Best to keep the tires at the max recommended preasure to insure a good level cut.

I don't agree. You could in theory set the pressure to 5#s per tire. Gives a better ride, can cut in on those high speed corners... If you are bagging, rear pressure to about 8 min otherwise 5-6 is fine. Fronts will steer easier and float over the grass with 6-8#s.

5# should be enough to hold the bead and if you're mowing the back forty, will give a smoother ride, but if you are mowing a lawn with a hanging/floating deck and don't want it to look like a 25 cent haircut, I still suggest going with the recommended air preasure. Check your owner's manual.

I agree that you should stick with the recommended pressures. In my opinion there are two reasons.

1.) With incorrect pressure that tractor floats on the tires. ie tires side walls flex. This give ridges in the yard as the tractor leans as you go around corners.

2.) While many of you will not have this problems, the tractor will be less stable on slopes as the tires let the tractor move in an uncontrolled manner, shifting back an forth. I have an eroded slope in front of the house that raises about 10 feet in 30'. Without properly inflated tires the scare factor increases significantly as the tractor goes into an out of these ruts, shifting its weights when you don't want it.

PS: Yes it is a mess but we down sized to this house a little over a year and it takes time to get all of the things done you want to do. This is the obama economy, so cash is significantly short.

Doesn't cost anything to experiment. I prefer hard tires - 25 psi all the way around.

I second everything Tomplum just said. BTW, I used the term "floating" because I have noticed many advertisements for lawn tractors calling hanging decks "floating" and wanted to cover the bases. For the record, I inflate my tires to 7# for comfort and reduced machine stress, but my deck is separate from the tractor and rides on its own "suspension" so I could run on flat tires and it wouold make no difference to the cut. Wasn't trying to be disagreeable Tom, just trying to save the OP some future possible issues that I learned from experience on my C-man --course, as you pointed out, I am over 200#s.