kiotiken
Veteran Member
OK, I'm very seriously considering taking my DK45 on a little road trip this weekend and would like any opinions or advice.
We recently finished a kitchen reno. While we were looking for the counter tops, we were having trouble choosing the granite so my "granite guy" sent me to one last place to look. When I got there, the place was empty, but I noticed some people behind the building, so I went back to talk and asked if they'd moved. It was actually one of the neighbors who told me the granite people did a midnight move a few months ago and the owners of the building were desperate to get rid of the remaining granite because new tenants were coming in. So last week, I went back and talked to the owner of the building who told me I could take it all, including the large steel frame, for $200. Even though our kitchen is done, I have plenty of projects for it floating in my head like a new kitchen table, counter top at the cottage and a BBQ zone on my deck so I don't have to move the BBQ away from the house. I LOVE natural stone, and can't wait to cook up plenty more projects given the huge amount of stone I'll have kicking around. Plus, once it's done, I'll convert the rack to a steel and wood holder which will be worth the $200 alone.
So, my neighbour is letting me borrow his trailer and was originally going to help me with his truck. He's not available anymore so I've decided to pull the trailer with my tractor. I'd estimate the trailer is near 2000# and I'll take a guess at about 3000# - 4000# for all the granite and that's way past what I can pull with my wifes van (3500# tow cap.). I'd also like to take my time loading the granite with no pressure and I'm worried the small forklift the building owner has won't have enough reach to place the granite on the center of the trailer. My tractor should be just about perfect for the job BUT I have a few concerns that I'd like opinions on.
1) It's 27 KM (16.5 miles) each way, but it's all paved. My tractor is a 2012 DK45 HST with 110 hrs. It's about 4hrs past due for an oil change and there's NO way I'll be able to get that done before leaving Sat. morning.
2) The trip will take approx 1.25 hrs each way and it's supposed to be around 30C (86F) on Sat, MUCH hotter on the asphalt I'm sure. I will leave as early as possible to beat the heat, but it depends on when they'll be there to open the gate. I worry I'm pushing my tractor hard on a fairly hot day.
3) The trailer has a pintle hitch so I'll have to use a hitch receiver on my 3pt hitch instead of the draw bar. No idea what the tongue weight will be, I'm more concerned about the stress on 3pt from towing approx. 5000# - 6000#
4) My tractor is HST. I only have 1 large hill to worry about going down with the full load and one with just the trailer. Should I stop and use 4 X 4? Will the HST be enough to keep it under control? Are the breaks going to be enough for an emergency stop either on the hill or on the road?
5) Does my tractor have a tow rating?
One piece of granite weighs about 1000# on it's own and I'll be lifting it from above using a sling. Since I'll be pulling a trailer, I won't have anything other than my loaded tires for ballast. It's a paved lot, which helps, but I'll be at full or near full height to lift it on to the trailer, so it should be "interesting".
So, anybody have anything I should keep in mind, any reason I shouldn't do it or any concerns about my tractors ability to do the job? I love granite, but it's not worth destroying my tractor or getting myself killed over. I will definitely be wearing my seat belt for this ride!
We recently finished a kitchen reno. While we were looking for the counter tops, we were having trouble choosing the granite so my "granite guy" sent me to one last place to look. When I got there, the place was empty, but I noticed some people behind the building, so I went back to talk and asked if they'd moved. It was actually one of the neighbors who told me the granite people did a midnight move a few months ago and the owners of the building were desperate to get rid of the remaining granite because new tenants were coming in. So last week, I went back and talked to the owner of the building who told me I could take it all, including the large steel frame, for $200. Even though our kitchen is done, I have plenty of projects for it floating in my head like a new kitchen table, counter top at the cottage and a BBQ zone on my deck so I don't have to move the BBQ away from the house. I LOVE natural stone, and can't wait to cook up plenty more projects given the huge amount of stone I'll have kicking around. Plus, once it's done, I'll convert the rack to a steel and wood holder which will be worth the $200 alone.
So, my neighbour is letting me borrow his trailer and was originally going to help me with his truck. He's not available anymore so I've decided to pull the trailer with my tractor. I'd estimate the trailer is near 2000# and I'll take a guess at about 3000# - 4000# for all the granite and that's way past what I can pull with my wifes van (3500# tow cap.). I'd also like to take my time loading the granite with no pressure and I'm worried the small forklift the building owner has won't have enough reach to place the granite on the center of the trailer. My tractor should be just about perfect for the job BUT I have a few concerns that I'd like opinions on.
1) It's 27 KM (16.5 miles) each way, but it's all paved. My tractor is a 2012 DK45 HST with 110 hrs. It's about 4hrs past due for an oil change and there's NO way I'll be able to get that done before leaving Sat. morning.
2) The trip will take approx 1.25 hrs each way and it's supposed to be around 30C (86F) on Sat, MUCH hotter on the asphalt I'm sure. I will leave as early as possible to beat the heat, but it depends on when they'll be there to open the gate. I worry I'm pushing my tractor hard on a fairly hot day.
3) The trailer has a pintle hitch so I'll have to use a hitch receiver on my 3pt hitch instead of the draw bar. No idea what the tongue weight will be, I'm more concerned about the stress on 3pt from towing approx. 5000# - 6000#
4) My tractor is HST. I only have 1 large hill to worry about going down with the full load and one with just the trailer. Should I stop and use 4 X 4? Will the HST be enough to keep it under control? Are the breaks going to be enough for an emergency stop either on the hill or on the road?
5) Does my tractor have a tow rating?
One piece of granite weighs about 1000# on it's own and I'll be lifting it from above using a sling. Since I'll be pulling a trailer, I won't have anything other than my loaded tires for ballast. It's a paved lot, which helps, but I'll be at full or near full height to lift it on to the trailer, so it should be "interesting".
So, anybody have anything I should keep in mind, any reason I shouldn't do it or any concerns about my tractors ability to do the job? I love granite, but it's not worth destroying my tractor or getting myself killed over. I will definitely be wearing my seat belt for this ride!