Perfect size trailer

[JonBarleycorn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Just bought a new L3830 with LA723 FEL, R4 Tires, 72" Woods BB and 72" Woods brushhog. Please tell me what size and type trailer you feel would be absolutely "perfect" for transporting this unit. The need would only be occasional (maybe once a month) and the distance no more than 15 miles.

Thanks,
Larry )</font>

Larry,
I have an 18' trailer pulling a L4330 with 853 loader & bush hog. The bush hog hangs over @ 3', but is not a problem as I take the wheel off. The trailer axles are rated at 7k, tires at 84k and the unit weighs 21k empty. Keep in mind @ 10% of the weight will be on the truck.
Personally, unless I was making a business of it and was towing every day, I would NOT buy a goose neck. Once a month is not enough to justify the expense in my book for another depreciating asset. My unit tows very well, without any problem. Another consideration is at sell time, a goose neck market is more limited. They are great trailers, and certainly more stable, only cost more.
Another thing to consider is do you anticipate an upgrade to a heavier tractor?
Check your weights from the manufacturer and not what the dealer says. My manual gives the weights and Woods has their weights on the website. Remember to add for fuel and other liquids.
Good luck!

 

[Larry_Davis]

JonBarleycorn, Steve and all the others .........

Thanks for the quick and very useful information. I did try several times before posting yesterday to "search" TBN for trailer posts but either there was a site search problem or I was doing something wrong.

Anyway .......... Steve ............. a couple of months ago I did get a BX23 to help maintain two properties we own, 6 acres on one and 5 on the other. Without checking TBN first, I took the salesman's word (I know, I know, kinda stupid, huh?) when he said I could get by with a 12', dual axle, 7,000 lbs trailer. Well, he didn't exactly lie. It's a VERY tight fit and the BH has to be moved all the way left or right. Obviously, a 14' or 16' would have been the correct size.

Now ........ after all of that, my wife falls in love with a house on 25 acres (about 10 in hilly pasture and 15 in hilly woods). She's just gotta have it! And I say, "OK, we'll buy you that house but I'll need a larger tractor!". She went to the Kubota dealer on Saturday and bought the L3830, came home and said, "Is that big enough?"

True story! and now I've got to make sure I don't make a mistake this time on the trailer size. Supposed to pick the new tractor up tomorrow. The local trailer dealer has in stock a 20', 12,000 lb, dovetail for $2900.00. I just might go with that.

Jon .......... where are you located in WNC? I'm in Franklin.

Thanks again everyone,
Larry

 

[LeRoi]

Larry,
I made a mistake on the weight, the weight ticket was with the BH90 backhoe mounted.
The picture shown is about 9000lbs including the trailer.
I also hauled the tractor on an 18ft carhauler 7000lb GVW that I bought 20 years ago. It pulled pretty good, but I was afraid of breaking an axle or blowing out a tire and dumping my shiney new tractor and truck into a ditch.
My thought process was if I was going to spend $37,000 on a tractor and implements, I could spend $3,600 on something to transport it safely.
I still don't believe that an 18 footer is a good way to transport a 3830 and implements, it leaves you with no margin for error and is still overloaded and it bent the ramps badly just loading and unloading three times.
Good Luck
Leroy

 

[rk246]

I have a 14' 14000k dump trailer that I have been using, it works well, I put the bucket up above the trailer and put the front tires tight to the front of the trailer, if I have the bush hog on it hangs out a little. I don't know if maybe on a 14' flat bed you could weld a bar to set the bucket on allowing you to pull the tractor farther forward, the bucket would be over the tongue of the trailer. I have seen several people doing this, it seems to work okay...