Help me understand WLL requirements for hauling small tractors.

[nyone]

Shoot! I am way overkill then!

I use 2 x 3/8" 4700lb chains on the front, and I use 2 x 3,300 lb work load limit straps (10,000 lb break) on the rear.

So I use 16,000 lbs of chain strap power that is legal for 32,000 lbs of equipment.... to pull around a what.... 4,600 tractor?

Tractor base weight of 1800
400 lbs of fluid fill x2 is 800
Larger rims and tires adds what, 100 lbs or so?
Loader is around 900 lbs.
I believe that the BH77 backhoe and subframe is around 900 lbs?

So I have 15% of the load that my hold down equipment is legally allowed to carry. I think I am pretty safe then :laughing:

I put the chains in the back. My thought it that in a front end crash or really hard braking i would rather the chains be holding the cargo from smashing into my vehicle if it all went bad.
I even use 3 or 4 1200lb 1in straps to tie quads down. Some of my friends use there winch and a single 1in strap. That isnt happening when im towing it.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I put the chains in the back. My thought it that in a front end crash or really hard braking i would rather the chains be holding the cargo from smashing into my vehicle if it all went bad.
I even use 3 or 4 1200lb 1in straps to tie quads down. Some of my friends use there winch and a single 1in strap. That isnt happening when im towing it.

I know that we all have our own way of thinking through these kind of things, but how I look at at it is that I have 2 straps with a combined 6,600 LB work load rating and a combined 20,000 LB break rating holding a 4,500-ish lb tractor. I also do this because of laziness, I have chain hooks on the front frame section that I chain to and back up to pull the chains tight. Then all I have to do wrap my 2 straps around the rear axles inside of each rear wheel and ratchet them tight. It is a very fast and efficient way to solidly attach the machine without using the chain binders at all.

I have the backhoe subframe, so I bought the 3,300 lb straps with the wire hooks on rather than the type with the big paddle type hooks. I run the strap over the top of the axle shaft and come back to the end of the backhoe subframe and hook on to that 1" steel plate. The strap is never touching any surfaces aside from the round/smooth axle shaft.

 

[4570Man]

I tend to use straps more than I used to because they’re easier to deal with. Using 4 straps or good strap protection is mandatory. Just throwing a strap over the brush guard unless it’s polished pipe isn’t going to end well. Four 3300WILL straps is plenty to hold down a 5k tractor.

 

[Stancoll]

Shortly after purchasing my Mahindra 1526, i went to Harbor Freight and purchased 4 of their, i think, 3/8 inch chain to tie my tractor down and 4 binders. I figure the chain is a whole lot cheaper than having to replace my tractor should it go flying off the ole Hooper trailer. Once in a while i may have to stop and retighten one chain but thats not always a constant. It's usually because i did not tighten it properly in the first place. Straps are quicker but to me not as secure.

 

[sixdogs]

I tend to use straps more than I used to because they’re easier to deal with. Using 4 straps or good strap protection is mandatory. Just throwing a strap over the brush guard unless it’s polished pipe isn’t going to end well. Four 3300WILL straps is plenty to hold down a 5k tractor.

Before I knew better, I hauled a 9500 lb farm tractor with four 3300 WLL straps. Straps were extra tight and tractor never moved.

 

[SpringHollow]

Someone posted here once about his trailer going over a bump or something, flexing enough that the straps broke.

Personally, I try to secure my loads such that if the trailer flips, my load is still attached. Four 3/8" grade 70 US made chains (5 if a bucket is attached) are used on my 4000 lb tractor.

Ken

Ken