[FrankIII]

Nice tractor! Seems like they used to make mower/ tractor tires better than they do now. The rear tires that came off my Cub Cadet 680 are like 40 years and still hold air. And one of the rear tires that came off my old Bush Hog tractor is about 52 years old and still held air. Only reason I removed these tires was because I wanted better traction.

 

[FrankIII]

Front tires just don’t seem to last as long but even so, the Sears branded tires on the front were pretty shot, but one still holds air perfectly. The rears are cracked on the sidewalls but the tread is still in almost new condition. I had a 74 MF8 and the rears were still holding air in 2018 when I sold it. 52 years for your Bush Hog is the longest I’ve heard of for a garden tractor tire. I think keeping the tractor out of the sun and weather helps. I doubt that some of the modern bargain brand Chinese tires will last that long but I have confidence that Carlisle or Goodyear will still have a long service life. I’m seeing prices approaching 500$ For a pair of 23x10.5/12 AG tires. Yikes, maybe I can find a parts tractor with good rear tires for less.

Possibly keep an eye out for slightly used tires on Craigslist. Sometimes I see some nice looking tires on there.

The Carlisle Turf-savers on my dad's John Deere D105 are like 7 years old and already needing tubes. Proper inflation helps though.

 

[FrankIII]

The friction part that the throttle handle pivots on can often use a bit of WD-40. When that assembly gets old it tends to get stiffer than new.