How much can you tow with GC1700 in low-range?

[1705NZ]

Got my GC1705 earlier this year for our small 2.5 acre block in April and love it. In New Zealand.
Used it for mowing the lawns and harrowing horse paddocks, and got a box blade for levelling the back yard and driveway gravel which I'll do in summer when ground dries out (our summer is USA winter).

Thinking about getting a trailer to tow stuff around and possibly tow a small boat or jetski down to the boat ramp which is near the house.
Do you guys know how much weight the GC1700 can tow in low-range on a draw-bar?

 

[Wagtail]

How big's the boat + float?

What type of tyres?

FEL for front ballast?

 

[1705NZ]

I've got R4 industrial tyres on it, I think the jet ski was about 440 pounds and the trailer for it about the same again so call it 900lbs total being towed on the towbar.

 

[Wagtail]

In that case = no worries, your GC1705 will handle it so well that you'll have to remind yourself that it's even back there.

Heck, you can safely move it there & back in High range.

There's a bloke on here with a 'saying' at the bottom of his posts... the saying says something along the lines that a 'tractor is from latin = to pull'.

 

[1705NZ]

OK sounds good. Might do some test runs and tow our horse float around with nothing in it and see how that goes.
It's a lot heavier and should tell me what I need to know. I'll probably look at getting a FEL later this year to add some ballast.

 

[Spanner]

Welcome to the forum. Where in Akl are you?
Depending on the slope of your ramp be careful reversing your GC and trailer into the salt water. Maybe consider some sacrificial anodes to protect your aluminium transaxle housing - Like an outboard has.

 

[Wagtail]

Seeing as you're going to be using a box blade later on, I'd invest in some front end suitcase weights to counter-balance the weight on the draw-bar. If not, leave the mid-mount mower on for added, overall weight. Practising with your horse float is a great idea... especially going up/down hills/inclines.

The concern will be in going up/down any hills/inclines as a 'lightened' front may effect your steering.

If you're going to get a FEL prior to using the box blade, then that should be sufficient front weight.

 

[irvingj]

My 2310 Has turf tires with no ballast. With the BH removed (but generally with the FEL on), I've had no problem pulling a 4x8 trailer loaded with brush & logs up a fairly steep incline in the process of clearing some land. Trailer & contents, measured at the brush recycle place, totaled up to 1150 lbs. (Yeah, I had the trailer overloaded...) 4WD low range, no problem! :thumbsup: These are pretty darned capable little tractors.

 

[oosik]

1705NZ - doing test runs is a good thing. Whatever you do, its likely that pulling the trailer and boat up out of the water and then up the ramp will not be a problem. Its the stopping of this entire load (tractor, trailer & boat) while going down the ramp that could be a problem. Test runs should help you figure this out.

 

[Phillip w]

I pulled a trailer (approx 2000 lbs) with 100 square bales of hay with my 1531. Had tractor in medium range. No problems, but ground/terrain was flat/level. The 1531 is about 30 hp.