Tubeless Tires on riding mower =The dumbest thing I've ran across maybe ever

[Qikbbstang]

No suspension on a riding mower so you need to run the air pressure low. After a few years the rims/bead get messed up and won't seal. Ever the smart one LOL I bought a tube for it. Took the friggen wheel/tire I'd alreay separated to a tire shop thinking they could get the hard tubeless sidewalls on without killing the tube. The fist shop refused to touch small tire/rims, the second shop was running slow and gathered up a few employees who as a group tried installing the tube and were unsuccessful - they'd pinched the tube.  Next they stuck it back together tubeless with tire goop on the bead and it made it less then a month.  Today I bought all new tires (friggen tubeless is all you can get) What a joy watching the rim bend as you lean into the screwdrivers trying to get the tire off.  Dang the old days of just taking off a mower tube type tire and popping in a new tube 1-2-3.
   Don't even bother with the Green Slime stuff had to wash/scrape the crap out of the first leaking tire

[Heo]

Dont get me started ...

[CDXXVII]

I have a Gravely rider with 30 year old tubeless tires on it. No problems with bead leaks. Finally changed due to dry rot. Didn't seem like the new tubeless side wall thickness was a big problem.

[cjshaker]

The slime is a total PITA!! I have over 40 pieces of small equipment that I work on in my job, and I've gotten pretty good at the tire stuff.

First thing I learned was that there are LOTS of cheap tires made these days! Took me over 5 years before settling on individual ones for each piece of equipment that don't give me problems. Cracking, from cheap hard rubber and leaking was my biggest problem. I can't use tubes because they pick up too many screws/nails etc. where they run and I would be patching tubes all day long, but there is no reason why you cant run a tube in a tubeless tire. They are just designed to run without one, it's not a mandatory thing.

Rims are a problem. Like you mentioned, BB, they are cheap and thin. I would just make sure the bead is clean, keep the pressure up, keep it inside so the bead area doesn't start to rust....and modify the seat to give you cushion. Use a spring deal and put a soft cushion on it.

[fe66comet]

Got, a lot of garden and AG equipment, trick is to thoroughly clean and paint the inside of the wheel and fill any pitting.  I have tires that are 10-20 years old still holding. Same with any wheel if it is not clean and smooth the tire will not go and you will tear tubes. Most I do by hand no tools to scratch the fresh paint on the bead.