Trailering a tractor

[Bigfinn]

I am interested in hearing of other's experiences with transporting their tractors. My house is two and a half hours away from my Christmas tree farm, which means a lot of trailer time for my TC29. What is the prefered method of holding the tractor in place? I plan on using chains and load-binders, one front and one on the back, but where's the best place to hook on the tractor? Any tips for loading and unloading would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[MChalkley]

Always chaining the equipment down is very important. I once saw huge bulldozer on a lowboy slide sideways far enough that one track was several inches over the edge of the trailer. It happened so easily - the truck was rounding a curve with a dip in it. The trailer dropped into the dip and the bulldozer stayed up in the air. The trailer went around the curve and the bulldozer kept going straight. That'll make a believer out of you.

I use chains and load binders. I like to hook the chains up so the one on the front is pulling the tractor forward and the one on the back is pulling the tractor backward. Then, I use a spring-loaded binder on one end and a ratchet screw-type binder on the other. I latch the spring-loaded binder first, making sure it's tight enough to compress the spring. Then I tighten the ratchet binder. This lets me get it as tight as I want to. After I've got the binders tight, I put the tractor in low range and lock the parking brake. If the chains loosen, which they will, the spring binder takes up the slack.

Where I hook up to on the front varries - most times I go through the loader tube, having made a wire with a hook on the end to pull the chain through, but sometimes that won't work, so I use the brush guard plate. I wish there was a shackle or loop on the front axle. On the back, I usually go through a shackle I have mounted to the drawbar.

 

[Bird]

Bigfinn, to answer your question about where to hook onto the tractor; it depends/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. Do you have a front end loader on it? Are you going to have an implement mounted on the 3-point? I guess I'd say almost any solid parts that won't bend, and I prefer trying to avoid scratching the paint too much. If I have no implement on the 3-point, I attach the rear chain to the drawbar. I usually attach the chain to the trailer, ease forward to make it tight, and then I only have to use a binder on the front chain. And if the front end loader is on the tractor, my loader arms have a hollow cross brace that I can run the chain through. As far as loading and unloading; slowly and carefully. I have heavy steel ramps for driving my tractor onto the trailer.

Bird

 

[Bigfinn]

Thanks for the quick responses! Mark, I'm not sure I've ever seen a spring loaded binder, is it something I can get at a local farm supply store? The tractor does have a loader and I will have either a box blade or mower(when I can wrestle the checkbook away from the wife) on the back. Is it advantageous to attach to the highest point on the tractor, or implement, as possiable? Thanks.

 

[MChalkley]

Most good hardware stores carry them, especially ones that carry trucking chains and hardware. They're basically a plain binder with a heavy coil spring in the mechanism that maintains tension on it.

I don't think it makes much difference whether you chain the tractor from a high point or a low one. I usually end up using a low one because it's more convenient. The main thing you want is some tension pulling it forwards and backwards to keep it from sliding toward the front or back, and some downward tension to keep the tires on the deck.

 

[al f]

If you want to tie down the tractor itself, your TC 29 probably has the same tie down as my TC 25. There is a large "hoop" under the left footrest that my dealer said was a tidown for transport. It seems that a higher point would be more stable, but this along with the drawbar and loader tie down, would make things real secure. This loop is very solid, bolted right to the frame.

 

[W5FL]

Ask the dealer how they are tied down when they get them in.

Also be sure to measure the length of the tractor with loader and mower. I thought my trailer was plenty long until I loaded the tractor and mower on it and it hung over a foot past the end of an 18 foot 12,000# GVW trailer. Most heavy duty trailers come with adequate ramps, but be sure. Trailer brakes are a must. The hitch on the towing vehicle and everything including the receiver and ball need to be adequately rated for the loaded trailer including the tires on the trailer as well as the towing vehicle.

If you haven't bought a trailer yet, be sure it is wide enough and long enough! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bigfinn]

Wen, I actually did buy a trailer that was too small! Last year I bought a 12 ft. tandem which I figured to be plenty big to haul around my dad's skidsteer. Well, nine months and a lot of research later I decide to buy tractor and I made the same discovery that you did. Fortunately I was able to buy my dad's 16 ft. (He gets to use it anytime, I think he got the better of the deal). I also had to buy a stronger hitch-not the receiver part but the part that slides into it with the ball on it. The first one was rated at 5000lbs, and after pulling that small skidsteer(about 3500lbs)on the trailer through some wicked mudholes with my Bronco I actually twisted the hitch 3/4"! Which is about the time I started to think I needed a tractor!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

One of the things I did was to weld a hook on the front of my loader for a tie down and use the knuckle of the backhoe for the rear. One of the things I learned the hard way was make sure that you either bolt or weld some bracing under the ramps for loading and unloading. If the tractor is heavy enough, when you put the front tires on the pivot of the gate and the decking you can pick up the rear of the vehicle. NOT a good thing when on a hill. Better be able to think very, very fast. When you do put the braces on the gates make sure there is the weight of the tractor on the trailer otherwise if you unload on blacktop the gates may not want to come back up(they dig into it).

 

[W5FL]

The hitch receiver, ball mount and ball all have ratings STAMPED on them. It is hard to get them rated high enough for pulling a tractor with implement. My ball mount is solid steel and only rated for 10,000#. The ball is 2 5/16 which is required for ANY trailer with a GVW of over 5000#. Here in Texas they sell you a 7000# trailer with a 2 inch ball and you will never find a GVW plate on these trailers /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.