JD 4120 Hauling Thoughts and Opinions...with Pictures!

[TugCaptain]

I recently bought a JD 4120 for use on my hobby horse farm and with my marine service shop. For the most part, the tractor can stay where it is, but some projects have come up where I need to move the machine further than I can reasonably drive it on its own. I already have an 8X14 14K GVW deckover dump trailer with removable wood sides and I'm thinking about building some ramps and just using this as my trailer. I know most people would caution against using a deckover dump trailer for hauling equipment, but this is not your average trailer. Most deckovers I see are fairly narrow, but this is a full 8' wide and the sides are removable so you just end up with a very short deckover equipment trailer instead. Thoughts?

Here's the tractor:

Here's the trailer

Thanks!

 

[farmboy12]

Your tractor alone is about what 16' with the loader? So yes it is possible, but I wouldn't do it with any implements.

There are plenty of ways to safely do it. Just make sure your loader is rested somewhere, it makes strapping/chaining much easier and safer. I would do a 4 corner chaining point and another on the loader, just to be on the safe side. With a large enough trailer I would say the loader strap isn't NEEDED but in your case I feel it to be almost necessary. This will require 3 chains, or 5 chains if you want to be really safe. Run one through the drawbar to each side of the trailer, and one through a safe attachment point at the front to each side of the trailer, and one over the bucket and where the bucket mounts to the loader, run to each side of the trailer.

Get/build some ramps that you will feel comfortable loading on and you should be good to go. You have plenty of truck and trailer for it as far as capacities, just chain it safely and take it easy and you will be fine.


Kyle

 

[wmonroe]

Just make sure you have enough tongue weight, with a short trailer it is harder to adjust the load. Maybe back the tractor on to get enough weight on the back of the truck?

Nice looking truck and tractor

 

[TugCaptain]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll just have to try it out and see how she goes. The trailer came with aluminum ramps that slide underneath, but I'm just not sure of the capacity. I won't have any implements with me that I can't set in the back of the truck, so I think length will be OK, but I will try to chain the loader down like you said. The main reason for trying this setup is that I will need my dump trailer at the places I'm going, so this would eliminate a second trip, second vehicle or both.

Ideally, I'd like a GN deckover but I just can't justify the expense for a few trips a year if this will do it safely. I'll try it out in the next week or so and post a few pictures for you guys to check out

Thanks again

 

[Diamondpilot]

If you are worried about the ramps can you back up to a hill to load and unload?

If not maybe brace the ramps mid span with some cribbing or a chunk of firewood.

Chris

 

[radman1]

I would not have any issues using a deck over dump trailer to haul you tractor. I use dump trailers, deck overs, tilt trailers ect and they all to a good job. I would leave the sides on, it you have good tie downs inside the trailer. Removing the side is just another excercise I would avoid if I could.
If you Al ramps are not heavy enough, build a steer set with 3" channel iron and angle iron cross pieces. Make a mount to slide them under the bed when not in use. I have an Al car trailer that has aluminum ramps. They seem light in weight but load cars just fine. Your tractor weighs similar to a large car. Your 14K dump trailer probably has heavier Al ramps than my 7K car trailer.

 

[TugCaptain]

Thanks for the help! Glad to hear other have done this...I might give the ramps a try and have someone spot me for the first time. Will post pictures once I've got everything tied down