Tractor Haulers?

[FarmerSue]

Got my eye on a compact utility tractor in Iowa (18 hp). Don't want to buy it until I can find a reasonable, cross-country tractor hauler. Quotes I've gotten so far are pretty steep. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[bmaverick]

Got my eye on a compact utility tractor in Iowa (18 hp). Don't want to buy it until I can find a reasonable, cross-country tractor hauler. Quotes I've gotten so far are pretty steep. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Not sure where you are since your avatar doesn't show the region.

U-Haul trailers are cheap, just take a few days of vacation and go fetch it.

18Hp tractor should be easy to tow with a minivan or SUV with a good V6, even a Subaru can do it.

 

[bmaverick]

 

[bmaverick]

Or if you have time, The Harbor Fright trailer can be made into this for under $350. Then you would have a trailer to haul the small 18Hp tractor if it fits on it. 1,750-lbs capacity too.

 

[jyoutz]

Or if you have time, The Harbor Fright trailer can be made into this for under $350. Then you would have a trailer to haul the small 18Hp tractor if it fits on it. 1,750-lbs capacity too.

View attachment 1839203

I’ve looked at that trailer. No way I’d haul a tractor on that thing. 12” low speed tires and a light duty frame.

 

[scootr]

Cross country hauling is expensive these days. Expect to pay around $1-2 a mile depending on the size of the machine and the distance.

 

[newbury]

Try your luck with posting in the TBN forums for the region you live in AND tell WHERE and WHEN and WHAT you need transportation.
You might find some TBN'er hauling a trailer full of stuff one way TO Iowa and deadheading back to your area.
There is a forum, Old Wood Working Machinery (OWWM), which members of said forum routinely haul old (big and heavy) equipment long distances for minimal cost.
Good luck.

 

[sandman2234]

When i was running around the country back in 2010 to 2015 picking up tractors and such, I would keep an eye on the hauling forum on Yesterday's tractors. I could find a load going towards where I wanted to go, and my standard price was a dollar a loaded mile. That was usually enough to pay my fuel round trip, which was what I was after. Every now and then I would find a second load to go with my first, at which point I would make money hauling. You have to trust people a little to be able to do this, as I could have walked off with whatever I was hauling, or worse. They could have refused to pay me when I got there, but I always collected when I arrived, no money up front, and the load wasn't coming off the trailer till it was paid for. I never had an issue, but there is room for some. Only one person ever even joked about paying me less than I had negotiated.
Depending on how fast you need it hauled will determine how much it will cost you. Got time to wait for someone who "is going that way" and you might save a little money. The general nature of how freight moves will also have bearing on what it costs you. If your tractor was in south Florida and needed to go to Atlanta, you could get it moved cheap. The other way around would cost you double.
David from jax

 

[scootr]

When I was shopping tractors in 2021 The average cost to deliver the tractor from national sources was $2-3k. That cost coupled with the fact I could not inspect the tractor before paying for it left me more than a little uneasy. I realized that if I could find something locally The peace of mind of a pre-purchase inspection and $0 hauling fee meant I could pay a little more and still feel good about the deal.
I went to the Kubota dealer and priced what I wanted. Then I searched until I found something as close to what I saw at the dealer as possible and paid cash for it.
Good luck in your search.

 

[bmaverick]

Got my eye on a compact utility tractor in Iowa (18 hp). Don't want to buy it until I can find a reasonable, cross-country tractor hauler. Quotes I've gotten so far are pretty steep. Any suggestions? Thanks!

So, from the other forum you had posted on, you are in South Carolina. The tractor of interest is in Iowa.

I like to poise this question then, do you have any relatives, friends or such who live near Iowa? Could they fetch the tractor and haul it to Ohio? And you drive up to Ohio with a trailer to swap it over?

 

[North to Alaska]

What is the weight and specs of the tractor?

Can’t give advice until we have that information

 

[EarPlug]

https://www.uship.com/ship/

 

[sandman2234]

I have a friend who lives in Le Clair, IA who travels in a company pickup truck that just called me saying he was heading down near Auburn, Al and did I need anything hauled. I had not expected a call so soon, since he just delivered a pair of 1966 Chevy small block engines to KY where another friend met him and hauled them to TN where they await the next step of the journey to get to me. While I might meet up with him around Auburn for dinner, my schedule is too unpredictable for me to have him haul something unless I know of a place where I can store it until I can get to it. In your case, you could have had him drop it at a mini storage place until you could go after it. He doesn't charge me (or anyone else) for hauling, it just gets him a lot of very appreciative friends! We try to make sure he gets something for his efforts, simply because we don't want to lose that resource!
A network of friends with FEL tractors and room to store stuff out back for a little while is huge! I need to find someone who can unload and reload a trailer if two guys meet in the middle with loads around Columbia, SC because the guy in TN has a bunch of my stuff and I have a trailer load of his stuff that needs to go to him. Neither of us has time for a complete trip complete round trip but we could meet in the middle and swap loads and both be home for dinner that night.
David from jax

 

[FarmerSue]

Got my eye on a compact utility tractor in Iowa (18 hp). Don't want to buy it until I can find a reasonable, cross-country tractor hauler. Quotes I've gotten so far are pretty steep. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[FarmerSue]

I have a friend who lives in Le Clair, IA who travels in a company pickup truck that just called me saying he was heading down near Auburn, Al and did I need anything hauled. I had not expected a call so soon, since he just delivered a pair of 1966 Chevy small block engines to KY where another friend met him and hauled them to TN where they await the next step of the journey to get to me. While I might meet up with him around Auburn for dinner, my schedule is too unpredictable for me to have him haul something unless I know of a place where I can store it until I can get to it. In your case, you could have had him drop it at a mini storage place until you could go after it. He doesn't charge me (or anyone else) for hauling, it just gets him a lot of very appreciative friends! We try to make sure he gets something for his efforts, simply because we don't want to lose that resource!
A network of friends with FEL tractors and room to store stuff out back for a little while is huge! I need to find someone who can unload and reload a trailer if two guys meet in the middle with loads around Columbia, SC because the guy in TN has a bunch of my stuff and I have a trailer load of his stuff that needs to go to him. Neither of us has time for a complete trip complete round trip but we could meet in the middle and swap loads and both be home for dinner that night.
David from jax

David, thanks so much for the offer. Sounds like you have great friends! We are still negotiating with the seller. We are in our 70's and the days of having hauling adventures are less and less fun. I'll keep you posted. You are very kind. Sue

 

[FarmerSue]

View attachment 1839202

Thanks, in our younger days we did do our own hauling. Just not sure we're up for it now that we're older. Also, don't know if we can negotiate a good price. Appreciate the suggestion. ...Sue

 

[RayIN]

Don't give up on yourselves; I bought a 52HP tractor with FEL and forks and 6' bucket last summer and hauled it myself. I'm 82; it just took longer to load, chain, than 20 years ago.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I’ve looked at that trailer. No way I’d haul a tractor on that thing. 12” low speed tires and a light duty frame.

Agreed. Those small tires are not friendly at highway speeds. It might make one long distance trip...might not.

 

[Mr_Pips]

May I ask what is so special about this particular tractor that you can't find a similar one near by?

 

[aircommuter]

You can do it. I am 76 and don’t hesitate to use my 14K deck over trailer for moving stuff around. Harbor Freight has a new heavier built trailer now. Might check the specs.