Trailer for a B2410

[Kelvin]

I believe driving tractors on public roadways are legal with the orange colored triangle shaped "Slow Moving Vehicle" emblem displayed.

Driving 5 miles down the road offers the danger of the differential speeds between the tractors and the automotive traffic (as you mentioned). Additionally, paved roads are generally not too kind to tractor tires.

Besides all of that, I find myself using my trailer for a wide variety of tasks when not hauling the tractor (hauling junk to the dump / moving brush to the burn pile on my land / helping people move / bringing home newly purchased tractor equipment). And since I purchased my tractor used from and individual, I also enjoy having the option of being able to haul my own tractor to the dealer when I want to. I also enjoy the option of being able to go help out a friend across town occasionally. This past summer I hauled the tractor to my church a quite few times to help build two softball fields.

Basically, besides the really justifiable reasons, a trailer gives the "boys" more opportunities to play with their "toys".

 

[Bird]

glennmac, I do sometimes just drive the tractor when I'm going 10 miles or less; just depends on what I might want to tow behind it, the weather, how much time I have, etc. My brother's place is 7.75 miles and sometimes we trailer the tractor; sometimes we just drive it over there and back.

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I don't know how much of what I'm going to say is specific to New Hampshire or is common across the US, but the rules here for trailers and tractors on the road are:

- Trailers over 3000lb gross weight must have brakes on at least one axle. You will find many trailers with axles rates at 3500lbs, but the title for the trailer and name plate rates it at 2990lbs to be just under the 3000lb limit.

- Over 5000lbs requires brakes on both axles.

- You can run a tractor on the roads, but you have to have it registered and have a plate along with the SMV sign.

Here are a few other tips on trailer sizing:

To size a trailer you need to know 4 things:

1) The weight of the load you want to haul.
2) The gross weight capacity of the trailer.
3) The gross weight trailer capacity of the tow vehicle.
4) The weight of the trailer.

The weight of the trailer plus the load can't exceed either the trailer gross weight capacity or the tow vehicles capacity.

Although I agree with oversizing trailers in general, keep in mind that the larger the trailer the heavier it gets and it's actually pretty easy to exceed the 3500lb or 5000lb or whatever tow capacity of your vehicle. I've found that the trailer weight is usually not published and it takes some digging to get a reliable weight so you can then figure the gross weight of your tractor and trailer.

Personally, I tow a B2400 with loader and loaded tires on a 2990 rates trailer without brakes. I've added it all up and I'm about 50-100 lbs over weight. The trailer is structurally rated for 3500 lbs so it will hold up but I really should have brakes.

 

[W5FL]

Trailers are pretty indispensible commodies in themselves. With a trailer my Cherokee or 1/2 ton truck become a 2 ton truck for hauling things. Moving 20 foot long lumber/steel become possible. If my tractor breaks down as did my Massey where it cannot be driven, a trailer or a wrecker are the only way.

The laws in Texas are much simpler. No license or drivers license required for ANY agricultural implement pulled or driven on the highway not over 20 MPH. That is why fertilizer trailers have no license nor do tractors, mowers, etc. In addition those registered as FARM have low cost license tags and insurance rates reflecting the fact that they are used primarily on the farm and not on the highway.

My tractors for the past 7 years have not traveled a mile on the highway or on a trailer. When I was 10 years old, I got to take the tractor about a mile to the gas station to fill it up with gasoline each time that it needed it. Only way a 10 year old got to drive on the streets in a motorized vehicle.

I only have brakes on a single axle on a 12,000# GVW trailer, and there is no need for brakes on the second axle. It will stop the trailer and truck if you apply them by hand. A good brake controller is necessary.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

FWIW, I tow my B2150 (and coming tomorrow a new B2910), loader and bushhog which comes in at 19 feet in length on a 20 foot, 12000 pound tandem axel trailer. I tow with a 1 ton Ford F350 SuperDuty diesel and brake controller. You should have brakes on your trailer! It is the only safe way to go! Even a short distance can get you in big trouble. You don't want to watch the tailer and your precious tractor to take a dump in your mirrors. Just the other day I met a truck on the road coming the other way and he had to get out of the middle of the road and over to his lane and he had a John Deere compact utility on his trailer. When he moved over his trailer started to fishtail and I watched him go 500 feet fishtailing and he just about jacknifed and rolled. I'm sure he had no trailer brakes 'cause he could have hit the controller and straightened out that trailer pretty quick. And saved changing his underwear when he got home. Another thing about brakes is in my state you have to have them and have a breakaway box in case you separate and the trailer will lock its brakes so it doesn't run right past you.

Overbuy when you tow to be safe. I used a 16 foot railed landscape trailer for a while and that thing would flex going down the road and just wasn't as stable as hauling a heavy duty trailer.