Owning a new(er) tractor that's too heavy to haul with your pickup?

[In.the.Piñons]

FWIW I elected to 'not worry about it'; tractor weighs ~5000lb, my SUV can pull 3500, and my trailer was originally for a sunfish .

I'm guessing it's not so much the size/weight of the fish, but the fact that you have to transport said fish in water... and water is heavy.

 

[In.the.Piñons]

It sounds like the property is new to you and you currently do not have a trailer. You may find that having a trailer is nice to have for other things. With regard to trailer weight. My 12k rated tilt deck weighs about 2k empty per the sticker from the manufacturer which means it is rated for a 10k load. So a 10k tractor would put the trailer and your current truck at the max ratings.

If I buy a trailer it will probably be some sort of dump trailer for moving around wood, rocks, dirt and trash. But that's not going to fit a utility tractor.

I could rent a trailer as you described, but to tow it safely in my 1/2 ton the trailer would have to fit my weight distribution hitch. That can be a bit hit a miss when renting.

 

[JRH02]

As I get older I have this recurring dream that my loader/backhoe breaks down and HAS to go to the shop and its not field repairable. We don't use this machine commercially. It's a JD 410j with filled tires. That's over 20,000#. We live far remote in a forested canyon. A lowboy could get here but it couldn't turn around. Add to this that if it failed while using the backhoe out or the loader full that's a little bit of a problem. Even if the front and rear stuff was locked into position, moving it is a curiosity. It would have to be moved two miles down steep logging trails and bends to the nearest load out place.

Then there is the repair after the unit is retrieved. Seems to me it would be more efficient/economical to get a Cat D8 to drag it and sell for parts. Or maybe a big excavator to bury it in place with an appropriate monument. Maybe I should be in the unit when it is buried since it is owned by the wife and anything that happens is gonna be my fault.

And some people wonder what to buy to do a basic thing.... And, oh, is the shop/dealer reputable?!? As I said we live in the forest. Breakdowns of big forestry equipment, much bigger than my 410 happen. They deal with it.

Just some rambling thoughts on this subject. But back to the original post, whatever you do, if you do it yourself, if has to be moved down the road safely.

 

[4570Man]

As I get older I have this recurring dream that my loader/backhoe breaks down and HAS to go to the shop and its not field repairable. We don't use this machine commercially. It's a JD 410j with filled tires. That's over 20,000#. We live far remote in a forested canyon. A lowboy could get here but it couldn't turn around. Add to this that if it failed while using the backhoe out or the loader full that's a little bit of a problem. Even if the front and rear stuff was locked into position, moving it is a curiosity. It would have to be moved two miles down steep logging trails and bends to the nearest load out place.

Then there is the repair after the unit is retrieved. Seems to me it would be more efficient/economical to get a Cat D8 to drag it and sell for parts. Or maybe a big excavator to bury it in place with an appropriate monument. Maybe I should be in the unit when it is buried since it is owned by the wife and anything that happens is gonna be my fault.

And some people wonder what to buy to do a basic thing.... And, oh, is the shop/dealer reputable?!? As I said we live in the forest. Breakdowns of big forestry equipment, much bigger than my 410 happen. They deal with it.

Just some rambling thoughts on this subject. But back to the original post, whatever you do, if you do it yourself, if has to be moved down the road safely.

Mobile service trucks exist for a reason.

 

[JRH02]

Mobile service trucks exist for a reason.

I understand.

 

[jkahan]

My dealer comes out and I pay them (and others) to haul when necessarry. I own a bunch of fairly heavy equipment -- largest is 13,500 pounds -- can't justify the $50K+ (round # of course) in truck / trailer costs just for hauling to my dealer (mine charges around $300 for transport) 35 miles - 1hr drive time. With hauling equipment, could also do work for others but that opens a whole new can of worms.

 

[ultrarunner]

I was always being asked to do offsite dozer work or to loan out my D3.

The simple answer is I own nothing to haul it and a few who asked even checked learning it might cost them $400 to $500 each way quickly put a stop to the asks.

 

[WM75Guy]

As you get older it gets easier to justify some purchases. I wanted to be self-sufficient in unloading square bales of hay, hard to find help to stack it in the barn. Tractor was too small for hay grapple, so got a bigger tractor (WM75). Trailer was too small now, so got bigger trailer (Big Tex 14N 20+5). Truck was too small, so got bigger truck (GMC 3500HD). Yes, it was expensive, truck and trailer were $100,000. Not only do I use them to haul tractors, but I use them for hauling hay and other things such as corral panels. I looked at it as a long-term investment. And we went to a Sundowner 3-horse bumper pull trailer so my wife can hook it up easier than the GN we had.

Dealer will transport the tractors, $150 one way. Mobile service tech is also available, extra $100 for a trip charge. While it didn't make good financial sense to buy a truck and trailer just for moving tractors, the other uses made good sense. I now have a 7-yard 14GX dump trailer for hauling mulch, fill dirt, and pallets of shavings. My 16' 70PI trailer is used to transporting lawn mowers and the Mule for repairs. After a while paying for delivery or moving of those things on a regular basis gets expensive.

 

[LouNY]

As you get older it gets easier to justify some purchases. I wanted to be self-sufficient in unloading square bales of hay, hard to find help to stack it in the barn. Tractor was too small for hay grapple, so got a bigger tractor (WM75). Trailer was too small now, so got bigger trailer (Big Tex 14N 20+5). Truck was too small, so got bigger truck (GMC 3500HD). Yes, it was expensive, truck and trailer were $100,000. Not only do I use them to haul tractors, but I use them for hauling hay and other things such as corral panels. I looked at it as a long-term investment. And we went to a Sundowner 3-horse bumper pull trailer so my wife can hook it up easier than the GN we had.

Dealer will transport the tractors, $150 one way. Mobile service tech is also available, extra $100 for a trip charge. While it didn't make good financial sense to buy a truck and trailer just for moving tractors, the other uses made good sense. I now have a 7-yard 14GX dump trailer for hauling mulch, fill dirt, and pallets of shavings. My 16' 70PI trailer is used to transporting lawn mowers and the Mule for repairs. After a while paying for delivery or moving of those things on a regular basis gets expensive.

View attachment 978702

View attachment 978703

Around here the State DOT would be looking for your pickup and trailer, better have your CDL or be ready to spend a bunch of money fighting the tickets, after getting a CDL licensed driver to come get your trailer.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've had my Massey 4707 for two years now. It weighs something over 9,000 pounds. I bought it from the third closest dealer to where I'm at because I believe he will take care of it if have an issue. He has a mobile repair truck that should come here if I have an issue. So far, nothing has gone wrong, so there is still a question of what will happen when something does go wrong.

My half ton truck can barely haul my little 37 hp tractor. One day, I hope to buy a one ton truck and a big enough trailer to be able to haul my tractor to another property that I own, but for now, I have too many bills, and too many projects to justify it right now.