How to Avoid a Disaster When Loading a Tractor on a Trailer
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
- A lot of folks who own tractors have trailers to haul them around. There's a big danger if they're not loaded on level ground. In this video I illustrate the wrong way to place a truck and trailer to load a tractor that can be potentially disastrous. NEVER load with the truck headed down a hill. You'll see why when you see what happens to the pickup truck when the tractor goes up the ramps on to the trailer. It amazed me when I watched the filming when I was done.
The weight of a decent sized compact tractor, as it goes up the trailer ramps, can lift up the back end of the truck. If weight of the truck on the back wheels is what holding the truck in place, the truck can start moving and it can free wheel to wherever gravity takes it, with you on the tractor and helplessly half on the trailer. I've seen it happen and it's not pretty.
Bottom line is, load your truck on level ground and put some chock blocks underneath the truck tires. You don't want to ride an out-of-control truck and trailer to the bottom of a hill.
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That is why you put the truck in 4 low if you have four-wheel drive. Locks up all four wheels, and doesn’t actually put strain on the transmission if you engage the E-brake. We do it like that all the time when we haul our 3039R John Deere cab tractor behind our 4-door Jeep Rubicon. Definitely not the best tow vehicle, but it works since we put a brake controller in it.
Wheel chocks are cheap too at Harbor Freight they add to the safety I carry four in my truck all the time.
Thanks for publishing this vid, I also just got a trailer for my 40hp tractor and was looking for videos on the right way to load, this is really helpful.
The comments on your video from various folks were pretty useful to me. Now I know why some trailers have those jacks on the ramps that stick out until folded down. The guy from our dealer had this happen in our driveway when he was facing uphill on a slight incline. Once the tractor got on the trailer the whole rig started going backwards until it leveled out, which luckily was only about 10' at most. So this can happen loading uphill as well. I always thought he should have locked his 4x4 in to keep the front wheels from spinning (not sure if it works that way or not when in park). In the future I think I would block the back of the trailer based on all of the comments, or load out on the road where it is flat.
Caution about the supports built into the ramps. If the truck shifts forward, they will spring the ramp up into the belly of the tractor and you might need a crane to get the mess untangled.
i have had years of experience loading heavy equipment on trailers. Why Mike doesnt mention this i dont understand but never ever drive anything onto a trailer without jack stands or blocking (cribbing up) under back of the trailer.Even on level ground this can be very dangerous and damage your vehicle.
I tried that on a ditch witch with a pusher on the front that was loaded backwards. With blocks under the trailer, the pusher could not be raised high enough to load or unload, so I had to let it raise up my truck as I cringed.
TheDadPenfield it is true due to equipment sometimes with the angle you cant clear over the back. You can still do it safely though here is how. Disconnect trailer from vehicle and make sure trailer properly chaulked forward and backward. Useing trailer jack raise tounge as hi as possibe this lessons angle on back. Once raised then crib under back of trailer or drop rear jacks if equiped. Your now ready to load your equipment as normal. Then drop your tounge down rehook hitch. This is the safest way to load when angle is a problem.
Ken Jett
Thanks for the advice. I inherited a 16 foot trailer and I want to make sure I do it safely.
@@kenjett2434 I've done that a few times, it works quite well. I've also jacked the trailer up while connected to a pickup to get the ramp angle lower to load newer cars that have very little ground clearance. It works when you do it right. Really need to find someone at a welding shop to dovetail the back of my trailer and it would correct many of these loading situations, the ramp on my trailer is too short for loading cars, it was custom built for hauling landscaping boulder and equipment not cars LOL.....however its a great car hauler if you can get the car loaded on it. I think its load capacity is only limited by the tow vehicle I swear its built heavy enough to withstand a direct bomb strike LOL.
@@wildbill23c sounds like a nice trailer and yes you can raise the front of the trailer while attached to vehicle. But it does limit how much you can raise it and you can risk damaging rear suspension on the vehicle. Suspension is designed for compression and not to be stretched it can lead to something breaking.
Thanks Mike, I am new to the country and this tip probably just saved my butt.
If you use a trailer like in this video. USE WOOD BLOCKS UNDER THE END OF THE TRAILER TO STOP THE TRAILER FROM PICKING UP THE REAR OF THE PICK UP. And don't forget to place blocks under all tires of trailer and front tires of the tow rig.
Also is a bad idea to load equipment prior to hooking up the truck. Learned this many years ago after a long day. Didn't even think there was a slope. Everything was fine until the truck ball tapped the trailer hitch. Looking in the mirror watching the trailer roll away, picking up speed as it goes, I jumped out of the truck ran back and somehow was able stop it and throw a piece of wood behind the wheels. Heard the crunch of gravel, looked back and here comes the truck. In my panicked exit, I had shut the truck off but I didn't quite get it in gear. Was barely able to stop the fully loaded truck before it ran into a building.
My Dad went to an r.v. dealer and purchased 2 screw type jack stands that we put underneath each side of the rear of the trailer. When we load, the jacks support the weight and don't allow for the drawbar and the trailer tongue to be lifted up. Very simple yet they work very well. Also I agree Mike. Always load on the level and chock the wheels just to be safe. Only takes a few seconds. Hurt lasts way too long. Dead even longer.
Gary from Iowa
great video mike i try to see all the videos that you put out because yours are about the only ones that i agree with 100% of the time. now with that said i would like to add a little option to your procedure . now i have always, when loading a tractor or car or any "wheeled" load , made it a habit to use jackstands under the back of my trailer, just forward of the ramps and behind the axle. then you negate the problem of neg. tongue weight. i still never load down hill. and it gives you a more stable feeling way to load. when you move the load forward to balance it you shift the weight a little forward the stands come right out just takes a second and no trailer squat . i hope you try it and ad it to your process. thanx again for all the great info
'
+Tom Elliston Great suggestion Tom, I fully agree. That would take a lot of the torque load off where the tongue and the trailer are welded together, I've seen a few trailers start to crack welds there because of the pressure from repeated loadings. Excellent idea!
I was just about to mention this...after watching this video, I realize that fortunately I did just that when I went to pick up my ford 4500. It was a pretty steep grade and I woulda definitely had a wild ride straight into their barn!
Thanks for taking the time to make this video...gonna make a few changes in my un/loading habits!
Very good to learn this without first hand experience. Thank you!
Super inexpensive fix. Go to harbor and buy two cheap side crank trailer Jack's with feet. Mount them on the trailer by the dovetail.
whenever you put a heavy load on the trailer simply put the jacks down and crank the feet all the way to make contact with the earth almost picking the back of the trailer up a couple of inches. This will keep it from pitching up when you load it.
Great information and a very timely video. We just purchased a 40hp tractor. Keep up the great work!
My trailer has an angle iron frame welded to each ramp at the top close to the trailer that prevents this from happening. These frames hit the ground when the ramps are lowered for use at the same time the ends of the ramps hit the ground.
Never considered this happening till it happened to me last year. I've always had wedged shaped ramps that supported the weight being loaded. Last year I made a 500mile trip to pick up a tractor almost exactly like yours. I had disconnected the ramps and strapped them to the front of the trailer so I didn't have to listen to them rattle. Just set them behind the trailer without attaching them and it did exactly that, on a slight slope. Luckily, I caught it quick and no damage done. Was a 3/4 ton truck.
Whew. Thank the Lord!
I know a guy that was killed from unloading a bull dozer from his semi truck. He was parked up hill but didn't have trailer brakes so you can imagine. I like those trailer ramp support things. They look like a triangular support under each ramp and they are much safer.
Vehicles vary, I know. But to the comment about the Suburban in particular, those are 3/4 ton trucks. My Suburban had the tow package and the special-ordered rear gearing which allowed it to tow 12,000lbs. Yes, 12000 lbs. I called the dealer and rand the VIN and that was the tow weight rating. But I do agree to your point -- make sure the vehicle can handle the load!
I didn't know Suburbans were 3/4 ton trucks. I'm surprised. I probably tend to be a little conservative on recommending trucks to pull tractors on trailers because of where I live. We have some serious hills here and it can get a little scary, especially after a rain. I'll be the first to admit I'm a little of a weenie when it comes to towing, but that's kept me safe so far. I cringed when customers left our lot at the dealership with Suburbans pulling 40 hp tractors headed off into the hills and hairpin curves, but they seemed to get along fine and I never heard of any of them having accidents. I think the size and the short wheelbase scares me as much as anything.
Stop being such a weenie, Mike! I'll load and tow anything! Dont care about no hills, snow, rain, weight, what the hell is GVWR?? Ah hell, long as someone is there to hold my beer, ill jump on and grab the ole bull by the horns. Psst, safety is for weenies, with small weenies... Also, Im a dumbass with little regard for my own well-being or the well-being of those around me! Scariest thing is, there are plenty more limp-dick dumbasses just like me out there who think everyone else is the problem...and we all procreate. Dur-duur. Lookout, everyone else!
*Thanks for producing such a didactic video! Hopefully more people like "me" will see this and actually learn something! P.S. guess this technically means that you can say you are a "tractor trailer" driver.
Great advice Mike, I learned this lesson the hard way! Having feet on the ramps as some have suggested is great but still doesn't mean it's safe to load downhill... trust me I have photo proof. LOL
+Tim Pollock Yeah, I was really glad I learned by watching someone else take "the ride" :). It really doesn't take much of a slope to cause a problem. I literally didn't even know there was a slope where I watched the accident. If it had been like most places in the Ozarks where the slope is steep and ends in a creek it would have been a lot worse.
+Tractor Mike I wish there was a way to post a photo of my accident. I made several mistakes: #1 I was in a hurry (it never pays to rush with equipment!!!) to get the rented backhoe returned in time, #2 I attempted to load downhill and I knew better, #3 I trusted the ramp feet/legs to keep the trailer from raising. Thankfully there was no damage to myself, only my truck from the jack-knife.
Keep up the good work brother, love the videos.
Thanks...wow, that could have been worse. Most of the time I've been in dangerous situations it comes from rushing through a job. Why do we do that anyway?
LOL I don't know, you'd think we'd eventually learn better. Hopefully I'm a little wiser now than I was in my younger days though. ;- )
A few changes that should be done with this video are: install blocks under rear of deck to prevent lifting rear of tow vehicle, showing optimal places to place chocks, and the loading of tractor in video on a tilt deck trailer.
I was at a rental place and the rental guy loaded a ditch witch on my trailer. It lifted my back wheels 2 feet off the ground and the rental guy laughed and said dont worry about it. I did not think it was funny or safe. Fortunarely the hitch did not give way. On another occassion I loaded a riding mower on a small trailer and that hitch gave way, the tongue went up and put a big dent in my tailgate. I learned to place logs or concrete or jack stands under the back of the trailer to prevent this.
TheDadPenfield
good trl have folding ramps that have bars under the ramps that do the same as blocks but are always there. dont have to worry about forgetting em
TheDadPenfield good thought
.. I always use a 6x6 or similar block under my ramps
@@tractorboy31 The legs on the ramps can just kick the ramp into the tractor belly if the truck moves.
You said it! #1 Chock the wheels, trailer and tow unit. 4 chocks cost less than even a broken headlight lens on a vehicle. Even what appears to be level may have a slight grade, and if the tractor is at a certain point it could push the whole shebang down, or up, the road. Going to subscribe.
As always....the "Ol' Sage" of wise advice! (There...I said it again!)
I have used that to my advantage a couple times. My car trailer was originally built for hauling landscaping boulders and construction equipment. So it isn't dovetailed in the back sadly, wish I could find someone to do that though.
Anyhow, loading your typical car onto this trailer the ramp is so short you bottom the car out on the ramp and trailer deck. In order to get around this I put the trailer tongue jack down and raise the tongue of the trailer up as far as I can with the truck attached which usually will allow the car to make it over the ramp/trailer deck with minimal or no scraping. I also try and park so the truck is pointed up hill which also lowers the back end of the trailer slightly. I unloaded an 83 Ford Bronco off my car trailer by disconnecting it from the truck and letting the trailer tilt up as I backed off....the Bronco had a broken rear axle, I only had the front axle to power me off the trailer and the Bronco was wide enough I had to go up and over the trailer's fenders to get it back off. It worked, it was dangerous, and would never do it again but it got that dang Bronco off my trailer. I don't have a winch on the trailer and I'd suggest getting one for that stuff LOL.
I keep this trailer around because of its seemingly endless possibilities of use. A friend borrowed it and hauled 7 ATV's on it to hunting camp one year, I've hauled several cars, friends and family have hauled cars on it, etc. The huge plus, it was home built, its heavy but its deck was made from old aircraft landing strips so it has holes all over the decking, I can tie anything down anywhere I want on that trailer. It needs the trailer brakes fixed, and need to find someone who can dovetail the back of that trailer and it would be an awesome car hauler....Its a 23 foot trailer with a hinged 1 piece ramp on the back. Makes loading and unloading easier as you don't have to be nearly as careful trying to get the vehicle's wheels lined up with skinny narrow ramps or having the ramps slip.
Could also have legs/supports under the ramps.
Mike,,,here in Alabama the State Troopers and city cops will give you a ticket for your tag being on the fender. I still think it’s the best way to mount but they claim it must be horizontal.
Appreciate you taking the time to share you’re valuable experience!!!! Amein on meeting Jesus and getting saved!!!
On a trailer like the one your using its better to have a set of flip out crank down jacks to stabilize the rear of the trailer when loading or off loading. Myself I prefer and use a tilt deck to load tractors....
I totally agree. The jacks are definitely a worthwhile option, in our area it seems like everyone buys the cheapest trailer they can find so they're a little rare. Tilt decks are awesome, we've talked about them a little already in some of the previous comments. I like the ones with the cylinder that eases you down when you get over center but I've loaded a lot of tractors on trailers that slam down. They seem to have problems as they get older, though, either with the hinge points or the deck. If a guy takes it real slow he can make them last a long time, though, the trick is to not have the tilt part come down hard.
***** On my tiltbed trailer the fabrication shop installed a flow restrictive valve to either speed up or slow down the rate the cylinder movement. Plus I can "lock" my tiltbed in the tilted position if needed. I posted earlier that even using (4) 6x6 wood blocks will aide in loading a trailer with ramps.
Sounds like you have the perfect trailer! Good idea on the blocks, that would keep everything from dropping.
I think the biggest issue with loading facing downhill is the potential for an accident to occur because of speed you pick up while driving towards the front of the trailer. Lose control and you will hit the rear of the tow vehicle.I wouldn't be worried too much about the rear end coming up unless your tow vehicle is undersized to begin with. I think it would take more than a 40 horse tractor to pick the rear end up completely off the ground on a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.
Try welding a removable jackstand on each rear corner of the trailer, keeps the trailer from picking up the back of your truck and "testing" the coupler.
They make jacks for this purpose.
images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61YgCRyl2KL._AC_SL1100_.jpg
Don't just take random jack stands and do this.
You can take jack stands and place them at the corners if EACH jack stand is rated for the full weight of the tractor.
I welded stub 2" receivers to the rear side corners of the trailer. Then plug a tongue jack with a similar male stub onto each side, crank to whatever height. Trailer tilts off the tongue.
Been doing this 40 plus years load down hill all the time block both wheels in front of the rear tires trailer will still fine and easy to load loaded hundreds of things this way
You may have saved my but. Thank you!
I did just what you warned about. One time I showed up at a field to bushhog it. The dirt driveway was curved and slightly up hill with woods on both sides. The truck and trailer was positioned at the apex of the curve. When I loaded it, The whole works started not only to slide but it jack knifed too. Like an idiot, I kept going on thinking that the weight being fully on the trailer would load the back of the truck and it would stop sliding. Didn't work. I backed the tractor off the trailer in record time but the trailer tongue already met the quarter panel of the truck and creased it badly, almost pushing the other side of the truck into a tree. Fortunately, it stopped just short of the tree The truck was a 3/4 ton Ford Super Duty but the tractor and trailer combined weighed 13000 Lbs. I know because I had weighed it a couple of years before at a local truck stop, so I was over weight besides. The truck was only rated for 10000 Lb max trailer. Ever since I try to keep it not only as level as possible but as straight as possible too. This is a very important message. Keep up the good work.
is why I go to the trouble of putting blocks under the rear of trailer so nothing moves much during loading AND unloading.
i just found this video. Mike this also can be said for loading anything more 500lbs to a trailer. i am a gear head and have loaded many cars on trailers. i have had trailer lift on almost every car with an engine in it. even had one slide the truck i was using.
And don't put blocks under the back of trailer to stop the lifting from occuring. Especially if you are loading a tracked machine such as a bulldozer. Equipment can over backwards if the front bucket is not kept low enough and crush the operator.
This happened to a friend of my dad and killed him in front of his young son.
I think of this every time i load equipment.
Even if its only gonna take a min make sure roll bar is up & locked and seatbelt tight.
Good tip Mike 👍🇺🇸
Great information Mike, Thank You!
Witnessed a guy almost get killed loading a tractor on a trailer down hill. Picked the back wheels of his truck a few feet off the ground and sent the truck, trailer, and tractor down into some trees. Got jammed in there jack knifed, big dent in his bumper and side of the truck from hitting a tree. The guy owned a excavating business too
Very good advice Mike. Love your videos.
Great videos. Thanks for making them available. Good info.
They do it because a half tone can do it just fine
Another danger would be in tractors without 4wd or without 4wd engaged, that have no weight in the rear, that causes the center of gravity to shift forward on the tractor causing the rear end to slide around. I've seen it, not while loading trailers, but it could happen on wood or steel trailer decks.
Especially when it's raining or snowing. Great point.
#1: WHEEL CHOCKS.
#2: Support the back of the trailer so it can't lift the back of the truck as the tractor is loaded.
There are times you can't avoid loading/unloading on an incline. So you need to know how to do it.
I wouldnt use that trailer for a tractor. The trailer ramps should have feet so that you dont screw up your suspension on your vehicle when loading. As to the hill? I do it where it is flat.
Agreed. It's not the best set up, but it's all a lot of people have,
Not that hard to take it to a shop and weld the legs on to the ramps. I charge $100 including the steel. About a hour of work. I even paint the end of the legs flourescent orange so people see it before they walk into it.
That sounds like a GREAT deal. I also really like the idea of painting the legs since they will stick out a little. Thanks for the input!
Your welcome. The fabricator should make the legs one inch short of actual contact with the ground. This will help if the ground is uneven or you park on a hump. If after you have loaded the tractor and you cant raise the ramps. Secure the tractor and then roll the truck with trailer forward a foot or two. The trailers legs will easily rotate up so they can be hefterd up.
What size engine is in the Dodge half ton you used in the video? Does it haul the tractor nicely? I use a 2001 F150 7700 HD to haul scrap metal & vehicles around with on my flatbed trailer. I was told the truck is good to tow for roughly 10,000 lbs and usually it hauls pretty good. I've never hauled a tractor before but it's nice that it looks like there's a good number of tie down points to be had on a tractor to make for an easy and safe securement to a trailer. Great video by the way, very well done.
Thanks for the nice comments. The Dodge has the 5.7 liter 345 cubic inch engine which should be enough to tow the tractor on level ground, if going up and down hills I would definitely prefer a diesel engine. The gas engine is going to use a lot more fuel under load. I actually very seldom move my own equipment and I'd rather pay the local dealer to do it versus maintaining a larger truck. If I had to haul the tractor around a lot I'd have to invest in a larger truck, and since my daughter and wife are getting really active in the equine world a 3/4 ton or ton truck may be in my future anyway. They're talking about having a gooseneck trailer to haul multiple horses and we'll definitely be looking at a different truck if that happens. Thanks for watching!
Mike a lot of us watching your videos are small farmers who can't drive tractors between farms. I have 42, 4, 20 and 12 miles between my four small farms that I run. We would go broke hiring tractors loaded! @@TractorMike
Great educational video! But (at least in PA), your safety chains are illegal. They need to be crossed to form an "X"!!! The idea is if the trailer comes off the ball for some reason, the trailer tongue will fall into the X and be cradled off the ground until you can bring it to a stop. If the chains are not crossed, the tongue will fall between the chains and be sliding along the road and will flip the trailer like a pole vaulter when it hits a pothole or just digs itself into the asphalt. Be safe and thanks for the video! I've learned something!!!
That's a good tip, thanks for sharing. Someone had told me that but they did not know the "why", I will start doing it the way you suggest from now on.
The Xj is rated at 6000ibs when properly equipped so that amount of weight is about half of its tow rating the Ram shouldnt be far from that.
The EXACT reason I use tiltbed only trailers. I will not have ramps if I can help it at all costs.
Nice, but expensive and they also have downsides.
My and my brother place cinder blocks, it you could use a thick piece of wood, placed under the rear end of the trailer. The back end can only go down as far as the block is. His truck hardly moves at all. As for the hauling part, I have a half ton pickup and have pulled my MF gc1710 on a 16' utility trailer. It pulled my truck to death. Luckily, I was mostly on level ground. I actually smelled tranny fluid when I got home. I will never again do this. I am gonna buy me a bigger truck so this doesn't happen again. Just be careful when you are hauling things. Your trucks can only do so much. Thanks.
That's it? I've pulled my BX2670 with a loader and implement on a 12' utility trailer in my 1/2 ton with no sweat. Towed multiple pickups, SUVs, and fullsize cars on a 16' car trailer too. May I ask what truck it was?
+ontarioknivesNS7 2008 dodge ram 1500 v6
Ah, a V6. That makes sense. Mines a 2003 Ram 1500 4door long bed but with the 5.7 Hemi. It tows very well since it's so long
Hmmmmm, I've towed a Ford 8N with a 1998 Jeep Cherokee 4.0 for over 50 miles on a car hauler and I didn't have any issues. of course I wasn't driving very fast. My average speed was around 45-50. I used drive3 and I have an aux tranny cooler. My truck stayed cool and I didn't smell anything. I wonder what was going on with your rig. The GC series is much lighter than the 8n(8n is about 2500ibs).
+DJ-Papaslim my tractor w/ loader and backhoe weighs around 2700-2800 lbs. Nearly a ton and a half. I need an additional tranny cooler, but do not tow or haul very much.
The exact reason I prefer a tilt deck trailer instead of a ramp load trailer. I have a deckover tilt deck trailer and it works perfectly for my 42hp Kubota. Tilt deck trailer doesn't have the problem of the rear axle of tow vehicle coming off the ground. What is your views on tilt deck trailers??? Deckover and lowbed tilt deck.
I love tilt deck trailers. Especially the really good ones that have a cylinder to keep everything from dropping too fast when you drive up and the weight makes you come down, those are the best. The only time I don't like a tilt trailer is if I'm trying to haul two pieces of equipment. Then you have to have an extra set of ramps.
***** When I bought my current trailer it needed repairs made before I would load my Kubota on it. So I had a local manufacturer do the work of replacing the axles (had mobile home axles first), replace hinges at tilt point and install a soft damping cylinder with flow restricter & small ramp to aide in loading tractors or cars. I replaced the main line of 7 wire from plug to mid trailer.
Those cylinders are a very wise investment. They'll sure save a lost of jolting around and probably save ever having to replace the tilt hinges again.
When my dad would load the old d2 dozer on the ramp trailer we had. He would put blocks of wood under the back of the trailer to stop the from lifting the rear of the pick up. That is one way to load a ramp trailer or have scissor jacks or just a stiff leg and pin to hold the trailer steady while loading a heavy machine. But blocks around the tires of the trailer and tow vehicle will still be required.
I would like to see a video done with you loading on a tiltdeck trailer. Or have you done a video of that already?
Great condensed videos. Thanks for sharing your very practical knowledge and wisdom. But about those safety chains at 4:27, they look tiny for what is being hauled. Is that typical?
Typical, yes, safe, probably not. I think the rules for safe trailers are pretty loose in Missouri and that was a cheap one that I borrowed from a neighbor. He's since upgraded to a much heavier trailer with bigger safety chains, bigger axles, etc. I wouldn't be hauling the tractor with that trailer and a half ton truck, I was just using it for the video. Having said that, there are lots of people who buy tractors that size and really cheap trailers and hook them on to their Suburbans and head down the road. It scares me to death because I don't think they could ever stop in an emergency. It's better to pay a little more money and have something more than heavy enough to do the job.
The ONLY way to load in this situation is to load on a tiltbed trailer. I've had to load on a mild hill before. I hate it.
Shits, Mike! I never even thought of that!
thanks
great info
Be smarter than your equipment put jack stands under the rear of your trailer to keep it from going down.
Could you please do a video about loading a tractor that doesn't run?
Winch.
I was watching your youtube about trying down tractors, I don't have to stake down on my trailer I have loops, the dealer said it was okay for my tractor was he correct?
Hey Mike, whats the apx weight of the tractor used? Great info, never really would have though much of a difference either way. Not sure if my little 1025r would cause the back end of my truck to come up like your example here.
I'm going to guess that it weighs 4000-4500 lbs dry, more with fuel and fluid in the tires, which it has.
what is the weight of your tractor? I have a 61 M-F 203 w/ bucket I think it's around 4300#
Your trailer is missing the rear jacks. With them what you are describing won't happen,
That's an option that a lot of people aren't willing to pay for but you're absolutely right. In this part of the world you don't see those jacks very often, but the day after I posted the video I was at Lowe's and walked right past a trailer that had them. My problem is I'd probably drive off without remembering to raise them.
+Mike Wiles (Ask Tractor Mike) Rear mounted jacks don't need to be crank style. Even welding a square on each side by the base of the ramps with a hole drilled in it for a square post with flat pad to pin in place to reduce the sag (drop) on the rear of the trailer and rise of the rear end of the tow vehicle. Even if the posts are an inch from the ground. That should be enough to keep tow vehicle on the ground.
Yea, but its way easier and more fun to just weld wings onto your equipment and park your trailer at the bottom of a really big hill! You can then roll your equipment down said hill and just fly it onto the trailer. Way easier!
Not necessarily true. My trailer has struts on the ramps and it has slid on me before, many times.
That is why I chock the tires on both sides of the rear axle of the trailer
Tractor Mike we love you but I'm thinking that God dang it I'm thinking that you're assuming that these this trailer does not have any breaks maybe that is the case in your case but if you're going to put a tractor on a trailer in probably 95% of the occasions you're supposed to actually have brakes on the trailer I understand you're saying to be safe rather than sorry as that some trailers do not actually have brakes and that is true some trailers don't have brakes but in the majority of cases if you know how to use the trailer brakes too that would this would never matter cuz you can go uphill or downhill and you could use all of the brakes most of the time you're actually supposed to have brakes on a trailer especially if it's something heavy enough to where you can legally put a tractor on the back of it
The truck always does that
How do you safely load and unload a tractor on a trailer with an implement attached?
Keep it as low as you can and make sure you're not putting it in a bind when the tractor starts up the ramp. The biggest danger there is bending a PTO shaft, but my experience is you won't encounter enough of an angle to do that. Now, if it was a "deckover" trailer with no dovetail, in other words, a trailer where the deck was above the wheels with no slanted section on the back to ease the angle, and your ramps were short you could get into a bind.
Tractor Mike my trailer is like the one shown in this video. Would the implement and pto get in a bind? I ask, because I'm taking my tractor and box grader to family to help regrade their driveway
Joe, you might have someone watch as you're driving up, but I sure don't think so. When the wheels start up the trailer, lift the implement all the way up, then when you near the lip, drop it back down some so it's not trying to pick the front end of the tractor up. With a blade you could probably just lift it up all the way and leave it up and it wouldn't affect the front end of the tractor if you have a front end loader to offset the weight. If there's a lot of weight in the back and the tractor is light on the front end you can pull the front wheels of the tractor off the trailer which is a scary experience. I did that a year ago with a tractor, with no loader and no front weights, loading with a brush hog on the back. I had to pick it all the way up as I was going up the ramps and then let it down so the front end of the tractor gained weight as I got past the "binding" point. Take it slow and easy and have someone watching with you to make sure you're safe. It takes practice and it gets easier the more you do it.
Tractor Mike thanks for the advice and tips.
Proofs in the pudding: czcams.com/video/yVUwet4ydIE/video.html
You better get a real truck to pull that heavy load...!!
Wise Student Yeah, I know. I wouldn't haul that big a tractor with a 1/2 ton, but I used it for illustration purposes because I saw people do it all the time and I definitely don't recommend it. Hopefully when everyone sees what happens at the end they'll understand the need for a bigger truck to pull weight like this. Stopping with a 1/2 ton truck in an emergency situation wouldn't be pretty. Thanks for the comment, I totally agree.