

Here is a link that might be useful: more lynx

OK - So mownie has probably nailed it ... (pun intended :)

I do completely agree that even very strong magnets will not raise nails stuck in the ground... (I said it was dreamy )

So my thoughts are - that the tires be filled with this magical foam and the flat problem is solved.

This thread raises a particular concern

1) Kids, trespasser, neighbors hurt themselves on your property - I wonder if they could create legal problems for you...
2) In my area - if I try and sell my property with nails and glass all over the yard... and if it were detected - and it most likely would be when the home inspector pulls nails out of his shoes ... giggle snicker !!

Then I would very likely have a horrific time of resolving that before the home was actually closed on... Heaven forbid the DEP get involved...

This is a bad situation - did you know you were getting fill that was full of nails and glass ? I'd be freaking out if that ended up on my property !!

I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have top soil brought in and have those high schoolers 1) clean up the old surface a bit 2) spread top soil 3) seed it 4)lay down some hay to germinate the seed.

I know that would cost money - but it might be in your best interest to get it done earlier than later.

Good luck - Dave

Get steel wheels, they never get flats. Some local farmers use them.

A tornado wiped out the town where my sister lives and in order to get all the glass and and debris removed they came in and removed the top 3-4 inches of soil from their property and brought in new clean soil. That is probably what you will need to do to "fix" the problem properly. Otherwise the slime works very well and should "fix" most of your issues, I have never used or know anyone who has used the foam, but would be interested to hear how it works if you go that route.

The No Flat Tires look and feel like air-filled tires and can handle the same load capacity. No Flat Tires are made of micro-cellular polyurethane foam that is comprised of trillions of tiny air pockets. This material eliminates flats, while creating the bounce and load handling like air filled tires.

Here is a link that might be useful: NoFlatTires

I've got a pair of these on the front of my lawn tractor.
http://www.carefreetire.com/lifetire.html
Before I got them, it seemed like I was plugging a flat at least every 2nd mowing, my tires had so many plugs in them!
I picked a set up off ebay and and very happy I won that auction since I obviously don't get any more flat front tires. I want to get them for the back, but they are a bit expensive at retail price. Seems the front tires got most of the flats since I guess the deck would either chop of the flat-causing things or would discharge it out of the path of the rear tires.
I do have a 'Slime" style product in my rear tires which I think is helping on the back.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lifetire

I have had good luck with the green "tire slime". However, there is a trick to making it work successfully. First, I found that it is necessary to add twice the amount of slime recommended on the instructions. Second, when you get a puncture hole or nail in a tire you must plug it with one of those tar strips. When plugging with the tar strip, position the tire so that the puncture hole is at the top of the tire. This will allow you to plug the tire without green slime runn out of the hole. Once you have inserted the tar strip into the puncture hole, rotate the tire so that the repaired spot is at the bottom of the tire before filling it with air. This allows the slim to fill in micro-leaks around the repaired area before you fill it with air.
One of the tires on my Scag "zero turn" mower has 9 repairs from nail punctures and none of the repairs leak.
The most important step is to use twice the amount of slime that is recommended.

I definitely agree with blueseatx. Slime is good stuff, but you need to use an ample amount AND properly plug the holes whenever you find them. As for this thread, it sounds like you need to bite the bullet and do a complete clean-up or have it stripped, finish graded and amended. I'm in a vaguely similar situation living on a former farm. My builder finish graded about 0.75 acres of the three acre property (not to mention the other ~acre that I tend to). While I don't have a trash and glass problem, I do have the remnants of two old stone roads, plus the usual agricultural cast-offs (nails, various metal parts). And the grading is terrible...lots of gullies and dips. I will need to have it properly graded and amended, but for now, Slime coupled with proper tar patches does the trick, along with a gentle hand on the tractor. I also took one of my front tires from tubeless to tubed after nicking the sidewall. I will eventually replace the tire (sidewall cuts of any size are a bad idea to leave on), but the tube was a cheap fix ($16 bucks for a Slime Smart Tube) that buys me a few weeks to get a new tire without paying for speedy shipping.

One other note: the foam-filled tires are great (I have some on a cart that I retrofitted) and truly won't go flat. However, they make for a very stiff ride and can be rough on your axles and frame. My opinion is that they are best left for non-riding equipment, at least when you're talking typical residential purposes. I suppose on a very gentle, flat lawn they might not bother your back...

Thanks for all the input.

For now I went with a conventional tube. My repair guy didn't speak too highly of Slime, but mostly because if the puncture is too big and Slime doesn't work (or when the tire needs replacing) it is a real PITA to deal with when you dismount the tire.

Now You Tell Me Dept.: The day after I got the tractor back I was in HD and found they sell tubes with Slime in them...even had a 20" one! Oh well, maybe next time.

As for the back lot...I have had it dozed, raked and had a bunch of dirt/fill added over the years. I even had several loads of wood chips dumped there by a friend who has a tree service. It dozed out to almost 1 ft thick and took 2 seasons to decompose enough so I could get in there.

The lot isn't a SuperFund site by any stretch of the imagination, but stuff does work its way to the surface, mostly big rocks. I try to keep an eye out for this stuff and pull it before mowing it. I usually get one flat per season, and I'm not sure the offending glass came from there.

I used the Slime Smart Tube (16X) on my front tire with a nicked sidewall. It did great and was a cheap fix!