No Need to Trailer when hauling tractor?

[roxynoodle]

Their loading technique looks like the most unsafe thing to me. Glad it wasn't me putting that tractor in there. I once put a lawn tractor in the back of my truck and loading and unloading was kind of scary. That was probably the only time I wished I had a lower to the ground 2wd truck!

 

[Farmwithjunk]

The only positive that I can see is that the tractor is at least short enough that the rear isn't supported by the tail gate.

But it runs over that tailgate on the way in and the way out. Let's see, I've bought tailgates for a '00 Toyota Tundra, a '97 GMC 3/4ton, a '92 F350, an '88 Chevy 3/4ton, ah, you get the idea. ALL from loading/unloading my lawn mower of the day to go cut parents lawn. (All but 1 season was a 682 Cub Cadet) After $3000 worth of tailgates in 12 years, I started taking the tailgate off when loading. Then I bought a small trailer. Shortly after that I didn't have to cut the lawn anymore. The tailgates aren't very tough and the support cables have been known to break.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I wouldnt do that but only because I wouldnt want to scratch the roof.
Hes probably well within the payload rating of that truck. As long as he straps or chains the tractor in, I dont see anything wrong with what hes doing.

EDIT: I had to check. The standard payload for that truck is 1952lbs. The tractor, loader & bucket weigh just under 1900lbs. Add a 200lbs driver and some fluids and he may be 200-300 over the standard payload for that truck. It should ride pretty soft going home but I dont see anything to get excited about (besides scratching or possibly denting his roof).

I doubt the load rating was calculated with load being 4' above the bed. Kind of high center of gravity there to be at or above actual load rating. A roll-over looking for a place to land.

Load is being carried too far back to be "legal" with weight ratings also. Almost ALL the weight of the tractor is on back axle. To achieve full GVWR, some weight must be scaled on front axle. Each axle will have an individual weight capacity. I'd bet lunch that the rear end is well over that rating. Looks like blown tires hunting for a place to go BANG!

On the subject of tires. Good chance they're at or even well above their individual weight capacity. Everyone from lawyers to DOT if and when they get involved would have a field day on that one.

Brakes? Maybe enough, but how do you suppose that truck would handle under hard braking loaded like that. Front end would probably be a tad light. Are the back brakes adaquate to stop all that weight with little or no help from the front brakes? (I'll help you on this one. NO they won't be)

I'd feel safe driving that across an empty parking lot at low speeds, MAYBE.

 

[daTeacha]

I commonly carried my Cadet 109 with mower deck in my Dakota (actually in 3 different Dakotas over the years). No problems with tailgates, ever. This is not a light tractor, being one of the older Cadets with the 6" tall frame rails and shaft drive. The deck prevented the tractor from going all the way into the bed since it contacted the wheel wells, so part of the rears were carried by the 'gate. I used 8' 2x8 yellow pine for ramps, never had a problem with the hydro tranny going up the ramps except in winter when I was taking it to plow snow. The chains were worse on the ramps than the bare tires for some reason.

We tried to load a friends gear drive 16hp Deere mower on it once, and he was not too skilled with clutch or something, but managed to kick a ramp off the truck about halfway up. That got exciting for a bit, but after he bailed out we lifted the rear end up and pushed it into the truck.

Still, I don't think I'd be real comfortable with that load on a half-ton truck.

 

[Ifixcars]

Around here it costs about 30 bucks to rent a trailer. That would seem the safe way to do it. I wonder if he has pallets to off load at the destination? He sure can't bring them with him. The ramps might put him over weight, if not, when he gets in the truck he'll be over . Whenever I load something odd in my pickup, someone always pulls out in front of me and tests my tie down "system". I have more than one dent in my bed from panic stops and shifting loads.

 

[RayH]

Oh please!
Illegal, top heavy, wouldnt do the speed limit!
Whatever. First off, do you guys know how much truck bed campers weigh and how high the center of gravity is in those? You can get campers that weigh up to 2 tons, granted, thats for a 1 ton truck, but its common for the smaller campers to weigh as much as that tractor and with a much higher center of gravity. I guess they are all illegal and unsafe.
Why shouldnt he do the speed limit, too much weight? Guess what, if he put the tractor in a trailer then he would have the weight of the tractor plus the weight of the trailer to deal with.
Hes over his standard payload by less than the weight of himself. thats not going to "blow tires, bend the truck (well maybe the tailgate and roof), its not going to have trouble stopping or moving, If it was an ATV or utility vehicle, no one would think twice about it.

 

[tydp]

Oh please!
Illegal, top heavy, wouldnt do the speed limit!
Whatever. First off, do you guys know how much truck bed campers weigh and how high the center of gravity is in those? You can get campers that weigh up to 2 tons, granted, thats for a 1 ton truck, but its common for the smaller campers to weigh as much as that tractor and with a much higher center of gravity. I guess they are all illegal and unsafe.
Why shouldnt he do the speed limit, too much weight? Guess what, if he put the tractor in a trailer then he would have the weight of the tractor plus the weight of the trailer to deal with.
Hes over his standard payload by less than the weight of himself. thats not going to "blow tires, bend the truck (well maybe the tailgate and roof), its not going to have trouble stopping or moving, If it was an ATV or utility vehicle, no one would think twice about it.

I agree. Does that little lawn mower really weigh 1900 lbs? I bet not.....

 

[RayH]

I agree. Does that little lawn mower really weigh 1900 lbs? I bet not.....

I checked, If its a New Holland SCuT it does weigh between 1800-1900 with the loader and bucket. No doubt, thats quite a load for that truck but I think that saying its "unsafe", "illegal" and its going to tear the truck up is a little extreme. It actually looks to me like the front of the truck isnt light at all. It seems pretty level to me especially with 600lbs of loader over the roof. The front axle is getting plenty of the weight.
I think everyone is seeing something that just doesnt look right but they arent actually looking at the numbers. Like I said, if it was a utility vehicle or a camper or a load of widgets, this post wouldnt even be here.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I checked, If its a New Holland SCuT it does weigh between 1800-1900 with the loader and bucket. No doubt, thats quite a load for that truck but I think that saying its "unsafe", "illegal" and its going to tear the truck up is a little extreme. It actually looks to me like the front of the truck isnt light at all. It seems pretty level to me especially with 600lbs of loader over the roof. The front axle is getting plenty of the weight.
I think everyone is seeing something that just doesnt look right but they arent actually looking at the numbers. Like I said, if it was a utility vehicle or a camper or a load of widgets, this post wouldnt even be here.

Any camper that pins a truck to the ground like that would be unsafe, and downright foolish to take to the hiways. A tractor PLUS the weight of a trailer would have the added benifit of (a) having the front wheels of the truck in a position to stop, and (b) trailer brakes . I don't care if it's 1900 lbs of duck feathers in the bed, that's not a safe load. But, tow truck operators and undertakers have to eat too, so haul on bro.

 

[Tig]

Am I the only one who recognizes that jolly old man standing beside the truck? No one has more exerience with overloaded vehicles than him. Cut Santa some slack guys.