Preferred method to pull trailer behind tractor?

[Too many Kubotas]

You have some of the most intersting, elaborate, complicated equipment I've ever seen. The hitch assembly on that dump trailer looks like the landing gear on an aircraft!

Thanks CH4Ohio. I take that as a compliment.

That trailer came with a somewhat elaborate 2" ball coupler which I unbolted and welded up a tow ring to the tube it was bolted to. It still swivels, and the surge brakes still functions.

I'm no fan of surge brakes, but these actually seem to work.

 

[CH4Ohio]

And that handle at the top lets you extend the hitch forward to aid in getting it hooked up?? And then locks back after you're hitched?

Very fancy! Most all of my stuff has a clevis at the end that you just drop a pin through.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I've had boat trailers with surge brakes that did a good job. Certainly gives you trouble trying to back up unless you're backing downhill.

 

[CH4Ohio]

As long as we're discussing your elaborate equipment, I still can't figure out what the trailer is in your previous post on this thread. The one with the hydraulics that looks like it wants to be a tree spade but is actually a crane platform. ???? The green trailer -- what is that? And what do you use either one of these for??

 

[WinterDeere]

You're close. A trailer carries its own weight, a semi trailer does not.

I hooked both my trailers up once, then tried to back up in a straight line. Needless to say, I failed miserably.View attachment 5712443

With four pivot points as above, I sure can't back up...at all. With only two it's relatively easy. This flatbed is a semi trailer, but by using a con gear it effectively becomes a trailer.View attachment 5712445

Trailers aside, that is some beautiful sky. We're always crowded in on all sides by trees here.

I'd miss water and trees, if I lived where you do. But oh man... that sky!

 

[CH4Ohio]

And as long as we're at it, what's this truck with the dozer blade and outriggers on the back?? I can't tell what the rig is on the back of the truck -- super heavy duty post pounder? You have a very interesting fleet!

 

[tacticalturnip]

That's a Unimog, a Mercedes.

 

[LouNY]

Fantastic trucks with quite the history, Mercedes Benz Uni-Mog.
They actual imported and sold some back in the 70's as farm tractors with highway manners.

 

[CH4Ohio]

That's a Unimog, a Mercedes.

Ok. So help me out. Whats the gear on the back?

 

[tacticalturnip]

Ok. So help me out. Whats the gear on the back?

It's fitted for a backhoe, but that looks to be removed.

Unimog 419 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jmc]

Ok. So help me out. Whats the gear on the back?

I'd guess it's a backhoe lying flat on its side for transport. The big hydraulic cylinder is for the dipper and then there's a stabilizer visible on the driver's rear corner.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Trailers aside, that is some beautiful sky. We're always crowded in on all sides by trees here.

I'd miss water and trees, if I lived where you do. But oh man... that sky!

Thanks, WinterDeere.

Being in a small valley I'm surrounded by hills, complete with trees and rivers, plus a sky that's usually clear blue. But there are occasional contrails.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

And as long as we're at it, what's this truck with the dozer blade and outriggers on the back?? I can't tell what the rig is on the back of the truck -- super heavy duty post pounder? You have a very interesting fleet!

View attachment 5713748

It's a basic Unimog FLU 419, aka SEE, with the Case 580 backhoe folded up in the back.

The dozer blade belongs on my very rare HME, the dozer/trencher version. which I installed instead of the loader. For the most part the forklift (HMMH), backhoe, trencher, loader, crane, and blade, are all interchangeable.

Well, in the front. The different shape toolboxes makes switching the rear stuff around not as easy, even though it all attaches the same.

 

[AnotherBueller]

Do you have a link to that adapter, or if not at least a picture of it? I've been thinking of making one that I could pin on to the drawbar (and hopefully raise the ball a bit higher than it would be if mounted directly to the draw bar.) If there is something avaibale commercially made, I'd go that way

The reason for using the draw bar is that it's BELOW the center of the rear axel. If the attachment point then the risk of lifting the front end off the ground goes up. Doing a wheelie on my motorcycle is one thing, on a tractor is not a good thing.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

As a kid I was have trouble backing a trailer. My Grandfather said look back at the trailer...to go left turn the steering wheel left, right-right.
I never forgot that.

I was taught in an FFA tractors and farm implements class, during junior high, the class was taught by the County Extension Agent: If your using mirrors, never look back directly, put your hand on the bottom of the wheel, and move your hand the way you want the trailer to go. If your looking back, put your hand on the top of the wheel and move it the way you want the trailer to go.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Actually those

That's a Unimog, a Mercedes.

Actually those loader-backhoe, bulldozer-trencher, and a few other versions, were made for the US military by Freightliner, under license from Mercedes.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Actually those loader-backhoe, bulldozer-trencher, and a few other versions, were made for the US military by Freightliner, under license from Mercedes.

They were "normal" Unimogs that Freightliner basically oversaw the modifications on.

The loaders and dozer blades (Schmidt), backhoes (Case), and trencher (Vermeer) were all sourced and added here. I don't remember the manufacturers of the forklift (edit: Cascade) and knuckle boom crane, but those are also well known US brands.

Managed get in touch with an employee that was working at the crane manufacturer, and maybe still is, when they prototyped that setup. Quite interesting to hear his story. Had a similar discussion with a Vermeer employee.

They only made 13 of the trenchers, and supposedly they all ended up in Mexico for some reason. At least one snuck back across the border at some point, and while I've heard that there might be another one in the country I have yet to find anything out about that one.

Anyway, the civilian version, the Case MB 4/94, was also outfitted with some interesting setups, like this tunnel washer I bought in Nevada.

 

[John_Mc]

The reason for using the draw bar is that it's BELOW the center of the rear axel. If the attachment point then the risk of lifting the front end off the ground goes up. Doing a wheelie on my motorcycle is one thing, on a tractor is not a good thing.

I'm well aware of the risks of pulling from above the centerline of the axle. The top of my drawbar is at 11.5" above the ground. The middle of my rear axle is 20" above the ground.

The tongue jack on some of my trailers will not retract enough to safely pull the trailer. On others with a swinging jack, I cannot swing the jack up and down once the hitch is on the ball (if the jack even lowers enough to get the ball seated all the way onto the hitch). I can address this by driving the rear wheels of the tractor up on some boards, but doing that every time I want to hitch or unhitch is a pain in the butt.

An adapter that raised the ball another 2" or 2.5" above the drawbar height would eliminate a lot of hassle for me. Something like this picture I found, but instead of welding the ball on top of the sleeve, I'd have a 2" receiver tube on top of the sleeve.

 

[WinterDeere]

The reason for using the draw bar is that it's BELOW the center of the rear axel. If the attachment point then the risk of lifting the front end off the ground goes up. Doing a wheelie on my motorcycle is one thing, on a tractor is not a good thing.

Obviously a much bigger problem with old gear-drive tractors, than most of today's hydrostatic CUT's. The operator losing their footing on a geared tractor needs to quickly find his way back to the clutch, to keep the thing from walking over on him, if tow point is above rear axle. But if your feet come off the pedals on any hydrostatic machine I've ever driven, it just eases itself back down, unless you happen to be dumb enough to have cruise control enabled and activated while towing.