Lawn & Garden Trailer

[GaryBDavis]

This past week, the kids and I were clearing rocks out of our lawn where I had tilled this past winter. We are smoothing it out in preparation for planting grass.

Anyway, I have this "lawn and garden" trailer I built 13 years ago. We pull it behind the ATV. I wanted it to be heavy duty, but still in the lawn and garden range. It has 1,000lb spindles and 18.5x8.5x8 golf cart tires. The frame is 1x1/8" square tubing with 11ga diamond plate. The bed is 3' wide by 4'6" long and 15" high. It will carry just about anything I can put in it.

Folks are always asking me where they can buy one like it. I wish there was a market for trailers like these and someone with enough pride to manufacture them.

 

[schmism]

its been my experience that with todays prices, those that want one, arnt willing to pay what it costs to get one.

They see the version at HD for (significantly) less and think, why should i pay (significnatly) more for "this" one.

 

[Blagadan]

Yeah, thats the way I see it too. Everyone is so tight with their budgets these days, they are looking for the cheapest available instead of looking for a unit that is value for money.
I used to have a nice little sideline building utility trailers, back in the late 90's I was turning out 2-3 units a week. Building strong trailers with a relatively tight profit margin. Slowly but surely my business slowed and I went looking for the reason. It was the big box stores offering trailers for half the cost I was charging. I couldnt even buy the materials for what the bb stores were charging for the finished product. Sure they were light gauge frames and paper thin sheet metal beds or even plastic beds, but people were looking for cheapest available...
The big box stores have practically shut me down... The domestic market is all but gone for me now, only people with custom requirements or trade customers looking for heavy duty bespoke trailers.... I dont do much in the trailer business any more, I might build one every 6-8 weeks now.

Trust me, I used to build my trailers with pride... but pride doesn't pay my bills unfortunately..

Nice trailer you got there Gary... strong looking unit. Its guys like you that have the ability to build a garden trailer for themselves that are lucky.

I'll bet that trailer gets passed onto your kids and they will use it on their property in time... I like the "Gary - 1995" on the front, nice touch...

Heres an idea, go figure out the cost of materials for your trailer, metal, hubs, wheels, hitch, nuts bolts , paint etc...... then ask yourself how many man hours it would take you to fabricate it, I recon 6-8 hours.. factor in your hourly rate, cost of electricity, etc etc...
Next guy to ask you where they can buy one, you say... "SURE, I sell them right here, they're $XXX a piece..." You do have the skills gary thats for sure... Its the customers that are the problem.....

Looking at the photo of your loaded trailer... You try to load that much material into a HD garden trailer, the thing would split in two... I'll bet you never break your trailer... "Lifetime guarantee" with that one.

Heres a pic of a light garden trailer I made up out of scrap bits I had in the workshop...

cost me next to nothing to make.. Not as strong as yours but darn useful trailer all the same, gets into the tightest spots. The kids love it to bits too, they get to ride in it every time I have it hitched onto the tractor...

 

[firemanpat2910]

great trailer. now off topic, Those rocks all came from your yard? I couldnt get that many rocks out of this whole county. What are you going to do with the rock?

 

[GaryBDavis]

Yep, those rocks came from a 1/2 acre patch and there were several loads before that. Come to think of it, rocks may be the best crop we grow. You can have them for free - just come get them. Otherwise, we use them to combat the mud in our creek crossings.

 

[amigauser]

Folks are always asking me where they can buy one like it. I wish there was a market for trailers like these and someone with enough pride to manufacture them.

The only one I have found similar to your design (but not quite as heavy) is this one.
http://www.wikco.biz/dumptrailer.htm

I lucked out and I just picked up this one (the flared side model) from my local CT craigslist for $700
Dump trailers from Midsota Manufacturing: ATV, Lawn & Garden Dump Trailers

 

[Rara Avis]

Dump Cart - Home & Garden - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at NexTag - Price - Review

Ohio Steel ATV and Lawn Tractor Dump Cart, Material Handling - GEMPLER'S

 

[rdln]

This is a topic near and dear..., I think for the money Swishers steel wagon is the best thing going. But there is nothing better than homemade, you dont have to worry about weight, profit, shipping, customer assembly, liability....

The major flaw with these dump carts is High center of gravity in order to achieve a good dump angle with little manual effort. The power assist is what
puts the wagons over the $1000 mark.

I dream about mass producing these but I cant figure how to build something I can be proud of and make money w/o going over $1,500.