Tire Pressure and Ride Comfort

If this issue has come up here before, I've missed it, and I apologize for being redundant. While researching ZTR's, I encountered several instances of complaints about the ride quality of brand new mowers, and subsequent responses asking whether the complainant had checked the tire pressure before operating. So when my mower arrived, I check the tire pressure. First though, I looked at the manual; it listed the front casters and drive tires at 25 PSI and 12 PSI, respectively. The drive tire PSI was also listed on stickers on each rear rim. I was a little surprised then when the actual pressures were 30/front, and 28/drive. I was going to compare the differences of the ride at those pressures to the ride at the recommended pressures until I saw that the max PSI listed on the drive tires' sidewalls read 20 PSI, or 8 PSI less than what was actually in the tires. Instead, I adjusted the pressures and got to mowing. So unfortunately, I can't give an account of the difference in ride quality, although with the information I had, I think my opinion might have been a little biased anyway.

I've read that one reason mowers arrive with elevated tire pressures all around is because it lessens the chances of damaging rims and such while the mower is tightly strapped down during transport. I can buy that, I suppose, and after all, this isn't so much a post about complaining as it is about getting information out. That said, if any of you are experiencing a ride on your new mower that's a little more bumpy than you expected, maybe your lawn's not to blame so much as the rubber bricks your axle might be strapped to. Food for though.

Tire Pressure and Ride Comfort