This front tire blew out on me a month or so ago while I was bushhogging. It sounded like a shotgun going off!! Never had one go out so explosively. Now these were old tires when I got my tractor. I have had it like 15 years and I estimate that front tire to be around 30 years old. It's mate on the other side went out 6-8 years ago I would guess. Since I was replacing the tire and tube I figured I would repaint the rim because some of the rust was getting bad especially around the valve stem. I painted it with Rust-Oleum gloss Almond paint. Brushable paint that I think with acetone and painted with the good ol Harbor Freight purple paint gun. The original YM Yanmar white it a more antique or cream white not just white so I figured I would paint it correct if I was going to do it. It was cool that night so I had to set up a little tent on the ladder which also served as my paint rack. Used a small propane heater in there all night to dry the paint. Paint turned out really good. And I didn't beat it up too bad mounting the tire ...just a few inches of touch-up around the rim edge. I used some silicone rim protectors to help but you inevitably chew some of the paint up especially with the new tight tire. And yes I had it in the house to to get it more pliable.
Well I only got one wheel done. The other one will for sure be painted. It looks extra bad now. I will paint the other front wheel and the white panels on the tractor a more correct white.
As much as I hate it, they don't last forever, especially here at our place where every 4th tree in our woods seems to be Honey Locust... Nice paint job.
With all the holiday food I thought for sure this was going to be the intestinal variety of blow out. That old tire hung in there a long time. The rim looks great! Are you going to replace the other front tire?
Well I replaced it about 6-8 years ago. So it's no where near as old as this one. It will stay on there till it rips apart or I swap it out just before. The one that blew was literally going to have its replacement bought in the following weeks if it got me through that job, which it didn't! I knew I was on really borrowed time. I texted a buddy a picture of it the day before on my trailer headed to the farm and told him that it was time to buy it's replacement before it blows out on me. Then the next day it blew out
Yep but I'm cheap, it's on a tractor and I bushhog on flat ground so the worst that could happen is what did...I just have to stop in the middle of a job. I don't have a ton of time in life but that's all I lost. I don't make my living with this thing and it's not like I will go swerving off or flipping into a ditch if it went.
