Transporting/Unloading attachment

[KTurner]

I'm looking to purchase a flail mower, but I'm not sure about transporting it to my location and unloading it. I have access to a full size pickup and a utility trailer and I beleive it could be transported in either of those. The problem that I see is unloading it. I've considered a rope over a tree branch to lift it and then drive the the truck/trailer out from under it, but haven't found a good looking tree/branch. The utility trailer is low to the ground and has short sides (~8"). I'm thinking about backing the tractor (a Ford/NewHolland 3230) up to the side of the trailer, hooking up the 3pt hitch, lifting the flail mower using the hydrualics of the 3pt hitch and driving the tractor away. I've checked the manual, but I can't find any specs on the lift capacity or travel of the 3pt hitch for the ford 3230. Does this sound like it would work? Any other ideas, other than paying someone to deliver?

Thanks
Keith

 

[Farmwithjunk]

One of the handiest things you can own is a 3-point hitch boom pole. Short of a front end loader, it gives you the ability to lift ALMOST anything the tractor can handle on its hitch. To make lifting even safer, rig the item you're lifting, raise it SLOWLY to clear the truck/trailer, then drive the truck out from under the load, leaving the tractor/boom sitting stationary. Let the load down SLOWLY in place.

A "cherry picker" engine hoist is handy to have around too. They can often be rented at most tool rental stores.

 

[KTurner]

If you can't tell, I'm new to tractors. The existing tractor and equipment has been in my wife's family and I'm just starting to use it, with nobody around in person to "show me the ropes" (my father-in-law passed away).

There is a boom pole in the shop, but I don't know what it's rated at. That would cause a greater moment by pushing the CG of the load further away from the tractor. Should I be worried about damaging the hydraulics by overloading them?

Any idea how much weight it would take before the front end of the tractor starts lifting?

Keith

 

[Baby Grand]

I second FWJ on the boom pole idea. I just picked up a KKII 5' tiller (thank to the many testamonials here at TBN) at TSC - about 700#. I don't have a truck, but The Plant Manager has a Ford Focus with a trailer. Oh, it was a slow ride home.

I had the same thought as you, Keith, that is to lift with a chain around the bucket, or rig a come along to a stout tree limb, etc, etc. When I got to TSC I spied a boom pole for $99. Now, I know what you're thinking, what kind of cruddy implement has that got to be? Well, it did the trick unloading the tiller nicely enough - I had a goodly load of firewood in the FEL bucket, just in case.

But now I find I'm using that boom pole all the time. It's great for all sorts of "heffing" and "rigging" tasks and makes a dandy little brush dragger. Yes, all that and and the beloved bile yellow KK paint job thrown it at no extra charge!

-Jim

 

[mattellis2]

you sound like an engineer, what with the discussion of moments, and centers of gravity and all!

you should be fine. here is the breakdown on your tractor's specs.

TractorData.com - Ford-New Holland 3230 tractor data


it looks like the rear lift is good to around 3k. i think the smallest boom pole i have ever seen was rated to 1000 lbs. i am not familiar with flail mowers, but cannot imagine it would weigh more than 500-600 lbs. you should be good to go.

as an alternative, if the trailer is low enough, have the mower loaded facing the rear. you could them hook the mower directly up to the tractor's 3 point hitch once you get it home.

edit: your tractor weighs 4400#. you are not going to lift the front end picking up your mower.

edit #2: it would appear that the flail mowers a little heavier than i thought...most between 800-900#. i still think you will plenty of safety factor in getting it off the trailer with the boom. (assuming your boom is in good shape!)





-matt

 

[Charlesaf3]

forks on the FEL or chain on fel would be my first thought -do you have a fel?

 

[MarkV]

Keith use the boom pole and the trailer. If the mower weight makes the tractor feel uncomfortable to you just lift the mower enough to drive the trailer out from under it. Most likely you will lift the mower and drive the tractor away without a second thought. Boom poles have been around longer than front loader and have moved most everything you can imagine on a farm in the old days.

MarkV

PS. Welcome to the forum and let us know how you like the flail mower.

 

[dixie306]

Keith use the boom pole and the trailer. If the mower weight makes the tractor feel uncomfortable to you just lift the mower enough to drive the trailer out from under it. Most likely you will lift the mower and drive the tractor away without a second thought. Boom poles have been around longer than front loader and have moved most everything you can imagine on a farm in the old days.

MarkV

PS. Welcome to the forum and let us know how you like the flail mower.

Thats good advice if your unloading or loading anything with no help around. I'll lift just high enough to back under it and then gently set it down. To me its a lot easier than trying to maneuver the implement on the boom

 

[texbaylea]

I have a FEL with pallet forks available. When my Caroni Flail mower, TM1900B, around 600 lbs, arrived it was on a extra length pallet. The delivery driver turned it so I could lift from the side.

The Caroni has two holes in the end plates so I used closeable links (from TSC) in those holes and two 15' (also from TSC) straps with hooks on each end. Looping the straps over the forks let me lift the mower off the pallet for assembly.


Maybe you can get some ideas from this.

Vernon

 

[pitt_md]

I second FWJ on the boom pole idea. I just picked up a KKII 5' tiller (thank to the many testamonials here at TBN) at TSC - about 700#. I don't have a truck, but The Plant Manager has a Ford Focus with a trailer. Oh, it was a slow ride home.

I had the same thought as you, Keith, that is to lift with a chain around the bucket, or rig a come along to a stout tree limb, etc, etc. When I got to TSC I spied a boom pole for $99. Now, I know what you're thinking, what kind of cruddy implement has that got to be? Well, it did the trick unloading the tiller nicely enough - I had a goodly load of firewood in the FEL bucket, just in case.

But now I find I'm using that boom pole all the time. It's great for all sorts of "heffing" and "rigging" tasks and makes a dandy little brush dragger. Yes, all that and and the beloved bile yellow KK paint job thrown it at no extra charge!

-Jim

Curious why you didn't use the FEL? I use it all the time for this kind of thing. I use heavy duty tiedowns. Curl the bucket up and put a hook of one of the tie downs over the edge and connect to one end of the implement and do the same at the other end. Adjust tiedowns so both are snug and lift slowly.
Chains work well to but are harder to get the load lifted evenly.

 

[Charlesaf3]

yeah - I've never seen the use of a boom pole when one has a FEL, but would love to know of new ways.

I find FEL plus QA plus forks makes life MUCH easier

 

[Baby Grand]

Curious why you didn't use the FEL?

I don't have hooks on my FEL bucket (yet) so the lift point would be somewhere under the fore-aft centerline of the bucket, assuming I wrapped a chain or strap around it. Reach as measured from the brush guard forward to the bucket centerline (about 3 ft and change) is less than what is possible with the boom pole. By using the boom pole it's possible to center the lift point directly over the implement's CG and still have plenty of distance between the tractor's 3ph and the side of the trailer (about 5 ft). This allows a vertical lift without any swinging of the load once it lifts off of the trailer bed. I really wanted to avoid the swinging part.

I had not even considered hooking to the edge of the bucket, but I'll keep that in mind next time I need to lift something. It's good to have options. I do like hooking to one of the loops on the boom pole as there is no way for the attachment point to move, regardless of how the load decides to shift direction. And they will shift, given half a chance.

-Jim

 

[jbrumberg]

FEL with straps no play and no sway lifting my 500# box blade. I only lifted the BB enough to allow the truck to slide out underneath the lifted BB's pallet. Jay

 

[pennwalk]

The FEL or the pole boom are the way to go. I also have lifting points in the ceiling over each bay in the garage. I have a 2x4 strong backs (two 2x4s nailed together in an "L") spanning the trusses with a 1/2 eye bolt hanging down. I use it to load lawn and garden stuff with my chain hoist into the pickup to move to the barn for storage. Comes in handy.

Chris