Trailer behind tractor?

[inode]

What does everyone use as a trailer behind their tractor? I'm wanting a trailer to haul wood out from behind the tractor when cutting. I have an old pickup bed on a trailer frame that I thought about using. However, the bed is rusted out and I don't think it could handle a load of wood.

 

[Birdhunter1]

If it is just the sheeetmetal of the bed that is rusted it will probably haul it fine. If it is the frame that could be a different story, post up some photos and leave it to the wizards amongst us to judge its structural integrity.

 

[CMV]

I have a cheapie 4x8 flat tilting utility trailer. The kind with 13" tires and you have to make your own deck. From NT or HF - some Chinamart type place like that. Works well enough but would be useless for firewood since it tilts down a lot to hook @ drawbar and no sides - which could be worked around to make a decent wood hauler.

Honestly, the trailer usually just ends up sitting with various crap piled on it.... Just as easy for me to split the wood where I want it stacked or just leave stuff in my truck bed and unload where I'm going to use it vs transferring to trailer that holds less than my truck.

I don't use a lot of firewood though. Just whatever trees die or a storm knocks down - I cut those up & split just to do something with them & always have plenty from that for big camp fires when I have people over.

 

[CobyRupert]

I have a small 4x8 utility trailer, probably rated for 1500lbs that I regularly put probably 2500lbs (2/3 of cord) or more of firewood on and tow behind tractor or truck. I built some side racks for it that slide on and off.
I did bolt 4" high pieces of steel between the axle and the springs to raise it up so the fenders wouldn't rub, and so tongue height would match truck hitch better. Then I had to put bigger tires on it cause all that extra weight would make the original skinny tires sink in the clay right up to the axles. :laughing:

 

[redhead]

Woodland Mills

ATV Trailers | Woodland Mills USA

They make 2 models. I have the "Woodland ATV Trailer". For the money, it's awesome

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have a bunch from Tiny to Huge! All I can say for sure is anything that dumps is a HUGE advantage and time/labor saver.

 

[jeff9366]

If you will store new trailer outside, a poly body may be a good idea.

POLAR TRAILERS: Polar Trailer - The Home Depot

 

[John_Mc]

I've been through several trailers behind my tractor. The one I used for years was a home-built by my neighbor. The bed is just under 5' wide and about 8 1/2' long. He made it from an old mobile home axle and some left over steel. It had a 2" ball on it at one point, but now has a tractor-style pin hitch. Usually, I pull it from the logging winch on my 3 PT hitch (the winch has been modified with a receiver hitch. I just put in an insert without a ball mounted on it and hook the pin hitch to that. Occasionally, I'll put one of those draw-bars that mounts between the lower 3 Pt hitch arms to tow it. It was inexpensive (he gave it to me) and will carry 1/2 cord of green Beech or or Oak without a problem (shown here behind my Coot. That load is really too much for the Coot, but the trailer has no problem.) It has some decent size wheels on it, which have proven useful in the woods. If the sides ever need to be replaced, I'll probably go about 6" higher than what is shown here. Overall width is about 6'. This works out OK on most of my trails, but is wider than my tractor, so not really ideal for working in tight quarter in my woods.


I also own a Polar model 8262. Manual dump (works surprisingly well, 1500# capacity, walking arm suspension. I added the optional extended sides. It's a nice for use behind an ATV/UTV (I bought it to use with my Coot), but much too small to be practical behind my 33 HP tractor. I do occasionally use it as a tool hauler, or when my other options are full. The pin hitch on the trailer would not fit the tractor's built-in drawbar, so I towed it similarly to what is mentioned for the home-built trailer above. This trailer has since been converted to a 2" ball hitch. Generally I don't recommend this for anything larger than a subcompact.



One of my more recent additions was a CAM Woodsman dump trailer. I really like this trailer. It's narrow - a little over 4' wide, so very maneuverable in the woods. Capacity is about 3500#. It's not currently street legal, but can be made so fairly easily. You can get them set up to run off tractor hydraulics, or with a self-contained 12VDC hydraulic pump. Min ehas the hydraulic pump, which is great for when I pull it behnd I found it used a couple hours from me. Really, this is an almost ideal dump trailer for use behind a compact tractor in the woods. Now that I have a dump trailer, I wonder how I ever got by without one. No good pics of this one yet. I'll try to remember to get one.

Log forwarding trailer - Hard to justify the expense of one of these just for personal use. There is a huge jump in price from the typical ATV-sized ones to something more suited for use behind a tractor. This one is a Metavic M95. I found it for sale used - in like new condition, from a guy a couple of hours down the road from me.

 

[WranglerX]

If PU bed is old and rusted but has solid frame and axle throw a sheet of plywood (or steel plate) in bed and go for it.... IF you are not on roads or streets if something falls through its not going to be a issue....

It's a trailer for moving stuff and as long as it moves stuff anything goes....

Only thing I ever found with my small trailer behind my JD L120 mower was Marathon solid core tires that don't go flat after fighting 4-5 flats I gave up on tube or tubeless types...... IF building small trailer I would consider foam filled ones if you do not need pneumatic tires...

Dale

 

[Gem99ultra]

snip>
View attachment 583566

I also own a Polar model 8262. Manual dump (works surprisingly well, 1500# capacity, walking arm suspension. I added the optional extended sides. It's a nice for use behind an ATV/UTV (I bought it to use with my Coot), but much too small to be practical behind my 33 HP tractor. I do occasionally use it as a tool hauler, or when my other options are full. The pin hitch on the trailer would not fit the tractor's built-in drawbar, so I towed it similarly to what is mentioned for the home-built trailer above. This trailer has since been converted to a 2" ball hitch. Generally I don't recommend this for anything larger than a subcompact.

View attachment 583568

One of my more recent additions was a CAM Woodsman dump trailer. I really like this trailer. It's narrow - a little over 4' wide, so very maneuverable in the woods. Capacity is about 3500#. It's not currently street legal, but can be made so fairly easily. You can get them set up to run off tractor hydraulics, or with a self-contained 12VDC hydraulic pump. Min ehas the hydraulic pump, which is great for when I pull it behnd I found it used a couple hours from me. Really, this is an almost ideal dump trailer for use behind a compact tractor in the woods. Now that I have a dump trailer, I wonder how I ever got by without one. No good pics of this one yet. I'll try to remember to get one.

Log forwarding trailer - Hard to justify the expense of one of these, but the ones I looked it were very well built. This one is a Metavic M95:

View attachment 583570

<snip

Now THAT Polar trailer is on nice little trailer. Ideal for 'round-the-farm' use. But, for $700, I probably won't be buying one. I'll just have to continue using my old Snowco snowmobile trailer. Thanks for your post though - very informative.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

What does everyone use as a trailer behind their tractor? I'm wanting a trailer to haul wood out from behind the tractor when cutting. I have an old pickup bed on a trailer frame that I thought about using. However, the bed is rusted out and I don't think it could handle a load of wood.

Sheet of 1" plywood across the bottom, and one of those plastic drop-in one piece bed liners on top of that. If there's any trailer left under all of that, it should be able to carry stuff around the farm.

 

[check]

Woodland Mills

ATV Trailers | Woodland Mills USA

They make 2 models. I have the "Woodland ATV Trailer". For the money, it's awesome

I have the same thing. Use it all the time. Great trailer! And narrow enough for use in the woods.

 

[ptsg]

We use trailers like this over here:



These things last a lifetime! It handles so much abuse. The bed is made with the sides in wood or metal as the costumer wants. They can dump to the sides or rear.

They are rated from 3000lbs up to 20,000 lbs, varying in size according to the rated weight. Bigger sizes get dual wheels and hydraulic brakes. Some can get two axles with dual wheels.

 

[LouNY]

It's always interesting to see those farm trailers, we don't see many of those in this country.
With the exception of the big grain carts and dump wagons for the ones that haul with trucks.
This used to be quite common, but less so every year.
They would be a bit big in the "woods"

 

[powerscol]

Probably overkill for you but here is my PJ goose neck. Use it for hay, but you could load wood. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

I've got a little machine with a little trailer.

Rubbermaid 10 cu ft dump trailer like this.

I mostly use it for planting and harvesting canna lillies spring and fall now.

I took the kids for hay rides back when they were small and I had a little Simplicity to pull it around. Couldn't do that now, as my current machine has a rear exhaust. I used it to haul gravell, limestone, mulch, pumpkins, potatoes, etc... before I got our current machine with a 10 cu ft bucket. Kinda negates the 10 cu ft trailer except for those canna lillies.

Anyhow, it's pretty tough, won't rust, has sat outside for 20+ years and still works fine. But MAN ARE THEY EXPENSIVE NOW!!!

I think I paid about $200 and now they are over $500. YIKES! But I still highly recommend it. :thumbsup:

 

[kco]

I got this small wagon running gear from an online auction at the end of our road:





Added a few new bolts, used tires and tubes and painted it. I have just used it a couple of times to make sure I can handle it on the hills. The bed is about 3.5 x 8' and I added side stakes 2' high. It is possible to extend it a few feet but I will likely leave it at 8' because I work on narrow, winding trails. My main wood supply is at a neighbour's 1 to 2 miles away.


I was using front and rear forks to haul 8' logs:





It was quite a struggle to load the largest logs. It also put a lot of weight on the tractor.


I have been hauling mainly 12' logs with some up to 16' logs on the new trailer. The trailer makes loading and unloading much easier. I carry or drag the logs to it and load it with the pallet forks. I also carry a set of 16.5" log tongs. Unloading the trailer is also a lot easier and safer.

 

[LouNY]

^^^^
good use of an old farm wagon

 

[PHPaul]

Home built 4x8 dump trailer. Hydraulics are an old PTO pump off a 1 ton dump truck, driven by a 6 horse Honda with a gear reduction.

Originally built with a straight lift cylinder, but it was't really up to much of a load due to under-sized cylinder (it's what I had at the time) and inefficient geometry (dictated by the length of the cylinder).

Later updated to a scissors lift built from plans bought off the internet with a 2.5x8 cylinder.

 

[MossRoad]

Got any more info on your Pasquali tractor? Would love to see some more pictures in another thread. The Power Trac, Steiner and Ventrac owners would, too. :thumbsup: