First Time Trailer Buyer - Leonard vs. Interstate (TrailersPlus)?

[JeffroL]

Hi Folks,

I'm paying $150 each way to get my equipment to/from my local dealer. I understand the charge as it's around 2 hours round trip, but I'm getting sick of paying $600/year on top of my service costs. So I'm looking for a trailer capable of transporting my Kubota M7060 and other equipment, but the M7060 is the largest.

Locally I have access to two dealers, a Trailersplus, and another selling Leonard Trailers. I'm looking at a 7x18 10000# GVWR trailer. Prices are between $2900 for the Leonard or $3400 at Trailersplus. Any preferences between Leonard vs. Trailersplus (Interstate)? Any options I'm not even thinking about that I should be? Thanks!

-Jeff

 

[Fallon]

My 16' tilting deck trailer isn't big enough for my L3200. I can only get away with it because I can rest the loader & bucket on the really long tongue. It has 7k lbs axles so I'm good for weight.

For your bigger machines you'd be crazy to get something smaller than a 20' trailer with 7k axles. You need a lot longer deck than you have load so you can properly position your load to balance the tongue weight.

 

[JeffroL]

Yes, the 7x20 is only a few hundred more and would allow me some room to properly position the tractor. A 7K axle isn't enough I don't think, I'm looking at 10K axles. I'm really interested as to whether it's worth driving a 45 minutes to save a couple of hundred bucks on the Leonard.

-Jeff

 

[teg]

If Leonard is the same company that makes truck camper shells, don't waste your time... the money you "save" is NOT worth it.

 

[JeffroL]

They make all kinds of truck accessories - so presumably yes it's the same company.

 

[Deere Dude]

Yes, the 7x20 is only a few hundred more and would allow me some room to properly position the tractor. A 7K axle isn't enough I don't think, I'm looking at 10K axles. I'm really interested as to whether it's worth driving a 45 minutes to save a couple of hundred bucks on the Leonard.

-Jeff

Two-seven thousand pound axles should give 14,000 on the 4 tires. The weight of the trailer would maybe be 4000, so you should be able to load around 10,000# on the axles.
Just a cursory check on Tractor Data shows your tractor around 5,000# plus weights and an attachment. That should be maybe and extra 3,000# for a total of 8k#.

Are you looking at 10K axles which should give you a 14-15k load on the trailer? That sounds pretty heavy to me.

 

[Fallon]

Ya, I was talking about a pair of 7k lbs axles. Would give you 14-15k of capacity minus the 3-4k lbs weight of the trailer itself. No sane person would look at a single axle trailer over 4-5k lbs or so. A pair of 5k lbs axles might be ok for a car hauler, but I wouldnt consider them unless you are going to only ever haul a very small tractor.

 

[JeffroL]

Two-seven thousand pound axles should give 14,000 on the 4 tires. The weight of the trailer would maybe be 4000, so you should be able to load around 10,000# on the axles.
Just a cursory check on Tractor Data shows your tractor around 5,000# plus weights and an attachment. That should be maybe and extra 3,000# for a total of 8k#.

Are you looking at 10K axles which should give you a 14-15k load on the trailer? That sounds pretty heavy to me.

You raise a couple of really important points all of which show my ignorance - if I'm being honest! A couple of things maybe someone can help clear up:

1) My M7060 has a LA1154 FEL. The tractor has no weights, so presumably it's at the manufacturer rating plus some because of wheel water. I'm also assuming that doesn't include the LA1154. I know the tractor itself is 5000#. Assuming fuel and wheel water, I figure at least 5500#. The LA1154 I'm pegging at 1550# with the bucket and valve. So my grand total weight in my head is: 7550#.

2) On the TrailersPlus trailers they rate the larger once by "axle" but I do NOT know if that is per axle or the cumulative total. I believe it is the latter. For example, the trailers marked as "7k axle" have a GVWR or 7000#. Same for the "10k axle", 10,000# GVWR. Based upon that I've ruled out the "7k" models and am only looking at the "10k models".

3) My GUESS is that the 10k models actually have two 5k axles on it. That's why the price is relatively modest at $3400ish.

4) I have only two use cases for this trailer: a) hauling my M7060 to the shop which is about 65 miles round trip, but with a fair number of hills (not windy though) b) hauling my M7060 to my day-to-day home in town for heavy duty jobs and snow removal, also 65 miles round trip; c) hauling my other equipment, which is so much lighter as to be irrelevant in terms of weight.

5) I'll haul this rig with my Toyota Tunda (newer model) with a 10k tow capacity.

6) As usual I'm learning more than I expected with this question.

With all that said, what are my best options? What am I not even thinking of?

-Jeff

 

[mcfarmall]

For hauling a tractor or a car for that matter I wouldn't even look at a trailer <20' long (not including the beaver tail or dove tail or whatever you like to call it).

 

[JeffroL]

For hauling a tractor or a car for that matter I wouldn't even look at a trailer <20' long (not including the beaver tail or dove tail or whatever you like to call it).

I'm sold on that. 20' minimum. There are several in the 10k GVWR range at 20'. My tractor will fit with 3-4' of "wiggle room" to balance the load properly.