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Flat Free Tires
Marathon’s Flat Free Tires are made of solid, lightweight, micro-cellular polyurethane foam. Our Flat Free Tires have the bounce and cushion of an air-filled tire with the benefit of no flats. No tubes; no re-filling with air; no more hassle! Our Flat Free Tires are non-marking, and because polyurethane is UV and chemical resistant, they will not crack or rot like rubber tires do.
Our polyurethane foam is comprised of trillions of air cells and the self skinning foam provides a tough outer skin. Flat free polyurethane tires are more expensive than pneumatic and semi-pneumatic tires, but due to the performance and the cost savings of not having to deal with flats, these tires are our top selling tires. |
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Pneumatic (Air-Filled) Tires
Air-filled tires provide great performance and are a less-expensive replacement tire option. Though they require more maintenance, they are cost-effective and provide a great bounce and cushion. Air filled tires are lightweight and due to the price and performance are often a chosen by OEM’s for new equipment.
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Semi-Pneumatic Tires
Semi-pneumatic tires are also Flat Free because they don’t go flat, but they do not provide the bounce or cushion of flat free or air filled tires. These tires are made of solid rubber with a hollow air-pocket through the center of the tire. The air pocket is built into these molded tires, so unlike air filled tires, they have no tubes or valve stems and cannot be inflated. The air-pocket helps keep the price point down and makes the tires lighter in weight than a completely solid tire. Semi-pneumatic tires are generally less expensive than polyurethane tires and are best used on solid flat surfaces that are free from rocks and other debris that might stop a stiff wheel. Semi-pneumatic tires are often used on applications such as industrial hand trucks, lawn mowers, and other small lawn and garden equipment where tire cushion and performance is not as critical.
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Foam Filled Tires
Marathon Industries has replaced traditional foam fill tires with our solid, polyurethane tires. Foam filled tires at one time were the best alternative to air filled tires, but due to the additional cost and weight of the tires, we have found most customers prefer our flat free polyurethane tires.
One of the major disadvantages to a foam filled tire is the weight. A foam filled rubber tire often weighed two to three times more than a Marathon flat free polyurethane tire. Another disadvantage to a foam fill tire is that you lose much of the bounce and rebound of a regular air tire and the rubber is still subjected to ozone and UV rays. Foam filled tires are still sometimes used in larger applications where flat free polyurethane tires are not offered.
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