Kaufman 22' tilt deck equipment trailer purchase

[5030]

I have had a Kauffman 27 foot (lower deck with flip ramps) and 9 foot planked upper deck GN for years that I regularly overload with round bales. I have the oil bath axles on leaves and the only modification I had to do was I added gusset plates to the lower spring mounts because I was twisting them when overloaded making tight turns. Other than that and the typical crappy paint job and exposed hanging wiring. no issues. Never turned into a swayback either and I've never strapped it below the lower frame rail, which is common on overloaded trailers.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I don’t know the measurements on my 8k axels but I thought they looked pretty small. They’re a far cry from being equal to my 10k axels.

I guess as long as they are 8k rated it doesn't really matter, I just always assumed that the size of the tube indicated the rating of the axle and had never heard of a hybrid axle before today and still not sure how they get the 8k rating out of an axle tube that is the same diameter as a 7k, but there is a lot that I don't know about trailer axles, maybe someone who knows can explain. I do believe that hybrid 8k axles with a 3" axle tube is what these trailers come with, so when I upgraded from 7k to 8k I may not have done as much as I thought.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I do believe that hybrid 8k axles with a 3" axle tube is what these trailers come with, so when I upgraded from 7k to 8k I may not have done as much as I thought.

I think it's the bigger brakes I'd want, more than the bigger tube diameter.

SR

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I think it's the bigger brakes I'd want, more than the bigger tube diameter.

SR

Maybe so, I'm sure they are better but I haven't had any trouble stopping it with the current equipment trailer that I have been hauling it on and it has 2" x 12 brake shoes, but I agree the bigger brake shoes would be better, things of this nature are probably the reason that this model of Kaufman trailers are so much cheaper, just hope I don't find everything to be cut corners.

 

[Hay Dude]

Maybe so, I'm sure they are better but I haven't had any trouble stopping it with the current equipment trailer that I have been hauling it on and it has 2" x 12 brake shoes, but I agree the bigger brake shoes would be better, things of this nature are probably the reason that this model of Kaufman trailers are so much cheaper, just hope I don't find everything to be cut corners.

I don’t think you will. Most manufacturers find ways to cut corners.
Like nisaacs says, make sure you do your homework. Ask lotsa questions.
There is also the issue of overkill.

I was hell bent on buying a trailer with 8K axles & single tires, which are fine trailers, but came to the realization that for MY application, I would prefer 10 or 12k axles with dual tires just in case I have a flat. Plus my trucks are able to tow a trailer that size.

To each his own and education, research & careful consideration along with maintaining a responsible budget

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I don’t think you will. Most manufacturers find ways to cut corners.
Like nisaacs says, make sure you do your homework. Ask lotsa questions.
There is also the issue of overkill.

I was hell bent on buying a trailer with 8K axles & single tires, which are fine trailers, but came to the realization that for MY application, I would prefer 10 or 12k axles with dual tires just in case I have a flat. Plus my trucks are able to tow a trailer that size.

To each his own and education, research & careful consideration along with maintaining a responsible budget

Yeah I would love to have 10k axles on the tilt deck trailer but the upgrade is 8k's and realistically should be good for the skid steer and forestry mower with about 2k left over. My big thing is the price difference between a Big Tex and this Kaufman trailer is 6k+ more for the Big Tex and I just can't see spending that much more for what I am needing, time will tell I will be going to South Carolina to pick it up in a couple of weeks.

 

[Hay Dude]

I owned a Big tex before my Kaufman and it was a good trailer, but the Kaufman gives you more for less money.
I’d own either trailer.

 

[nisaacs]

I owned a Big tex before my Kaufman and it was a good trailer, but the Kaufman gives you more for less money.

Humm...I would say less for less money. I do agree with your comment on responsible budget. Money don't grow on trees. It is about what is important for you and your use.

Assuming the OP is comparing apples to apples on the two trailers. Just in axles alone the price difference is huge. Retail on hybrid spring axles is about $1400 each. Again, not saying the Kaufman has them, just saying some of their trailers do. Dexter premium torsion axles are $4,000 each retail. Warranty on spring axles (Dexter) is 5 years, torsion is 10 years.

The Kaufman is a 17k gvw, with spring axles of unknown origin. Bigtex is 17.5k and uses the Dexter premium torsion axles.

Kaufman uses 6" channel main and sub frame with 3" channel crossmembers on 17" centers. Bigtex uses 8" on both and 3" crossmembers on 16" centers.

This is just a small sample of economy and not. Not picking on Kaufman, just pointing out some differences between the two and why the price difference. The OP asked

 

[Hay Dude]

That’s probably a fair statement. What I mean by ”more for less money” is more value for less money (As opposed to better components). We know you think Kaufman is low quality, but they seem to hold up just fine and I use mine weekly and heavily loaded, too. I wouldn’t be afraid to buy another because it’s all I can afford and the savings allows me more $ for fuel, and insurance.

I’m stuck in the Kaufman/Appalachian/Pequea affordability range. I can’t afford premium name brands on a trailer, but I use my trailers every day. Some guys I know have way better trailers than me and use them 3 or 4 times a year.

That’s the way life works out in farming and the property maintenance trades. We have to find respectable well built equipment that’s affordable.

 

[Peter 315]

I looked at Kaufman trailers years ago but ended up getting Loadtrail trailers. 22 foot tilt deck 14k and a 22 foot flat deck. The only thing that I changed was the tires and rims to 19.5 Firestones on the tilt deck....

 

[Hay Dude]

Yeah I would love to have 10k axles on the tilt deck trailer but the upgrade is 8k's and realistically should be good for the skid steer and forestry mower with about 2k left over. My big thing is the price difference between a Big Tex and this Kaufman trailer is 6k+ more for the Big Tex and I just can't see spending that much more for what I am needing, time will tell I will be going to South Carolina to pick it up in a couple of weeks.

If you know what you are hauling, and what trailer meets, and hopefully exceeds the requirements for what you are hauling, then you should be fine.

I’ll tell you another factor not frequently discussed with equipment in general and that is owner operated versus employee operated.

If you are generally an O/O (which I assume you are) YOU are directly responsible for equipment failure due to any abuse or misuse. Usually an O/O is gentler, slower, more careful on their equipment than employees are.
If I was a BTO and had mucho grande employees, I might consider buying heavier built or newer equipment that could withstand employee punishment.

Comprehende?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

If you know what you are hauling, and what trailer meets, and hopefully exceeds the requirements for what you are hauling, then you should be fine.

I’ll tell you another factor not frequently discussed with equipment in general and that is owner operated versus employee operated.

If you are generally an O/O (which I assume you are) YOU are directly responsible for equipment failure due to any abuse or misuse. Usually an O/O is gentler, slower, more careful on their equipment than employees are.
If I was a BTO and had mucho grande employees, I might consider buying heavier built or newer equipment that could withstand employee punishment.

Comprehende?

I use my equipment but I don"t abuse my equipment and I do my own maintenance which includes using more than a nickles worth of grease per year, it's funny that you should mention that as I watched a guy on a jobsite I was on absolutely abuse a piece of equipment and I told the guy that was in charge of the crew "you can tell that isn't his equipment" he said yeah we just got it out of the shop, I said it's probably going back after today.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Well I went and picked up my tilt deck Kaufman trailer today, I was sitting at their South Carolina trailer plant in Bennettsville this morning at 7:15, even though they don't open until 8:00 I was invited in for coffee, cold drinks and snacks, by 8:30 all paperwork was done and I was hooked up to my trailer and headed home, very good professional folks, as for the trailer it appears well made and everything worked, it has a couple of boards that were split, but with the savings it wasn't something worth complaining about as they will be fine for years, I will try to take a couple of pictures in a day or two when I get a chance, but here are a couple of pictures of one just like mine in their showroom and one of their yard. I did have one bit of excitement coming home, had a front tire on my truck start seperating and developed a bad vibration and shimmy and it got worse to the point that I realized something was bad wrong and pulled over and found the left front tire about to blow, got my spare out and changed it and finished coming home.

 

[5030]

Just keep an eye on the suspension mounts. Like I said earlier, I had to fish plate mine as they were twisting when loaded in tight off camber turns.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Just keep an eye on the suspension mounts. Like I said earlier, I had to fish plate mine as they were twisting when loaded in tight off camber turns.

Will do. Thanks.

 

[Hay Dude]

Is the facility huge?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Is the facility huge?

Yes it is, I should have taken more pictures but I was trying to get the transaction done and making sure everything was correct but there were trailers covering probably 10 acres ,huge indoor paint booths, and just guessing probably an acre of indoor welding area, but I was most impressed at how clean the facility was and how professional the employees were, time will tell on the trailer longevity and quality, but at first glance I think it will be fine, there for sure isn't 6k difference to my local Big Tex dealer's equivalent tilt deck trailer.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Well it's taken me a week to get some pictures because I cut down every field of hay that I have because we have had 7 days of no rain, got the last of it put in the barn yesterday afternoon, so back to skid steer work this morning and my first chance to pull this trailer loaded, it pulled really well and I really like not having to deal with ramps, overall I have had nothing but a positive experience with Kaufman staff and the trailer, here are a few pictures of my trailer from this morning.

 

[4570Man]

A tilt deck is a little bit annoying trying to load multiple pieces but I love the speed and safety that it offers loading and not dealing with ramps. Another big plus is it won’t lift the truck off the ground and roll down a hill like a ramp trailer will do. It would also be hard to load an unsafe weight distributed load.

 

[Omega Woods]

I bought one like this a few weeks back and picked it up in NC. Nice trailer, good price. It's the 17k gvwr but they "derated" if for me to keep me under a combined 26k. Derating it consisted of them typing 16000 on the paperwork.