Flat free wheel barrow tire- disadvantages?

[sajohnson]

I changed our garden/transport cart to flat-free many years ago, and yes, they don’t roll as well as pneumatic tires. This is especially noticeable under ”heavier” loads and gets old very fast. But they are holding up, and surprise, don’t go flat.

The cart is ”chinesium“ and so are the flat-free tires. Didn’t want to spent more on tires than the cart costed originally.

For my new wheelbarrow, I decided against flat-free for the above mentioned reason. That said, the manufacturer offers a flat-free tire for it, I just had no chance of seeing/testing that in person. That tire alone is about what I paid for the 4 ”chinesium” ones for the cart. Since we’re talking professional/ high-quality wheelbarrows from that manufacturer, I guess they rely on a higher quality flat-free tire and my gut feeling is one of this wheels would (hopefully) run significantly better. But I have no experience.

I think it says a lot that essentially no dealer stocks the flat-free variant, yet you see the wheelbarrows with pneumatic tires on every site …

I’d go pneumatic, unless you can verify that the flat-free runs as nice under load as you would like it to.

Kind regards,
Olli

From the reviews I've read, most flat-free tires -- particularly the less expensive "chinesium" ones -- are on the softer side. As I posted above, maybe the equivalent of a pneumatic tire inflated to 15-20 psi. That's better for rough terrain as long as the load is relatively light, but with a heavier load they become difficult -- just as a partially inflated tire does.

My thinking is that, since we have to choose, it's best to get flat-free tires that have a density that approximates a pneumatic tire @ 30 psi. It depends on the use though -- if the wheelbarrow never has a load heavier than (say) mulch, and the terrain is often rough, then a lighter density tire(s) is probably better.

It's interesting that no dealer stocks the flat-free tires. Maybe the ones the mfr offers just aren't very good? Their quality does vary a lot. I've read reviews that said the flat-free tire rolled off the wheel!

I wish Magliner sold flat-free tires in the 16" (4.80/4.00-8) wheelbarrow size. The ones we got for our hand truck are excellent.

 

[bluedog225]

The guys working next door have a quick switch axle. They can run single or double tires (for stability). Seems pretty clever. I’ve got a no flat solid. It‘s good with our mesquite. But the inflatbales have some advantages. I might pick an inflatable up. Be able to run in one of three configurations.

 

[sajohnson]

The guys working next door have a quick switch axle. They can run single or double tires (for stability). Seems pretty clever. I’ve got a no flat solid. It‘s good with our mesquite. But the inflatbales have some advantages. I might pick an inflatable up. Be able to run in one of three configurations.

I like the quick switch axle idea! I'd never heard of that before.

It seems particularly useful for people who prefer to use pneumatic tires most of the time but want to have a no-flat back-up.

 

[SRSemenza]

Probably more like 120 ish now. “Shopping carts” for pumpkin patch customers.

Aaah, well that makes sense. I've been around some big farms and if they needed that many wheelbarrows ................... it's time for a machine. Pumpkin patch, yup.

Seth

 

[mrvm]

I added flat-free tires to the wheel barrel and 2 wheel cart. The tires replaced cracked and leaking pneumatic tires and performed well. The only negative with flat-free tires has been flat spots whenever loads were left on either the wheel barrow or cart overnight. Fortunately the flat spots went away with some usage.

 

[sajohnson]

I added flat-free tires to the wheel barrel and 2 wheel cart. The tires replaced cracked and leaking pneumatic tires and performed well. The only negative with flat-free tires has been flat spots whenever loads were left on either the wheel barrow or cart overnight. Fortunately the flat spots went away with some usage.

Do you recall the name of the mfr?

 

[mrvm]

Do you recall the name of the mfr?

HF for the wheel barrel and Amazon (various) for the 2-wheel cart

 

[sajohnson]

After a stupid amount of research I've found what appear to be decent flat-free wheelbarrow tires. They offer two widths in flat-free:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQDJ325P/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/Scenic-Road-heavy-replacement-wheelbarrow/dp/B00GM5TNM8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Both have a claimed maximum load of 675 670 pounds (300-400 pounds is typical); "heavy-duty ball bearings"; and they are made in the USA. There are only 27 reviews on Amazon though, and only ~10 are shown (all 5-star). The mfr, "Scenic Road" seems OK:

Scenic Road Wheelbarrow Parts | Scenic Road Manufacturing

Your projects don't stop, and neither do we. We carry replacement parts for all Scenic Road wheelbarrows.

www.scenicroadmfg.com

Question: Which tire would you purchase and why? I like the fat one, but I need to confirm that there is clearance for it between the handles. Our land is mostly solid, rock and clay (lots of rock...) so the thinner tire would probably work fine too.

 

[sajohnson]

Scenic Road scores points!

I called earlier and Pete answered the phone immediately. We spoke for ~20 minutes. He recommended buying from their Amazon store:

https://www.amazon.com/Scenic-Road-heavy-replacement-wheelbarrow/dp/B0CQDJ325P/?tag=atomicindus08-20

https://www.amazon.com/Scenic-Road-heavy-replacement-wheelbarrow/dp/B00GM5TNM8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

EDIT: I noticed that the load rating given in the Amazon listing is 520 lbs. I was looking at the pneumatic version of those tires. The flat-free load rating is 670 pounds.

Also -- the Amazon text for the wide turf tire says, "FLAT FREE PERFORMANCE - Say goodbye to the hassle of a flat tire or puncture with this wheelbarrow tire." However, the photos clearly show a valve stem. Also, the description up top says "4-ply", no mention of flat-free, so it seems the flat-free turf tire is N/A, at least on Amazon.

A.M. Leonard has one but it's $111, and there is no load rating listed:

Wheelbarrow Wheel, Flat-Free Tire by A.M. Leonard

We design this replacement wheel for use with our 6-Cubic-Foot Poly Tray Wheelbarrows, 6-Cubic-Foot Steel Tray Wheelbarrows, 8-Cubic-Foot Wheelbarrows, and 10-Cubic-Foot Wheelbarrows. This wheel features a flat-free tire that measures 16 inches in diameter and 6-1/2 inches in width. The welded...

www.amleo.com

FWIW, the Scenic Road website shows flat-free versions of both tires:

Scenic Road Wheelbarrow Parts | Scenic Road Manufacturing

Your projects don't stop, and neither do we. We carry replacement parts for all Scenic Road wheelbarrows.

www.scenicroadmfg.com

Of course the 670 lb. load rating means the tires are very dense/firm. Pete said they have very little give. That's the primary trade-off with a strong flat-free of course -- pneumatic tires are better for rough/uneven surfaces. In our situation the tradeoff is worth it.

All of their wheelbarrows and other products are made in Lancaster County, PA -- except the tires & wheels which are made overseas. I suspected that. It is possible to get quality products from China and elsewhere. I seriously doubt they would put **** tires/wheels on their high quality wheelbarrows that sell for $300 > $620+.

Side note: Pete said his family bought the business from the Amish about 3 years ago, so they haven't had the Amazon store for very long.

 

[sajohnson]

Just FYI -- I ordered the 'knobby flat-free' tire. It was $62.50 on Amazon and should be here tomorrow. The 6" hub length and 5/8" bore are pretty standard, and fit our wheelbarrow. No need for spacers or swapping bearings.

I like the idea of the flat-free turf tire, but not only does it appear to be N/A, at 6-1/2" it is too wide to fit between the handles, which are about 5" apart at the front.