Preferred method to pull trailer behind tractor?

[Too many Kubotas]

You may be right. I think of a "wagon" as carrying its own weight, as opposed to a "trailer" putting weight on the hitch.

You're close. A trailer carries its own weight, a semi trailer does not.

I hooked both my trailers up once, then tried to back up in a straight line. Needless to say, I failed miserably.

With four pivot points as above, I sure can't back up...at all. With only two it's relatively easy. This flatbed is a semi trailer, but by using a con gear it effectively becomes a trailer.

 

[CH4Ohio]

You're close. A trailer carries its own weight, a semi trailer does not.

I hooked both my trailers up once, then tried to back up in a straight line. Needless to say, I failed miserably.View attachment 5712443

With four pivot points as above, I sure can't back up...at all. With only two it's relatively easy. This flatbed is a semi trailer, but by using a con gear it effectively becomes a trailer.View attachment 5712445

That all makes perfect sense. And sounds right. I get it.

But now I don't know what a "wagon" is . . .

 

[CH4Ohio]

I hooked both my trailers up once, then tried to back up in a straight line. Needless to say, I failed miserably.

No doubt! That's because it's impossible! Once they start folding up you don't know which way things are going to go.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

That all makes perfect sense. And sounds right. I get it.

But now I don't know what a "wagon" is . . .

To me, a wagon isn't really for street use, but a trailer certainly can be.

Then again, there used to be lots of station wagons on the road. And there still are, except they're called SUVs now.

 

[Highlandr]

I seem to remember a multi-page "discussion" about the "trailer vs wagon" terminology a while back. I think it mainly comes down to context.

When you're out baling hay, and you send someone for another "wagon", and they show up with a "trailer" -- it's a problem.

Or if you actually want them to bring a "trailer", bringing a hay wagon doesn't work either. There's a difference.

Probably pays to discuss and settle on the "approved terminology" during the pre-job briefing.

I was trying to wrap my head around someone confusing a trailer for a hay wagon, but there you have it.

I guess with the advent of round bales and big square bales the terminology got grayer.

On another note... 50 years ago I could back a hay wagon up to/in the barn in a minute. It would probably take me all day today.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I've known lots of farmers in my day. Never ever have I heard one say "be careful". Ever...about anything.

That's not entirely true. Often they'll say "be careful" immediately after saying "OUCH!!"

 

[Sawyer Rob]

To me, this is a wagon,

and this is a trailer,

SR

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Generally, all tractors have a draw bar point, located at the bottom of the rear differential and it is what you tow with. It is lower than the center of the axle, and very near the contact patch for the rear wheels, making it the safest point to hook a trailer. That said, using a hitch frame on the three point has the advantage of being able to lift the tongue when you are parking the trailer, and lower the hitch when you are driving. For me it depends on which trailer, how much it and the load weigh, and how much tongue weight it has.


If the tow point is above the center of the rear axle, the pulling force will tend to lessen the weight on front wheels and can affect turning. It will also increase the load when braking. The fact that the three point hitch frame, moves the hitch point back at least a couple of feet, will also increase the effect the weight distribution issues, making them more severe.

 

[jmc]

On another note... 50 years ago I could back a hay wagon up to/in the barn in a minute. It would probably take me all day today.

My buddy grew up on a farm, and backing up hay wagons seemed like no big deal to him. So once upon a time in California, we ended up working on a tomato farm for a day. (a story in itself) After the full time employees saw how he could handle a "tomato wagon", they gave him that job for the rest of the day!

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

As a kid I was have trouble backing a trailer. My Grandfather said look back at the trailer...to go left turn the steering wheel left, right-right.
I never forgot that.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

My Grandfather said look back at the trailer...to go left turn the steering wheel left, right-right.

I'm the opposite. For me it's a lot easier using the mirrors than if turning around to look.

That could be a direct result of having many vehicles where turning around won't let me see anything, but the mirrors do.

 

[AnotherBueller]

One of these:
View attachment 5709772

Don't forget the bottom chain.

 

[AnotherBueller]

Make sure the ball is attached to a drawbar that is rigid. Coming down hill with a ball on the 3 point (not rigid) your loaded trailer will shove the tongue up and suddenly take the weight of your rears.... no brakes. On most 4wd tractors, the tractor has to be in 4wd to have front brakes.

I haven't seen any 4X4 tractors with brake drums on the front, do you mean engine braking? My SCUT has that as does a Kubota L-6070 that I drive occasionally.

 

[AnotherBueller]

I've seen dump trailers at Rural King in the $3-4 thousand range. But theirs have the tandem-axle setup that you mention. Would be much easier to back up -- as you mention. But I like the setup on yours with the wheels spread apart and steerable on front because of the stability. Yours is setup like a farm wagon as opposed to a trailer.

That setup is what's on a hay wagon.

 

[bsekf]

I haven't seen any 4X4 tractors with brake drums on the front, do you mean engine braking? My SCUT has that as does a Kubota L-6070 that I drive occasionally.

In 4wd the front and rear axels are linked together. When you brake the rears the fronts are braked by the axels. In 2wd only the rears will brake. And if yoy break one and it begins to slide the other goes into freewheeling. We have a "dug" road that has several very steep spots. Always put it in 4wd on the steep spots, I've taken some "white knuckle" rides. You can't breathe and slide down a hill!

 

[John_Mc]

I use an adaptor that slides over the tractor hitch that has a ball on it. That way it is quick to take the ball on and off the tractor. The main issue with using the 3 point is that if the trailer hitch is higher then the center line of the tractors rear wheels and you go up a hill with a heavy trailer you can flip the tractor.

Do you have a link to that adapter, or if not at least a picture of it? I've been thinking of making one that I could pin on to the drawbar (and hopefully raise the ball a bit higher than it would be if mounted directly to the draw bar.) If there is something avaibale commercially made, I'd go that way

 

[LouNY]

Do you have a link to that adapter, or if not at least a picture of it? I've been thinking of making one that I could pin on to the drawbar (and hopefully raise the ball a bit higher than it would be if mounted directly to the draw bar.) If there is something avaibale commercially made, I'd go that way

I've never seen a commercial mount similar to that idea. There is so much variation in drawbar widths and thicknesses.
Some of the haybine hitches used a similar idea and they came with numerous shims and then they had bolts that went through welded nuts on both sides and the top, the shims all had holes drilled so the bolts would hold the shims in place. It was a royal pain to install every summer, especially if we changed what tractor was going to be mowing with it. Also many of the john deere small square balers used an adapter on the drawbar.
Many of these are to get equal lengths and angles on the pto shaft ujoints as well as allowing a tighter turn without the tires and implement drawbar hitting.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Sounds easy enough to make one.

I would weld "ridges" to the bottom of a receiver tube, to keep from rotating on the drawbar. Then drill vertical holes for a stout bolt to go through the receiver tube and the drawbar, with a spacer to prevent the tube to deform.

That would move the receiver tube to the rear by several inches, which could be good or bad.

Would something like that work? I dunno, but I think it would.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

This is how I generally tow this little dump trailer on the property.

By keeping the trailer jack at the right height I can unhook the pintle by lowering the 3-point a little. After loading the trailer I can hook it back up again without having left the tractor seat.

For example, when scooping up prairie dog mounds in a somewhat large area, not latching the pintle saves a fair amount of time.

I do the same when using just a 3-point receiver, and have yet to have the 3-point rise or the trailer unhook itself. And that's despite this trailer having torsion axles. Which is the one thing I don't like about it.

 

[CH4Ohio]

You have some of the most intersting, elaborate, complicated equipment I've ever seen. The hitch assembly on that dump trailer looks like the landing gear on an aircraft!

I do the same thing regarding using the 3-point to swoop under, pick up, and then tow trailers (wagons). Easiest way to grab things and drop them without all the mount / dismount effort. I did let it push me and cause a jackknife and push me into a tree once when I was going downhill with a hay wagon loaded up with firewood from a downed ash tree -- coulda been worse, I thought I was going to end up in the creek.