Old trailer, heavy load, short distance - Diesel Forum

barrelhorses · 08-18-2006, 09:37 PM

I need to haul my tractor (Mahindra C35) to the dealer to have some repairs under warranty (I have not modded the tractor [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]). The trip is about 15 miles, more or less, and pretty much country roads.

I have a 16' "landscape" type trailer that I bought new probably 12 years ago now. I put new tires on it about 8 years ago, but now they're old and pretty worn. I think the tractor with bucket and ballasted tires (each rear wheel has 55 gallons of non-corrosive, non-freezing fluid in them) will weigh somewhere around the 5500 to 6000 pound range. When my trailer was newer and the tires were better, I hauled several similar sized tractors a little bit with no problems.
Do you think I'll be all right for the short trip as long as I make sure the tires are aired up good and take it slow? I will not be using a WD set up; the trailer is not set up for it since I very rarely ever consider putting this kind of load on it.

JESSE 1 · 08-18-2006, 10:00 PM

I think you should consider installing new tires and re-packing the wheel bearings before hauling your tractor. Those tires could fail on you pulling that load in summer heat. Not worth the risk. Having a hub bearing fail is no fun, either.

fellro86 · 08-18-2006, 10:16 PM

15 miles hardly will warm up the tires, and my father, while not safe, runs worse equipment like that around the local area and gets by with it. You are there to see it, we all can only judge with our imagination. He rarely packs his bearings, I'm sure I was the last one to do it about 10 years or so ago...Sitting won't make a difference on the hub grease unless open to the air. if it was fine 8 years ago, it is still ok as far as bearings and trailer go, the one concern would be the tires, and you will have to inspect them and make your best judgement there, I have seen them hold out just fine, and I have seen them fail, but for the obviously minimal usage you use it for, it certainly doesn't justify 4 new tires, maybe some good used if you feel they won't hold out.

barrelhorses · 08-18-2006, 10:35 PM

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll load it up in the morning and see how it looks. I'm going to air the tires up a little bit above the "max" pressure. If it looks to iffy, I'll just go rent a trailer from the local tool rental place. I have a friend who has a good trailer, but he just buried his grandfather today so I hate to go borrowing equipment from him right now.

larry_minn · 08-18-2006, 11:15 PM

Speed is the key. I hauled a loader tractor (balast in tires) and one tire blew as I crossed RR tracks. At 40mph it was no problem. If I had been going 60+ it might have been nasty. Worst case you take it easy and tire blows you pull off/unload tractor and use bucket to lift trailer/remove tire/set on blocks. Then drive tractor with tire in bucket to dealership, get tire/tractor fixed and return. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

barrelhorses · 08-18-2006, 11:32 PM

Well I hope I don't have to use the tractor as a lift on this little trip, but I've used it before at home. It sure beats farting around with a jack. I wouldn't want to drive the tractor too far. It's top speed with the bucket and ballast is about 20 mph. I drive it to a field that I mow about once a month. It's about 4 miles and it takes at least 15 minutes to get there.

jprensink · 08-19-2006, 07:32 AM

If you were going to rent a trailer you would be better off just driving the tractor, by the time you get the trailer and monkey around with everything you would have bee there and back. But you would have to have somebody come pick you up. It might be slow and boring but just sit back and relax.

Roy_Boy · 08-19-2006, 07:48 AM

Yeah, our equipment has seen miles and miles of highway here on the farm. We've gone as much as much an like 60 miles different times. 15 miles is nothing. Unless of course, the tractor is too broken to drive [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

barrelhorses · 08-19-2006, 12:10 PM

The tractor has a big hydraulic oil leak somewhere under the seat. I can't tell for sure where it's at. At any rate, it's under warranty so I figured I'd let the dealer take care of it. I loaded it up this morning, but just didn't feel safe. I called some rental places, but no one would rent just the trailer unless I was renting equipment. I drove up to the dealer's place and he loaned me a trailer. I thought that was nice of them to loan me the trailer...but when I got it home the trailer was about 6" too narrow to get the rear tires up on. I should have noticed that before I even hooked up to it. Oh well, the dealer is going to pick the tractor up on Monday because all of their trailers are loaded now with antique tractors for a tractor show this afternoon.

FWIW, I wouldn't mind driving it the 15 miles at all, except for possible damage to it. It would be just "quiet" time all to myself.

Dr.Evil · 08-21-2006, 05:24 PM

I used to do a LOT of road work 35 yrs ago with My Super H FARMALL....15 miles was nothing.... many miles pulling loaded hay racks & wagons.... Some as heavy as 10,000# behind a 5500# 30 HP tractor. But I had a tractor radio so it was ALL good! If You study the tire weight cap. tables the load rating increases when maximum speed is reduced to 25 MPH, and again at 10 MPH. As long as You don't bend or break something You should be O-K if You keep things SLOW.... Remember to use flashing lights, flags, flares, SMV emblems, etc. And take the Scenic route away from heavily travelled roads....

Alan_Hicks · 08-21-2006, 05:32 PM

I would have just drove the tractor myself. 15 miles of highway isn't going to eat much rubber off the tires.

barrelhorses · 08-21-2006, 06:59 PM

It's totally out of hydraulic fluid and leaks out very fast if I refill it. I won't take the chance of really screwing something up. Otherwise, I'd certainly drive it to the dealer if needed.