How to transport a Compact Tractor.

[bmaverick]

I had the trailer already. 6-1/2x12. It's square tube steel, so very little if any flexing corner-to-corner or side-to-side. The axle is 3,800# rated, solid wood deck, and load-E tires.

With the single axle, it's best to know the center of gravity for the weight and focus this over it.

Tie-down straps are a must. Best when each tractor axle is secured.

I've towed this tractor thru 10 states and over 80 hours on the roadways and interstates this way.

 

[Scott 730]

1 strap over the top of the 3 point arms ? And 1 on something on the front? What is securing it from moving toward the rear of the trailer?

 

[michford]

bmaverick, we are not busting your chops on purpose, but when you post about how to transport a tractor, you are going to get comments. It does look like your straps are also being used as wheel chocks in a round about way and would not prevent forward or backword movement. The hooks on your straps also look like they are free to slide slong the length of the trailer as they are not hooked to d rings or stake pockets.

 

[bmaverick]

1 strap over the top of the 3 point arms ? And 1 on something on the front? What is securing it from moving toward the rear of the trailer?

Ugh, I'm missing in the image two more straps.

Yes, there is one for going around the rear axle. (not yet done in the pix).

And 1 more on the box blade to the front of the trailer.

Sorry, no D-rings on this trailer. The hooks are right into the vertical square tube posts. Nothing slides.

The reason why I strapped down the 3PT is, the box blade and arms would freely bounce! My first time out I thought the trailers had a bag of rocks on it making all the noise. Once the 3PT lower arms were strapped, no more bouncing nor noise.

The front axle is strapped down too.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Frankly I don't like straps for tying down loads of machinery, unless Ihave no choice. They allow bounce and wiggle that should not be on machinery and equipment. In hauling all over the country meaning the whole 48 states I didn't use them and I carried plenty of chains and binder with occasionally I would need another that I would have to buy along the way to take a strap off. As for your bouncing issue if you tied down the blade with a chain you would not need the strap over the arms. Also your straps need a cushion under them to protect from chaffing on wear spots. And as I see it there is nothing holding it forward and backward since the straps are nearly straight down with little sideways movement control also. Again just FYI for you.

 

[showcrop]

I had the trailer already. 6-1/2x12. It's square tube steel, so very little if any flexing corner-to-corner or side-to-side. The axle is 3,800# rated, solid wood deck, and load-E tires.

With the single axle, it's best to know the center of gravity for the weight and focus this over it.

Tie-down straps are a must. Best when each tractor axle is secured.

I've towed this tractor thru 10 states and over 80 hours on the roadways and interstates this way.

View attachment 1369

View attachment 1370

If focus the center of gravity over the axle means to center the weight over the axle, this is incorrect, and you are lucky to have survived the 80 hour trip. The number of axles makes no difference. Any combination of vehicles needs to have a significant amount of tongue weight bearing on the tow vehicle or in any kind of quick side movement stability can be lost because of "the tail wagging the dog" effect. Control is usually lost. Depending on the GVW of the towing vehicle you should see a lowering of between one and four inches of the rear of the tow vehicle when the amount of tongue weight is adequate. Another problem in the photo is the absence of a strap or chain holding the box blade down securely to the trailer. Tie downs are supposed to by FMCSA rules be attached to designed dedicated points on the trailer. As Michford posted your strap hooks appear to be free to slide. FMCSA rules require a separate holding device for any implement or attachment on a primary vehicle, even when on a three point hitch. The biggest problem is that your trailer is overloaded. Your 2610 weighs 2712 lbs. dry. Add 20 gallons of fluids, for 100 lbs. add 200# for the box blade. That leaves 890 allowed for the trailer. I see 10 12 ft pressure treated 2x8s for the deck. those will easily run 50lbs each for 500 lbs. the tires/wheels will weigh around 50 each. Assuming no brakes, which is suicidal for that load, the rest of the allowed weight is taken up by your "square tube steel" frame which unless it is 1/2 inch tube will put you well over. You were lucky you didn't get into a quick evasive movement situation where another vehicle was involved. You could be doing jail time. I suggest for your safety as well as that of the general public on the roads that you park that trailer until you can find a mentor to help you to understand the laws and why they are enforced.

 

[farmersamm]

OP..........what everybody is referring to, is fore/aft movement.

The chains are secured to the axle......pulling rearward.....preventing the baler from rolling forward.

Another set of chains is secured to the same axle...............pulling forward..........preventing the baler from rolling backwards.

 

[farmersamm]

Normally, you only need 2 binders. Attach one set of chains by simply hooking them, then attach the chains in the opposing direction with binders. Use a cheater bar. Suck those wheels right down to the trailer deck.

Generally, where possible, I like to winch everything onto a trailer. It's slower, and safer. And, you don't face the danger of sitting on a tractor that might tip over backwards if driven up a set of steep ramps. I built my deckover trailer with an eye to making the deck height to the absolute minimum..........but the ramps are still steep. A winch keeps the front end of everything on the deck.......not up in the air.

I, personally, don't like a lowboy trailer for what I do. A deckover is more versatile. When doing the pickup, the chains were on front, and back axles...............both pulling in opposite directions. Stretching the truck fore/aft. Always look at your load, and figure out the best way to secure it. Just stand there, take your time, and visualize the ways that whatever you're hauling might slide off the trailer deck. Don't feel foolish by over doing it. Better safe than sorry.

I build a steel deck. I don't like a wood deck. They deteriorate too rapidly. Metal is one-and-done.

I use a vintage winch that I've mounted on a custom mount. It's stronger than anything I haul. I've moved backhoes with it. Here, I'm unloading the pickup..............I still use the winch. It's safer. Slow is GOOD. Be careful in everything you do. Don't be afraid to use a snatch block. It might be overkill, but it's cheap insurance. The pickup is so light, a snatch block wasn't necessary. BUT.......IIRC.......I used a snatch block when loading it.

I'm not being judgmental..........I'm just trying to show by example. Everything in life involves a learning curve.

 

[showcrop]

Normally, you only need 2 binders. Attach one set of chains by simply hooking them, then attach the chains in the opposing direction with binders. Use a cheater bar. Suck those wheels right down to the trailer deck.

View attachment 1764
Generally, where possible, I like to winch everything onto a trailer. It's slower, and safer. And, you don't face the danger of sitting on a tractor that might tip over backwards if driven up a set of steep ramps. I built my deckover trailer with an eye to making the deck height to the absolute minimum..........but the ramps are still steep. A winch keeps the front end of everything on the deck.......not up in the air.

View attachment 1765
I, personally, don't like a lowboy trailer for what I do. A deckover is more versatile. When doing the pickup, the chains were on front, and back axles...............both pulling in opposite directions. Stretching the truck fore/aft. Always look at your load, and figure out the best way to secure it. Just stand there, take your time, and visualize the ways that whatever you're hauling might slide off the trailer deck. Don't feel foolish by over doing it. Better safe than sorry.

I build a steel deck. I don't like a wood deck. They deteriorate too rapidly. Metal is one-and-done.

View attachment 1766
I use a vintage winch that I've mounted on a custom mount. It's stronger than anything I haul. I've moved backhoes with it. Here, I'm unloading the pickup..............I still use the winch. It's safer. Slow is GOOD. Be careful in everything you do. Don't be afraid to use a snatch block. It might be overkill, but it's cheap insurance. The pickup is so light, a snatch block wasn't necessary. BUT.......IIRC.......I used a snatch block when loading it.

I'm not being judgmental..........I'm just trying to show by example. Everything in life involves a learning curve.

Slap beaver tail on that deck-over= gentle slope ramp

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

bmaverick, we are not busting your chops on purpose, but when you post about how to transport a tractor, you are going to get comments. It does look like your straps are also being used as wheel chocks in a round about way and would not prevent forward or backword movement. The hooks on your straps also look like they are free to slide slong the length of the trailer as they are not hooked to d rings or stake pockets.

Look closer. The straps are hooked into the bottoms of the vertical uprights. I have the same style of trailer, and the uprights are open on the bottom giving you stake-pocket-like places to hook.

 

[Scott 730]

Look closer. The straps are hooked into the bottoms of the vertical uprights. I have the same style of trailer, and the uprights are open on the bottom giving you stake-pocket-like places to hook.

............ and the inherent problem with hooking like that is if you get slack the hook promptly comes un hooked from the bottom of the stake pocket. YMMV.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

............ and the inherent problem with hooking like that is if you get slack the hook promptly comes un hooked from the bottom of the stake pocket. YMMV.

A guy can find an "inherent problem" with any method of load securement. What if this. What if that. You're going to kill a busload of orphans and nuns and go to jail for the rest of your life.

If you let your tiedowns get loose they'll come unhooked no matter what they're made from. That's why you use more tiedowns than you need. That's why you stop and check your tiedowns. That's why you keep an eye in the mirror for loose tiedowns.

 

[showcrop]

A guy can find an "inherent problem" with any method of load securement. What if this. What if that. You're going to kill a busload of orphans and nuns and go to jail for the rest of your life.

If you let your tiedowns get loose they'll come unhooked no matter what they're made from. That's why you use more tiedowns than you need. That's why you stop and check your tiedowns. That's why you keep an eye in the mirror for loose tiedowns.

I never use more than I need. I use just what I need and do them right. Correct securement at each end of each strap/ chain is needed. go five-ten miles and check them.

 

[Sixty7camaro]

I had the trailer already. 6-1/2x12. It's square tube steel, so very little if any flexing corner-to-corner or side-to-side. The axle is 3,800# rated, solid wood deck, and load-E tires.

With the single axle, it's best to know the center of gravity for the weight and focus this over it.

Tie-down straps are a must. Best when each tractor axle is secured.

I've towed this tractor thru 10 states and over 80 hours on the roadways and interstates this way.

View attachment 1369

View attachment 1370

I would be interested in knowing the total weight of your tractor and box blade. I want to trailer my '57 Ford Workmaster a few miles to a tractor show and I have a very similar trailer. My axle is rated at 3500 lbs. so I am just under the rating with a tractor weight of around 3300 lbs.

 

[Jim.ME]

I would be interested in knowing the total weight of your tractor and box blade. I want to trailer my '57 Ford Workmaster a few miles to a tractor show and I have a very similar trailer. My axle is rated at 3500 lbs. so I am just under the rating with a tractor weight of around 3300 lbs.

A 3500-pound axle doesn't mean the trailer can carry 3500 pounds. You have to start by subtracting the weight of the empty trailer from the 3500 pounds to get the allowable load capacity of the trailer.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I would be interested in knowing the total weight of your tractor and box blade. I want to trailer my '57 Ford Workmaster a few miles to a tractor show and I have a very similar trailer. My axle is rated at 3500 lbs. so I am just under the rating with a tractor weight of around 3300 lbs.

Single axle trailers with a 3500lb axle and large enough for a Ford Workmaster to fit on weigh somewhere around 900-1000lbs empty, so you only really have 2500lbs of capacity on that trailer. A 3300lb tractor will severely overload the trailer, and probably bend the axle. From experience these trailer suspension components have very little "safety factor" built in. When they say 3500lbs, they mean 3500lbs.

A Ford Workmaster can travel at 16MPH down the road. If it's only "a few miles," drive it. It'll take you what, 15-30 minutes? Takes longer than that to load and unload.

 

[bmaverick]

I would be interested in knowing the total weight of your tractor and box blade. I want to trailer my '57 Ford Workmaster a few miles to a tractor show and I have a very similar trailer. My axle is rated at 3500 lbs. so I am just under the rating with a tractor weight of around 3300 lbs.

Tractor is 2600-lbs and boxblade 175-lbs = 2,775-lbs.

 

[DoubleO7]

Tractor is 2600-lbs and boxblade 175-lbs = 2,775-lbs.

Another source like Tractordata says a 641 Workmaster is 3291 dry.
Could have wheel weights and/or 500lbs of calcium in the tires on top of the above.

 

[DoubleO7]

When they say 3500lbs, they mean 3500lbs.

And that is just the axle and suspension.
Trailer dealers are notorious for putting the cheapest tires the can find on their new trailers.
So you also need to check the load rating of the tires.

 

[Jim.ME]

Another source like Tractordata says a 641 Workmaster is 3291 dry.
Could have wheel weights and/or 500lbs of calcium in the tires on top of the above.

Did I miss something?

bmaverick was giving the weight of his Yanmar, in his picture, as asked by sixty7camaro. Sixty7camaro said his 641 Workmaster was around 3300 pounds, as you say that might be more, if it has any ballast.

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