Harbor Freight ~40 x ~48 utility trailers

[Michael Aos]

I've been looking for a little cart or trailer about 54" wide or less, to haul a self-propelled lawn mower or walk-behind string trimmer.

Ideally I was after something with a built-in ramp or tilt that I could just drive the lawn mower onto. Worst-case I can have a ramp at both the start and destination, or haul a ramp with me.

I don't need anything DOT-rated. A garden / ATV cart could work.

I've been looking at these Harbor Freight models. $150 for the version w/8" tires. I think the 12" tired version goes on-sale occasionally for $199.

 

[crazyal]

I had one that I bought from Ames department store back in the 80s. It was a little flimsy because it came in a box and had to be bolted together. Plywood stiffened it up some but welding it would have helped. I used it for hauling an ATC (this was before 4 wheel ATV's were offered). It worked just fine and over the decades I have changed it's configuration. Currently it's a trailer I pull behind my UTV that's about 4' wide and 4 1/2' long. While the rubber tires are long gone the bearings are still the original. If I needed another I would buy the HF one. For the light loads you are talking about it should do just fine. For heavier loads I would make sure that the weight is even on the frame or it might twist on you. If you're handy and have a welder you can always upgrade it over the years (like I did) to fit your needs.

 

[JJZ 109]

I bought a HF model a summer or two ago. Wasn't interested in folding it up, so bolted a piece of 3/4 pressure treated plywood to it. Works good enough for my purposes. A 7 mile trip to a local water plant with to fill a 65 gallon tank now & then. But of course that was last summer before it rained every other day in the northeast.
Mostly it gets hooked to an old John Deere GT 235 for use around the yard.

 

[California]

I've been looking for a little cart or trailer about 54" wide or less, to haul a self-propelled lawn mower or walk-behind string trimmer.

I've been looking at these Harbor Freight models. $150 for the version w/8" tires. I think the 12" tired version goes on-sale occasionally for $199.

Recommended! I own two of them. The first one I set up specifically as a Jeep trailer, I wanted something so light I could detach it and turn it around by hand, on rough ground, if I got down some deer trail so steep that I couldn't back it back up the incline. Its also used occasionally for the usual city stuff, bring home a yard-sale welder etc. (I have a larger trailer out at the ranch).

This little trailer works excellent, within the limitation of what will fit in 40 x 48 inches. One important tip: You are unlikely to load it to rated weight capacity so run the tires at far less than the 60~80 psi noted on their sidewall. It will hop down the road with high pressure/light load. I studied a tire chart and found 24 to 28 psi is the recommended pressure for the 200 to 500 maximum GVW (trailer and contents) I actually pull. It pulls nice, set up like that.

The second one I bought off Craigslist for $30 to build a watering trailer. It's too shabby for road use - the wheel bearings are flaky rust (even after I repack them annually), no registration, 20 years parked outdoors.

.

But surprisingly it has held up well running grossly overloaded - 2600 lb GVW with a full tank of water - and the 20 year old 8 inch tires didn't pop in two seasons of this abuse. I finally found some cheap 12 inch automotive tires on 4 lug rims and that pulls easier, rides over instead of plowing, in the tilled, sloping ground where I use this.

A note on tire sizes: get the 8 inch tires, not the 12 inch. You will appreciate the lower trailer floor every time you load anything.

And buy HF's 2 inch hitch for the tongue when you buy the trailer. That will match near anything you will tow with. Including your neighbor's SUV when he wants to borrow the trailer.

 

[crazyal]

If you do get the trailer and it has the standard 4 lug bolt pattern golf cart tires/ wheels will bolt right on. They extra width makes it a lot less likely to sink into the ground. It'll make the trailer a little wider but if you are using it around the house it's nice not having the narrow tires sinking into the lawn.

 

[California]

But at least on my little trailers built 1997 (bought new) and the other one made earlier, the 4.80 x 8 tires just barely clear the chassis. Anything wider will rub. The 12 inch tires I found used for the watering trailer are off a Chevette or something ancient that used the boat-trailer hub pattern and are the narrowest 12" automotive tires made. They do rub a little. Harmless on my watering trailer where I need the largest tires I can fit to tow over disced, uneven ground but the rubbing wouldn't be acceptable for highway use. I think you would have to get custom wheels made with substantial offset, to run golf cart tires.

I don't think you are likely to load this tiny trailer enough to make ruts in a lawn.

When I started maintaining this orchard in year 2000 I soon realized the little camping trailer wasn't sufficient and bought a 4x8 trailer, at 2000 lbs GVW the largest I could pull with the Subaru I was driving by then.

I recommend 4x8 as the minimum for hobby-farm use. I use mine a lot, both in the orchard (generally behind the tractor) and of course road use. A little lawn tractor could pull this 4x8, it only weighs 500 lbs empty. 400 lbs with the detachable sides removed. I push it around by hand to get it out of its barn stall and hooked up.