Towing with BX24/25

[wrooster]

Look again. No ROPS upon which to affix the card suggested. Each guy gotta do what he's comfortable doing, I guess. It's a personal decision, so I'll back out of here now.

To me it's not a "personal decision" -- there are other people in the payload section of this overloaded situation. Taking the risk of turning your tractor over on yourself is one thing, but doing so with 20 folks in tow is a different matter.

I don't have a BX24/25 manual but the manual for the (comparable size/weight/power) BX2360 shows maximum rated towing capacity of about 1700 pounds. Let's assume Kubota built in a factor of safety of two; that's 3400 pounds. The OP states a 6000 pounds tow weight situation, and that is more than three and a half times the rated towing capacity of the tractor.

As for "well nothing bad hasn't happened in the past so it must be safe" -- that type of false confidence is a recipe for disaster. Read Feynman's contributions to the investigation of the Challenger shuttle accident for reference.
Rogers Commission Report - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Like I said, it's one thing to take risks when you are the only one who may get injured/killed, it's another to play ferry boat for customers with a ship too small for the load.

Wrooster

 

[BXinNH]

Not to jump on you further, but please re-consider your choice in trailer tie-downs. In the pics it looks like you have the BX tied to the trailer with ratcheting cargo straps that are no where near adequate. If I'm interpreting the picture incorrectly I'm sorry, if not, please upgrade your tie downs before you end up shopping for a new "locomotive".

Matt.

 

[oldnslo]

Lets see here. A full size pickup weighs in at what 7,000 lbs. This vehicle is pulling two 250 bushel gravity boxs full of soybeans which is 500 bushel x 60 lbs/bushel = 30,000 lbs plus the weight of the wagons. And now they are traveling down public roads at 20 -30 MPH Vs some one pulling 5000 - 6000 lbs with a BX on flat tar surfaces. I ask, which one has more recipe for disaster?

Or better yet the same pick-up pulling two anhydrous ammonia tanks down the road.

Roy

 

[wrooster]

Lets see here. A full size pickup weighs in at what 7,000 lbs. This vehicle is pulling two 250 bushel gravity boxs full of soybeans which is 500 bushel x 60 lbs/bushel = 30,000 lbs plus the weight of the wagons.

Sorry, but you are not towing 15 tons net + the trailer tare on a public road using a pickup truck. A Ford F350 Super Duty is rated at about 16,000 pounds max tow, or about 8 tons.

Anyway, this is off topic.

Wrooster

 

[oldnslo]

Sorry, but you are not towing 15 tons net + the trailer tare on a public road using a pickup truck. A Ford F350 Super Duty is rated at about 16,000 pounds max tow, or about 8 tons.

Anyway, this is off topic.

Wrooster

Wrooster,

Come to Northern Illinois and yes you will see people doing this every spring and every fall.

Why is this Off topic. You are stateing safety issues about towing with a BX on private land. I am stating potential safety issues on public roads. See it everyday with pick-ups towing skid steers, trailers with round bales etc..

I for one have never seen a vehicle that could read or knew its rated towing capacity and refused to pull it accordingly.

Not trying to start a war, just point out that there are things going down the road everyday that could kill people. From what I can read into this Wayne has done his home work and is comfortable doing what he is doing. If you are not comfortable don't do it.

Roy

 

[wrooster]

Not trying to start a war, just point out that there are things going down the road everyday that could kill people. From what I can read into this Wayne has done his home work and is comfortable doing what he is doing. If you are not comfortable don't do it. Roy

Again, I will restate the obvious: I don't have any problem if it is your neck, and only your neck, on the line. Take whatever risks you want, but do it alone. Certainly 30K pounds of soybeans won't care one whit if you were to jack-knife the trailer and spill them out all over the road.

However, when there are 20 (paying, trusting) folks behind you in the towed cart you'd better have the proper equipment. One tiny little "not unusual" circumstance, like a small child running out in front on the tractor, resulting in you hitting the brakes hard, and guess what -- the 6000 pounds behind you isn't going stop on a dime. And that's where the trouble starts with a tractor undersized for the task, when stopping. The inertia of the trailer mass is going to push the lighter tractor off on an angle, topple it, and then what happens next to the towed cart is anyone's guess.

Example:
Island Guardian

See it everyday with pick-ups towing skid steers, trailers with round bales etc.

Consider now that there are people in the towed cart, not equipment and ag products. That changes things, doesn't it?

Wrooster

 

[oldnslo]

Consider now that there are people in the towed cart, not equipment and ag products. That changes things, doesn't it?

Wrooster

Yes and no, I would feel much safer being towed at 5 MPH on level ground that have a load of beans, corn, etc. careen out of control and smash into onto coming traffic etc. We have had anhydrous tanks dumped around here and they evacute quite an area. And yes things do jump out in front of you on the road, **it does happen.

Roy

 

[dodge man]

I could post a picture of myself standing up against a white painted wall, and people would respond with all the things I'm doing wrong in the picture. I'm slouching, my cholestrol is too high, I'm too tall, too short, the wall is the wrong color, I weigh too much, I'm too skinny etc. Its up to him what he tows with his BX. If he wants to kill thousands, let him. I agree, I've seen people, farmers and non-farmers hauling stuff down the road that make me cringe. I think him towing stuff with his BX is way down on the list of things for the saftey police to worry about.

 

[oldnslo]

I could post a picture of myself standing up against a white painted wall, and people would respond with all the things I'm doing wrong in the picture. I'm slouching, my cholestrol is too high, I'm too tall, too short, the wall is the wrong color, I weigh too much, I'm too skinny etc. Its up to him what he tows with his BX. If he wants to kill thousands, let him. I agree, I've seen people, farmers and non-farmers hauling stuff down the road that make me cringe. I think him towing stuff with his BX is way down on the list of things for the saftey police to worry about.

Well said.....

 

[wrooster]

5 MPH on level ground

It's not level ground, that's the point...

From the OP's top post:

The train has pulled about 4000 lbs of coaches and people up and down hills with the BX, and about 6000 lbs with all 6 coaches on level pavement. The red engine (Craftsman GT5000) will pull 3 loaded coaches but it won't stop going down hill. Again level pavement only. The hayride is over 5000 lbs with 20 people on board. I've had it heavier on flat paved ground no problem, but that's about the max for paved hills.

OP admits that 5000 pounds behind a Craftsman tractor "won't stop going downhill". I would call this "a clue". And 5000 pounds behind a BX is not that much different. The BX SCUT may weigh twice as much at the Craftsman LT, but it is not enough -- in fact 5000 pounds is three times the Kubota's tow rating.

And yes things do jump out in front of you on the road, **it does happen.

And that is why you employ the proper equipment rated for task, instead of the "hold my beer and watch this" approach.

n.b.
I see the "safety police" card has been pulled -- it's too bad that folks don't recognize until it's too late that a process has been working OK only due to serendipity and not by design. Afterward everyone gathers in the Safety forum, reads over the accident report, and says "Wow, you'd think someone would know better than to do that..."

Wrooster