Towing compact tractor-loader w/ 5' mower on dbl axle

[Jseis]

Buddy and I hauled my LS MT2 26HST (hydrostatic) about 20 miles at 35-50-55 mph. The tractor with loader, 5’ brush hog, ballasted rear tires, fully fueled, w/rigging, weighs right at 5,000 lbs. The double axle 16’ steel framed-wood decked trailer weighs ~2,200 lbs empty. Hauling the empty trailer, the truck was estimating kWh burn at 2.2-2.3 mi/kwh. Loaded was 1.5… (probably due to the tractor not being particularly aerodynamic ). I had the electric brake sensitivity set at 5 empty and 8 loaded.

Trailer width at 8’ at fenders gives about 1 foot clearance each side on the one tunnel and one narrow bridge we go through/crossed. As there’s a right hand tunnel gutter that’ll swallow any tire, and the curbs on the bridge would really cause wheel havoc… trailer pullers crowd the triple wide center line(s). The truck’s stability and tightened steering (in tow-haul mode) is rock solid.

We estimated the load‘s center of gravity about 12”-18” in front of the tractors rear tires. as loader + bucket weighs ~1000 and mower ~700.

Probably -800-1000 on the hitch? Truck squat seems appropriate. Next time I’ll go to the transfer stations scales.

Mirrors are barely adequate, I sure miss the tall-wide mirrors on the ’58 F8 5-yard and ‘62 F450 flatbed!

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[CjPat]

Nice, do you have the max trailer tow package?
I've been hesitant to haul my 1025R w/bucket and backhoe have to go about 100 miles. My range drops to 150 as soon as I hook up my trailer. Now I'm not seeing your larger tractor.

 

[potato]

Over 5000 needs a weight distribution hitch, legally, but as we all know these trucks are indeed pretty capable

 

[Jseis]

Over 5000 needs a weight distribution hitch, legally, but as we all know these trucks are indeed pretty capable

Yeah, I’ve got all the parts lol. My Adrenalin would tow up to 7,600 with a weight distribution hitch. Maybe the tractor really weighed 3500 and the trailer 1500, it’s really lightly built though not bent so to speak.

 

[MaintGrl]

Buddy and I hauled my LS MT2 26HST (hydrostatic) about 20 miles at 35-50-55 mph. The tractor with loader, 5’ brush hog, ballasted rear tires, fully fueled, w/rigging, weighs right at 5,000 lbs. The double axle 16’ steel framed-wood decked trailer weighs ~2,200 lbs empty. Hauling the empty trailer, the truck was estimating kWh burn at 2.2-2.3 mi/kwh. Loaded was 1.5… (probably due to the tractor not being particularly aerodynamic ). I had the electric brake sensitivity set at 5 empty and 8 loaded.

Trailer width at 8’ at fenders gives about 1 foot clearance each side on the one tunnel and one narrow bridge we go through/crossed. As there’s a right hand tunnel gutter that’ll swallow any tire, and the curbs on the bridge would really cause wheel havoc… trailer pullers crowd the triple wide center line(s). The truck’s stability and tightened steering (in tow-haul mode) is rock solid.

We estimated the load‘s center of gravity about 12”-18” in front of the tractors rear tires. as loader + bucket weighs ~1000 and mower ~700.

Probably -800-1000 on the hitch? Truck squat seems appropriate. Next time I’ll go to the transfer stations scales.

Mirrors are barely adequate, I sure miss the tall-wide mirrors on the ’58 F8 5-yard and ‘62 F450 flatbed!

Sorry, eyeballing your tractor....almost looks like a New Holland.

 

[Jseis]

Sorry, eyeballing your tractor....almost looks like a New Holland.

It’s a good rig, 26 diesel hp. It’s like 8N size, compact, very capable. Perfect size for the old farm.

Ford tractors were blue when they sold the line to New Holland as I vaguely recall? I’ve a gray ‘41 Ford 9N, red ‘53? Ford Jubilee, yellow/orange Case. Tractor primary colors as marketing tools! who‘d think of that lol!

Dad and I started using hydrostatic transmissions in the 80’s and they’re nearly indestructible.

 

[Runaway Tractor]

I tow my 1025R and a 14ft single axle trailer, so of course it is exactly 2,999.8 pounds fully loaded. It's not enough trailer, but only used a few times a year to go a few miles on back roads so it'll live. Anyway, if I wasn't looking in my mirror to see the trailer, you wouldn't even know it was there. These things tow so nicely.

 

[Jseis]

Nice, do you have the max trailer tow package?
I've been hesitant to haul my 1025R w/bucket and backhoe have to go about 100 miles. My range drops to 150 as soon as I hook up my trailer. Now I'm not seeing your larger tractor.

Yes. First time hitched up, discovered a right rear dead tail light. Took a mile or so before the electric brakes kicked in. Trailer tow sets max sensitivity to “10” so had to reset to 5 to keep tires form locking up. Trailers lightly built. I would not want to haul anything much bigger…

Once we checked out loose connections, got trailer battery properly hooked up, truck “recognized” trailer. I set it as default.

As noted, the total weight “likely” exceeded the 5k limit re need for load distribution hitch. Tractor alone is about 3,000 but adding in loader, tire ballast, bucket, fuel, mower, rigging… things get heavy quick . Original idea was two trips but once at shop… nah… one trip. 16’ deck is a bit short. 20’ foot ideal.

As a commenter noted, truck is very capable and in some ways it would out pull my ‘99 7.3 F250 SD but one exception is rear suspension. The ‘99’s heavily sprung solid rear axle-solid front axle too, was a super stable platform.

Also, the tongue hitch point to axle(s) distance support important for trailer stability and I had to read up on the tractors spec on center of gravity. The mower and ballast mess with that. Then looking at hitch point squat becomes critical.

One other thing. Two 5K axles means that trailers like this get eyeballed at 10K but there’s no way I’d put 8,000 on it.

 

[The Weatherman]

That’s a good rule. You have to subtract the weight of the trailer from the axle weight rating. I.e., two 3500lb axles = 7k lb load - weight of the trailer (we’ll say) 1.5k = load rating of 5.5k lbs. SAFETY FIRST!

 

[Jseis]

That’s a good rule. You have to subtract the weight of the trailer from the axle weight rating. I.e., two 3500lb axles = 7k lb load - weight of the trailer (we’ll say) 1.5k = load rating of 5.5k lbs. SAFETY FIRST!

You are absolutely correct!

 

[JMD359]

Nice, do you have the max trailer tow package?
I've been hesitant to haul my 1025R w/bucket and backhoe have to go about 100 miles. My range drops to 150 as soon as I hook up my trailer. Now I'm not seeing your larger tractor.

Don’t hesitate ! I towed mine w my SR lightning no max tow , zero issues did it in the spring batt temps never went over 80 degrees F . I tow my mini x, skid steer and Ventracs no problem at all . The inly
Thing you have to watch with the lightnings is they handle tongue weight so well you need to make sure your not overloading your drive axle which is easy to do. I’ve scaled mine a few times and had to move the mini back as it looked perfect truck was dead level but I was 5100 ? On the drive which is rated for 4900. The other option is a WD hitch which I use w my dump trailer .

 

[snowy_91]

Yup, for moving my compact tractor around the last couple of years the has been great.

 

[Jseis]

Sweet trailer! Jealousy appears. Can’t quite make out brand? DCT?

 

[MaintGrl]

Sweet trailer! Jealousy appears. Can’t quite make out brand? DCT?

Ya, Looks like a DCT....

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