Towing a trailer

Bob_Trevithick · Dec 30, 2001

My next door neighbor, a good friend, has a farm about 4 miles from here. My wife and I want some flag stone to make walks with, and he says he has tons of it that he'll give us. He suggested that I simply put a 2 inch ball hitch on my draw bar of my JD 4300, hook up his trailer, and he would follow me to the farm and I could get as much as I can carry.

I have to look at his trailer, figure out what the actual tongue weight would be, what the total weight would be, and so on.

I'll be conservative with the weight, since I'm new to this and don't want to get in over my head. I know the 4300 has all the power I could possibly need, given the range of gears available.. and I think traction should be no problem with R4's and 4WD. I am going on the assumption that maximum weight of trailer and load should not exceed the approx. 3000 lbs which my tractor weighs. I'm not sure how to find out what the tongue weight will end up being, short of finding some kind of scale to measure it.

I would also assume that I should remove my rear ballast (a dirt scoop with sand bags in it for pushing snow), and can safely leave the front blade on.. a JD 66 inch blade which I think weighs in the 400-500 lb. range.

Anybody got any thoughts about things I probably haven't thought of yet? I'm sure there are many of them!

Thanks,
Bob

RoyJackson · Dec 30, 2001

Don't use your 4WD on pavement!
Is the road hilly? Use low gears going down...your brakes may not be enough for a loaded trailer. Why can't you haul with a truck?

Bird · Dec 30, 2001

Bob, like Roy said, don't use 4WD on pavement. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to do something like that at all, but then I've been pulling trailers of all kinds for over 40 years. If you want to get everything scientifically correct, then yes, you need some scales to weigh it. And since trailer towing can be dangerous, I'm not, and will not tell you what to do, but I'll tell you what I'd do. I'd leave the front blade on, remove the weight from the rear (dirt scoop in your case), put a hitch ball on the swinging drawbar (not the one between the 3-point lower links), hook up the trailer and go (in 2WD). When I started loading the stones, I'd be sure to put just a little more weight in front of the axles than I put behind the axles and I'd be watching my rear tires on the tractor to see that i was putting a little weight on them (mashing them down ever so slightly without making them look like they were low on air pressure), and back home I'd go. If I had any doubts at all, as soon as I got it on a flat straight spot, going very slowly, I'd try wiggling the steering wheel back and forth to see it the trailer had a tendency to want to wag the back end of the tractor, and I'd test the brakes to see whether the trailer had any tendency to push the tractor, and then I'd adjust my speed accordingly. As far as the total weight, my B2710 is supposed to weigh 1740 pounds and is rated for a maximum trailer weight of 3300 pounds with 1100 pound hitch weight. I wouldn't hesitate to exceed that 3300 pound limit at all as far as pulling as long as I knew I wasn't going to be unable to STOP it. Nothing to it./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bob_Trevithick · Dec 30, 2001

... put a hitch ball on the swinging drawbar (not the one between the 3- point lower links)

Hi Everyone,

I was baffled.. I kept getting mailed replies to my question, but when I went to the site I kept being told it was off-line. Finally, it dawned on me.. empty my cache! Now I'm back. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Yes, I know not to use 4WD on hard surfaces.. but thanks for the reminders.

As to the quote from Bird above, the "swinging drawbar" as opposed to the one "between the 3-point lower links". The only drawbar I'm aware of is the one down low, between the 3pt lower links, that has three positions.. parked, middle, and fully extended. I keep hearing references to a "swinging" drawbar.. but I don't know what this is or if I even have one.

As to the rest of your reply, thanks Bird.. It sounds like what I would have done, minus the extra safety checks of steering a bit back and forth.. and minus the notes on keeping the weights a bit forward of the axle. Boy do I have a lot to learn. Thanks to guys like you, I have a chance to learn it. My deepest thanks!!

Bob

Bird · Dec 30, 2001

Bob, it seems the manufacturers have a small terminology problem with "drawbars". Tractor Supply Co. simply calls a "drawbar" the one that has the pins on either end that you put in the ball swivels of the 3-point lower links. It then has a series of holes in it to which various and sundry things may be attached. A hitch ball may be used on it, but if you load a trailer heavy on the back end, the tongue will come up (3-point hitch doesn't have down pressure). Then they call a "swinging drawbar" the one attached down low between the lower links and sticking straight back (sounds like that is what you are talking about). On some tractors, it can be swung back and forth, or locked in place, while on other tractors (like my Kubota) it's rigid; doesn't swing at all.

Bob_Trevithick · Dec 30, 2001

... Then they call a "swinging drawbar" the one attached down low between the lower links and sticking straight back (sounds like that is what you are talking about). On some tractors, it can be swung back and forth, or locked in place, while on other tractors (like my Kubota) it's rigid; doesn't swing at all.

Ahah! Yes, my JD 4300 has the rigid drawbar that sticks straight out the back in three positions.. and the positions only indicate distance toward the back.. there is no provision (that I can see) for any side to side movement. This is the "swinging drawbar", eh? I don't have one which hooks to the 3pt-hitch. I'm trying to think of why I might want one?

Thanks once again! Your 40+ years of experience are a priceless resource, and you share it so freely.. thank you Bird!!

Bob

Bird · Dec 30, 2001

Yep, Bob, you have what Tractor Supply Co. calls a "swinging drawbar". Mine can only go farther in or out also, but on a lot of tractors (mostly bigger ones), it's mounted with one pin or bolt at the front end then goes through a big slotted bracket with a series of holes. You drop pins through two holes on either side of it if you want it to stay in one place, but that place can be sticking straight out the back or offset to either side. In other words you can have your hitch ball offset if you're towing an implement that you want moved off to one side or the other.

Bob_Trevithick · Dec 30, 2001

... In other words you can have your hitch ball offset if you're towing an implement that you want moved off to one side or the other.

Ah, that could be handy in some situations.. I can see that. What I'm puzzled about is the other drawbar.. the one which hooks to the 3pt-hitch. What advantages would that one have? Just the fact that it could be raised and lowered? Gets the trailer level?

Thanks,
Bob

beenthere · Dec 30, 2001

Years back, the fords (8N, 9N, with 3 pt did not often have the 'swinging drawbar', but only had the 3pt bar. However, they also had stabilizer arms (flat steel) that were attached at the top where the top arm attaches at the tractor, and at each end of the 3pt bar (also the ends of the lift arms). This kept the 3pt bar fixed at a certain height. It also tied the lift arms so they could not raise, allowing the user to tap into the hyd. system with a hyd. auxillary ram and use the 3 pt control lever to activate the hyd. ram. Some however did not use the stabilizer arms, and would use the 3pt bar to raise and lower whatever was attached to the bar.

DFB · Dec 30, 2001

Bob, I understand wanting to use the blade for front counterweight in this situation but blades also block air flow to the radiator too. Couple this with towing a heavy load at slow speeds for several miles and depending on the ambient air temps overheating could result.

I run two truck mounted blades and also have several different trailers I tow. Alone both situations can easily raise temps. Together? /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif Just something to think about. The tractor should be plenty capable without the front ballast if the trailer is loaded correctly. Consider leaving the blade home.

DFB