How much trailer weight can my tractor tow?

[WranglerX]

Don't overthink this... The tractor will pull/move anything it can till it won't... Tractor is made for pulling, that is why it has different gearing so in can pull resistive loads as disks and plows and scrapers.... Trailer is not going to be resistive load once it starts to move...

My main concern would be two things "steering" and ability to "brake"...

As for steering if steering is light you can either add weight in FEL to put more down pressure on front wheels or lessen tongue weight of trailer to allow more weight on front of tractor (reduce cantilever effect) ...Always pull/tow from fixed draw bar and not 3PH...

As for Braking (stopping) a whole different story, to heavy of a load on trailer can easily overcome braking ability of tractor, it's called inertia...... IF no brakes on trailer keep loads light.. If trailer has electric brakes it would be simple task to add a brake controller to tractor to activate trailer brakes.... No brake lights on tractor(?) ... If none then there is no brake light switch... SO add one, there is probably a dozen universal brake light switches that could be adapted to pedal or linkagers.... Some controllers have manual control activation along with brake lights switch activation... As for wiring there is a probably a 100 videos and such on youtube and trailer towing and trailer parts sites to guide you through process........

And if you will be on public roads you will probably what to wire thou brake lights and turn signals to trailer...

Speedway Universal Mechanical Brake Pedal Light Switch

Brake switch is closed at resting position and is open when the lever is moved. This switch would need to be mounted so pressure is applied to the switch arm to open the circuit to turn off the brake lights. When the brake pedal is depressed, the arm is released to close the circuit to turn on...

www.speedwaymotors.com

 

[SmallChange]

It is going to depend tremendously on conditions such as terrain, as others have said. You made me curious so I just looked it up: pulling a train at low, railroad yard speeds, on flat straight track, takes 2 to 3 lbs per ton of train weight. Rubber tires on dry pavement achieve a coefficient of friction of about 0.7. So, your 8000 lb tractor should be able to deliver 5600 lbs of tractive force (if you engage all wheels in a gear low enough to spin them), which at 2.5 lbs per ton gets you a train weighing nearly four and a half million pounds.

Of course, you're going to have to de-rate that, depending....

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I was pulling a small dump trailer with 200 gallons of water on my property. Dew on ground and I forgot to put in 4WD. Started going down a 'gentle' hill and the rig decided to have a mind of its own and took me for a ride. Obviously in 2WD, you have no brakes in the front tires. I was very fortunate that the rig didn't jack knife and potentially flip me over. Be very careful on slopes!!

Our 7,000# tractor weighs 14,500# empty, no plows. Makes life better.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

It is going to depend tremendously on conditions such as terrain, as others have said. You made me curious so I just looked it up: pulling a train at low, railroad yard speeds, on flat straight track, takes 2 to 3 lbs per ton of train weight. Rubber tires on dry pavement achieve a coefficient of friction of about 0.7. So, your 8000 lb tractor should be able to deliver 5600 lbs of tractive force (if you engage all wheels in a gear low enough to spin them), which at 2.5 lbs per ton gets you a train weighing nearly four and a half million pounds.

Of course, you're going to have to de-rate that, depending....

At the steel mill, moved train cars for years with an 8N. I know, I bought the 8N from them.

I've got a New Holland PowerStar 75. It's about 8,000 lbs counting the FEL. It's got 16.9R30s on the back. I'm able to add about 2,000 lbs with the front forks carrying a 275 gallon IBC tote for water weight and balance.

My question is, how heavy of a trailer can I tow using either the 3PH (~3,500 lbs capacity) or the draw bar itself. I'm not able to find anything concerning this rating online.

For planting and irrigating purposes, I'd really like to haul a trailer with dual 7,000 lb axles. I might even be able to carry more than one implement to the farm at a time. But I've never tried to pull a trailer with the tractor so I don't really know what I'm doing. Any help appreciated.

Note that I am not trying to tow the tractor ON the trailer, which I have no need for. Rather, I am hoping to tow the trailer WITH the tractor.

Lots of times we load the trailer and haul it out of woods with tractor.

 

[Indian Territory]

The OP stated 'field work only'

Actually I'd be carrying implements and water (heavy) to the farm, which is 9 miles down the county road. I'd love a farm wagon, but for now I am working with tandem rear axles.

 

[WinterDeere]

Given how flat it is near you, I'd be tempted to give it a try, maybe initially with reduced load, and see how your braking and steering behaves. Worst case, you add a brake controller, which is probably advisable in any case. I'm so used to climbing or descending hills any direction I travel (heck, my whole property is a hillside), that my mind always immediately goes toward stopping on a hill, but you're not dealing with that.

 

[ptsg]

Actually I'd be carrying implements and water (heavy) to the farm, which is 9 miles down the county road. I'd love a farm wagon, but for now I am working with tandem rear axles.

You're better off with the tandem rear axles. This puts weight on the tractor, exactly where you want it.

 

[Hay Dude]

At the steel mill, moved train cars for years with an 8N. I know, I bought the 8N from them.

Lots of times we load the trailer and haul it out of woods with tractor.

I like your log trailer GN set up. Very cool.

 

[Paystar]

I pull my Kaufman tandem axle Gooseneck loaded with double row 4 x 5 round bales (grossly overloaded) all the time. I use a rear mount (on the 3 point) round bale spear with a 2 5/16" hitch ball welded to the top of the bale spear frame.

Easier to move rounds to the barn from the field that way and I've never had any issue with the front end getting light but then the tractors have the front end loaders mounted though the buckets are off.

There is a farmer by me I see all the time on the highway with a Kubota that is probably a 9000 like yours 5030.....it's an older pre-emission model and I laugh because he pulls a small semi-truck type tandem dump trailer with it, with an equipment float behind that and his min-excavator on it! LOL

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I like your log trailer GN set up. Very cool.

Worse than that, we built it here at the shop.

 

[5030]

All the truck farmers around here move their semi trailers (flat bed with rectangular boxes on them for hauling sauce tomatoes as well as cabbage) with a repurposed tandem axle frame cut off, always pulled with a farm tractor. SOP here. None of them have any brakes and most have no light hookup's either.

 

[WinterDeere]

All the truck farmers around here move their semi trailers (flat bed with rectangular boxes on them for hauling sauce tomatoes as well as cabbage) with a repurposed tandem axle frame cut off, always pulled with a farm tractor. SOP here. None of them have any brakes and most have no light hookup's either.

Yeah, I'm sure they do! I used to move a big ass fishing boat around our parking lot and storage garages with a garden tractor. But the OP is talking about over-road use. Moving heavy things around a flat parking lot at 3 mph is a heck of a lot different than over-road use at 15 mph, especially in hill country.

 

[5030]

For planting and irrigating purposes, I'd really like to haul a trailer with dual 7,000 lb axles. I might even be able to carry more than one implement to the farm at a time. But I've never tried to pull a trailer with the tractor so I don't really know what I'm doing. Any help appreciated.

Read his first post. No, he's not, field work only.

 

[WinterDeere]

Read his first post. No, he's not, field work only.

Sorry, my bad. Thread drifted, and I got it mixed up with the OP. Thanks.

 

[WranglerX]

I've got a New Holland PowerStar 75. It's about 8,000 lbs counting the FEL. It's got 16.9R30s on the back. I'm able to add about 2,000 lbs with the front forks carrying a 275 gallon IBC tote for water weight and balance.

My question is, how heavy of a trailer can I tow using either the 3PH (~3,500 lbs capacity) or the draw bar itself. I'm not able to find anything concerning this rating online.

For planting and irrigating purposes, I'd really like to haul a trailer with dual 7,000 lb axles. I might even be able to carry more than one implement to the farm at a time. But I've never tried to pull a trailer with the tractor so I don't really know what I'm doing. Any help appreciated.

Note that I am not trying to tow the tractor ON the trailer, which I have no need for. Rather, I am hoping to tow the trailer WITH the tractor.

What about the part of statement "to the farm" sort of indicate to me "over the road"...

 

[ptsg]

Read his first post. No, he's not, field work only.

What about the part of statement "to the farm" sort of indicate to me "over the road"...

Read post #25.

 

[WinterDeere]

DS al Coda #32.

(for the musicians, in the house)

 

[nyone]

Considering that the speed is slow, brakes are not necessary.

Is that how it works?

use trailer brakes if its equipped. It can keep the trailer from pushing the tow vehicle and jack knifing the whole setup. All it takes is a bit of slippery terrain.

 

[WinterDeere]

Is that how it works?

use trailer brakes if its equipped. It can keep the trailer from pushing the tow vehicle and jack knifing the whole setup. All it takes is a bit of slippery terrain.

In 5030's defense, the OP did say they're in the flatlands. They may have been less than clear about over-road use, but they did respond that there were no hills where they are operating. So, in this particular case, yes... necessity for brakes on trailer would only come into play as speed increases. 5030 is right on that.

If operating on slippery hills, then you'd probably want trailer brakes at any speed, on this rig.

 

[LouNY]

Being part of a few US based forums, I always find interesting how afraid a lot of people are of using their tractors to pull stuff, specially trailers. But have no issue on constantly pushing their loaders to the max which is far worse and harder on a tractor than pulling an over loaded trailer using the drawbar. Tractors were made to pull after all.

My little 35hp tractor gets 7700 lbs towing capacity for a trailer with brakes, which any road legal trailer in Europe has to have some sort of brakes (surge, hydraulic or air) and parking brake with a gross weight over 1600 lbs.

The OP's tractor would get easily 16000 lbs towing capacity in Europe for a braked trailer. I tried to find the exact numbers for a similar tractor here but they don't really list it on the brochures.

View attachment 819503

Unfortunately

Being part of a few US based forums, I always find interesting how afraid a lot of people are of using their tractors to pull stuff, specially trailers. But have no issue on constantly pushing their loaders to the max which is far worse and harder on a tractor than pulling an over loaded trailer using the drawbar. Tractors were made to pull after all.

My little 35hp tractor gets 7700 lbs towing capacity for a trailer with brakes, which any road legal trailer in Europe has to have some sort of brakes (surge, hydraulic or air) and parking brake with a gross weight over 1600 lbs.

The OP's tractor would get easily 16000 lbs towing capacity in Europe for a braked trailer. I tried to find the exact numbers for a similar tractor here but they don't really list it on the brochures.

View attachment 819503

Unfortunately trailer braking is a feature not often included on our tractors over here. It is starting to show up on some of the higher hp tractors with the high speed transmissions. Over 150 Hp and capable of up to 35 mph.
Very few farm wagons have brakes, I have never seen brakes on one of these, although I have seen the option listed occasionally.

This type of trailer does often have the option, however it is often not used.

Also be aware that the 7 pin round connector on your tractor often is not wired to conventional hd trailer configurations. You can get 6 or 7 pin to 7 flat adapters or remove the round pin and install a RV type connector.
On several of the farm tractors some of the implements lights will work correctly some tractors they won't.

EU wiring

US wiring

and then the 7 flat RV wiring,

So lots of potential issues on trailer wiring to tractors.

But as has been mentioned a tractor is designed to pull good amounts of weight, it is entirely up to the owner/operator how safely and competently it is done so.
If towing from the lower fixed drawbar adequate tongue weight needs to be watched, and the stopping ability on the terrain to be encountered is a major consideration. Stopping half of your tractors weight towing shouldn't be a problem, stopping as much weight as your tractor has will be a problem, stopping more weight then your tractor has now your asking for troubles unless adequate brakes are used.