7 Best Zero Turn Tires for Hills in 2024: How to Choose the Most Suitable One?

Hi everyone, today I want to help you choose the best tires for riding lawnmowers. And not the simple ones, but those that can ride any hills and rocks. People usually think that any tire will be suitable. Then, they realize – the lawn cutting can be much easier and more pleasurable with the right tires such as John Deere lawn mower tires. They’re quite popular among the gardeners. But are they the only tires that work great on hills?

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Having been a gardener for a long time, I like to use high-quality equipment to make gardening more enjoyable. However, not always, everything has been that smoothly. There are many offers on the market, but I have spent years before I found a lawnmower that fits me and then some time choosing the best tires for hills. I’m sure that my guide will help you to do this much faster.

7 Best Zero Turn Mower Tires for Hills

I know that it can be tiresome to work on the rough road. But top-quality tires will always help you with this. In this section, I will tell you how to choose them.

1. Carlisle Super Lug Lawn & Garden Tire – Best Tires for Zero Turn Mower 4.8/5 

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The whole decade the company called Carlisle offers its products to the world. It took a lot of effort to become the leader of manufacturing lawn and garden equipment, commercial roofing, construction equipment, and a lot more. Carlisle is a large corporation that consists of several companies. And each brand changes the market for the better thanks to the excellent technologies it uses.

There is a wide range of garden vehicles: small and big, with large or tiny tires. Carlisle has any tire size you may need – and that’s why I prefer this brand to others. The tire I am going to describe today can be used all year round. It’s not afraid of the swamp, high grass, or hills.

It has 8 inches rim diameter that makes it strong but flexible. The material is durable enough and can adapt to any surface roughness. It’s not the standard rubber. This one is provided specifically for hills – the tire has big biters that allow it to reach the high cliffs with no problems. I have been using Carlisle for not the first year, and I can guarantee that this model is worth your money.

2. Kenda Turf Rider Lawn and Garden Bias Tire – Zero Turn Mower Tires with Two-Ply Design 4.5/5 

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The range of Kenda products is huge. This company manufactures motorcycle, bicycle, lawnmowers, trailers, and automobiles tires. It is a national sponsor that supports diverse racing and cycling teams. Many professional sportsmen choose Kenda. It’s all because their tires stay in great condition longer than many other models.

For the work without any punctures and abrasions, the tire has a two-ply design. That makes the item lightweight and flexible enough to ride on hills. It won’t stick in the potholes or behind rocks. You can easily install it in a short time and enjoy lawn cutting with high-grade stabilization.

This tubeless Kenda tire doesn’t require distinct care. It can work without any technical issues for years or lay in your garage and wait until you want to change a tire. A tire has a 415-pound capacity. So, you may even use it for the commercial mower – as you know, it’s quite large. However, you should choose the rims separately (the recommended diameter is 8 inches).

3. MaxAuto Set Of 2 Heavy Duty Lawn Tractor Tires – Best Zero Turn Tires for Hills 4.7/5 

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MaxAuto tires are mostly used for garden equipment like tractors, lawnmowers, tillers, or trenchers. This tire is huge and heavy to allow your machine to ride the roughest road on the maximum speed.

A construction also allows you to decrease the kickback. It’s a significant factor while you’re working with large machines – you need to keep them stable as much as you can.

The tire has a bigger tread depth than other models. Thanks to this, it will give you superior traction derived from sturdy tread lugs. Stressed and angled, they provide an increase in the pulling power. So, you will be able to get through the swamp and reach the highest hill.

4. Sunf Lawn-mowers Off-road Tire – Riding Lawn Mower Tire Replacement 4.7/5 

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If your life is connected with the vehicles, SunF has a lot to offer you. A company produces various tire types for lawn mowers and other gardening equipment.

Besides, they also manufacture the tires for snow throwers, go-karts, golf carts, trailers, motorcycles, etc. They are specialists in their field, and their tires don’t lay on the market stall for long – people trust SunF in more than 100 countries.

The pair of SunF tires is a great replacement for your lawnmower. They can be installed in several minutes. So, you can ride your machine with the standard tires, and you may replace them with those for hills when you need it. SunF offers five different sizes. You may also use this tire for ATV, UTV, or golf cart.

A tire has no less, no more but six layers to protect it from damages and worn out. Such a construction also keeps the mower more stable during usage. It’s unlikely that the tire will be covered with abrasions. SunF uses the “V” angled design to allow your machine riding on various surfaces and high hills.

The recommended rim diameter is 7 or 8 inches (it’s not included). To make the structure more powerful, a tire has additional shoulder lugs that protect rim and sidewall. It has identical width and height dimensions that also provides perfect stability while you ride a mower.

5. WANDA 2 New Lawn Mower Cart Turf Tires – Best Heavy-Duty Tire 4.6/5 

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“We are striving to produce the most differentiation and high-performance tire” – these are the Wanda founders’ words. More than thirty years, they put their goal into life and do this quite successfully.

They follow their main values: concentration, innovation, confidence, responsibility, and dedication. Such lead-up helps them to satisfy customers’ expectations and be one of the leaders in providing high-quality tires.

The tire can fit any garden utility vehicle, not only the lawnmower. A reason for this is the standard dimensions with the same width and height – such tires can be a foolproof replacement for any machine model. It also has 8 inches rim diameter. Most garden machines require this specific size.

When a vehicle comes up against hills, rocks, or stones, it needs to apply itself harder to overcome the obstacles. The ordinary tire has too low traction. A design with wide shoulders and small tread depth increases the zero turn mower tires traction and weight disbursement – your machine will ride smoothly on any surface.

I know how uncomfortable it can be to use the lawnmower on the road full of potholes. Most garden equipment works with a high kickback even on the slick surface, and here you have hills that sophisticate the cutting process. Wanda tires are heavy-duty and distribute the weight correctly. You will feel how easy it’s to ride with them after the first usage.

6. Marathon Flat Free Lawn Mower Tire on Wheel – Aggressive Lawn Mower Tires 4.4/5 

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Marathon industries focus mostly on the lawn and garden equipment, and their tires are known as highly durable and reliable ones. They offer a large line of various tire sizes and materials used. Marathon management team really likes to communicate with customers – that’s the secret of their excellent service.

If you already have tires for hills but for some reason you need a replacement, it’s not a big problem. You can have one or two tires sold. But if you want a whole set, Marathon can offer this too. The best fact of having these tires is that they have an affordable price for high-quality material and design.

A tire for hills should be made of tough but elastic rubber. From my experience, the tire may look flexible on the picture, but when you try it on your machine, you hardly get over small rocks. Luckily, I can assure you that the material Marathon uses is top-quality solid, polyurethane foam. It’s not only flexible but also durable.

The product has the turf tread that protects it from unexpected damages and worn out. I know that every gardener wants to have a beautiful lawn that is not damaged with the lawnmower. Marathon tires are non-marking – thus, your lawn is in safety.

Your machine will work smoothly because the tires have oil-infused bushings. Such a design also helps a lot to cope with the rough roads. Tires have the 400 lbs weight capacity. That means you can use them for your lawnmower with no worries. However, the best way is to apply them as the front tires because of the quite small dimensions.

7. Premium 4-Ply Turf Tech Tire – Best Tires for Hills for Years of Using 4.7/5 

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4-ply design is quite popular among the tires for garden vehicles. Such tires are not too heavy but have sufficient protection when you work on the road full of potholes.

Besides, the four layers of quality rubber won’t wear out quickly. You can use these tires for not one season. And they might lay in your garage as much as you need – they won’t lose their shape during the time.

Premium tires provide high traction because of the tread design. It doesn’t have big biters but has a curved pattern that makes it very easy to get on hills. The swamp won’t get stuck in the tires. That’s why it takes a short time to reach the highest hill. Also, these tires are 100% protected from any punctures – you can ride your vehicle on the roughest road.

Things to Consider Before Buying Zero Turn Mower Tires: Buyer’s Guide

Here I will provide some recommendations on how to choose the best tires among the huge amount available on the market.

Size

When you choose a tire for your garden vehicle, you should consider the exact size you need. You should measure the rim diameter and go from there. My recommendation is to choose a diverse front and back tires.

The first ones should be smaller – it will be much easier to get on hills if you follow this tip. By the way, the tires we talk about today are usually larger than the standard pair that you use for a smooth road.

Ply rating

Riding on the hills requires strong construction because the machine usually uses much more power, and the tires can wear out quickly. To avoid this, a tire should have at least two-ply design. But if it has four-ply, it would be great. You should also consider the fact that six-ply tire may be too heavy – that won’t help your vehicle to ride on hills.

Weight

As I have noted before, the excessively heavy tire is not an excellent choice. If the tire has a big weight, it won’t be flexible enough to cope with rocks and potholes. But if the tire is too lightweight, it is also a wrong one.

The garden vehicles usually have a high kickback, especially when you ride on hills. So, if your tires are too light, the weight won’t distribute in the right way, and it will be too inconvenient to ride the machine. That’s why you should find the tire with the average weight.

Tread design

The tire design can be different, but some of the models have a more suitable one. For example, if a tire has big biters and large tread depth, you can be sure that it will work properly. But some of the aggressive lawn mower tires have small biters. Many manufactures provide a curved design, and it also works ideally.

Material

A quality rubber plays a big role in choosing the best tires for zero turn mower. Pneumatic tires are often made of really solid material. Of course, when you ride on hills, the tire should be strong enough. But people forget that it should also be elastic. So, I recommend you search for the rubber that will be flexible enough to overcome the highest hills.

Some Other Facts About Aggressive Tires

When you replace lawn mower tires, you should consider some significant facts. You will find them below.

Do I need to buy two tires even if I only need to change one?

You may buy one tire for a replacement if you choose the same model you already have. But if you can’t buy the same tires for some reason and decide to find another manufacturer, I recommend you to replace two tires. Two different tires may work worse together.

How do I know the tires are due for replacement?

Usually, the manufacturer notes the recommended replacement time. However, the tires for hills may wear out faster. If you see the cracks in the sidewall, bugles, or the tread depth has become too deep, that means your lawn mower tires are getting tired. Also, if it gets harder to ride on hills, you should replace the tire.

How to differentiate between various zero-turn tires?

Zero-turn tires differ in size, rim diameter, and tread depth. Some of them are the front tires, they are usually small and have tinier rim diameter. The tread can have different shapes. It may be big biters, or for the opposite, small curved ones. Every design will work great.

What is the difference between flat and round tires?

The tires for hills can be flat or round, and there are pluses of both types. A round profile gives you better traction because you have less side bite. But they wear out quickly. The flat-free tires for zero turn mowers provide great rotating and turning and wear better. However, they give you a more forward bite, and the tire may get stuck in the swamp.

How to choose the right tire size?

You should consider the rim diameter in your lawnmower. When you choose the tires for hills, they may be bigger than the standard ones. Also, the front tires must be smaller than back ones – it will provide easier riding.

Now You Can Overcome Any Hill

If you’re a gardener for a long time, you know that a tire plays a big role when working with garden vehicles. I understood this when I started using the Carlisle tires that made my life a lot easier. I hope you will find the best tire for the hills you need among the top products I have described.

Most of them I have tried by myself. And I can say that you don’t need to worry – they will cope with any obstacles with a little effort. Maybe you have some other recommendations? Or do you disagree with the statements I pointed out? I would like to see your comments below!