Noticed Desser has a 280/250 x 4 tailwheel tire that is 6ply instead of the regular 4 ply. Anybody prefer these in the off-airport environment, or are they meant for something heavier than a Citabria?

Absolutely....that’s all I would use.

MTV

Works great on my 180. 10+ years.

Forgot to note, I put one on my PA-11, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. You’ll never roll the tire off with one of these, even if it’s flat ....

MTV

Is it TSO'd?

Section 37167 Aircraft Tires -- TSO-C62c
Tailwheel tires are excluded from TSO. Hmm, maybe I should look into those foam-filled, never flat, handcart tires.

After a couple flat tailwheels at inopportune moments,
a guy I know took his tailwheel to Les Schwab years ago, and had them fill it with foam.
I dunno how much weight it added, but he never had another flat t/w.

The tailwheel tire is the Rodney Dangerfield of aircraft parts.....it don't get no respect.

A routine check of tailwheel tire pressure is a good habit to get into. On main wheel tires, it's usually fairly easy to see a REALLY low tire during a routine pre flight. But, many tailwheel tires look about the same with 50 psi in them as they do with 5 psi in them. Right up till you put a little extra weight on them, that is.....or turn by breaking the tailwheel loose, and pivoting around. That's usually when you discover a flat tailwheel tire, though there probably was nothing wrong with it except inflation pressure prior to that "event".

I know I've checked tailwheel tire pressure several times, looked at the gauge and thought "shoot, dang gauge is screwed up....only reads 5 psi.", only to try it again, and again, and finally realize that the tire really does have only 5 psi. The contortions you sometimes have to go through to get a gauge on those tailwheel inner tube valve stems doesn't help, either..

Check em regularly, keep the pressure up, and they'll do fine for many, many hours.

MTV