3320 pulling a bucket-truck...won't work?

B58Hustler · Sep 3, 2011

A lot of tree damage here in the Northeast. So the what-if ideas you guys would have with this might be funny and interesting.

The problem will be the same as 3 years ago when a 21,000lb bucket truck needed to get back up to the driveway level. In the last 2 truck lengths of going up, the dirt road rises 5 feet in about 45 feet. The truck needed help, but then I had a 5200 MFWD that weighed over 8,500 lbs with Ag tires. and a serious drawbar mount.

The 3320 has big R4s (loaded) and with the loader and rear blade scales out at 5,200. But I don't think the drawbar and its mounting points are strong enough to even try this. Like last time, the truck will be moving on level ground, so we just want to keep the momentum going. Not pull out a stuck truck.

The pictures are from 3 years ago and show the truck, tractor and elevation change. I have an image in my mind from a thread less than a year ago of a 3X20 split in half.

This might bring back memories of 'good intentions, gone bad' that you've seen or done.

beenthere · Sep 3, 2011

I don't see any problem pulling the truck with the 3320. You won't split it in half, I'm sure of that. It will run short of power first.

Likely the bucket truck would only need some additional help, and the 3320 would likely do that. Low range and go steady if needed should do just fine.

I pulled the big UPS truck out with my 4300 after he slid on the ice and into the woods two winters ago. Hooked chain on the top hook of the i-Match and lifted up with the 3pt. Rear tires were flattened a bit, but with tractor chains on the UPS truck came right out. The driver figured he'd have to call on the big wrecker truck to come out and he didn't want that on his record.

k0ua · Sep 3, 2011

That JD would pull that bucket truck out of a ditch.. and even if it couldn't, the worse that is liable to happen is to spin the tires on the JD. It ain't gonna pull your tractor in twain. I pull tree's over all the time from the drawbar of my little Kubota. and if I hook on to one that it too big that it wont pull, well the tires just spin. And that is that.

James K0UA

300UGUY · Sep 3, 2011

I pulled one out of my yard with a Farmall H. And it was in neutral, the tranny had quit. No real hill, just a foot of snow.

Verticaltrx · Sep 3, 2011

As others have said, give it a try. As long as you hook up to where you are supposed to (drawbar) you won't break anything. It is a tractor after all, pulling is one of it's primary tasks.

With that said, the 5200 is a LOT more tractor than what you have now. I don't think you'll have the same success as before, but sometimes it will surprise you. We have a JD 5045e which is about the same tractor as a 5200, and I recently had to pull our C60 dump truck up a long, steep muddy hill. It was loaded to the brim with wood chips and I'd guess weighed over 25K. It was about all the 5045 could do to pull in first gear, 4wd, with the rear diff locked. Spinning/digging the whole way up the hill but amazingly made it.