It got so bad here one year, it was taking two to three trips to get a tire patched correctly, I went and bought a tire machine that year, and now nearly 20 years later I have no idea how much money I have saved over the year, first the saving of the trip to town, and the time to travel, is probably the biggest savings, but there is money savings as well, they make manual machines that work well, set them up out side so you have access to all sides to work the tool to take off and to put the tire on the rim,
and then the tires are so junky now days, rubber rots away in a few years, and there is no thickness to the side walls,
jsut a few Min's before I came in to the house I jsut got done changing a tire on the chisel machine that had fell apart.
I patch most tires, unless the hole needs filled and then I may plug it and then patch or use a special plug patch.
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one day on my pasture truck I had 4 flats in one day working on the fence, soon after that I ordered recapped aircraft tires, (off road use only, they can't dissipate the heat for long distances).
http://www.noflats.com/
there a job to get on the rim (recommend ordering the split rim they sell), and you want a excellent valve stem, so you never have to change it if you go tubeless, (use there no leak stuff, the tires have weep holes for letting air out of the tire when tubes are used)
They are nearly flat free, I have had them now for nearly 4 years and have not even added air to them.
They are usually between 16 and 24 ply, side walls are nearly 3/4 of a inch thick, and the tread area is thicker yet.
http://www.noflats.com/aircraft_tire_construction.htm