Ramps for subcompact

Capstone · Jul 26, 2019

Will these work for a subcompact? Ultra-Tow 5000lb (2500lb/ramp) aluminum ramps from Northern Tool.

I asked the dealer about ramps and he just said don’t get the aluminum ones.

Tractor is 2900 with FEL, MMM, and BH.

Any reason they wouldn’t work?

EddieWalker · Jul 26, 2019

I would use them. Why not?

MossRoad · Jul 26, 2019

Each ramp has a 2500lb capacity and you're going to be putting 1450 on each ramp. Seems that the math says it's going to be fine and you're under 2/3 capacity of each ramp. Don't know why it wouldn't work. How often are you going to be using them?

Shaneard · Jul 26, 2019

The only concern I would have is the MMM getting hung on one coming off whatever your loaded on and moving it and sliding off. Done it before with mowers on a truck. It's not fun.

MossRoad · Jul 26, 2019

Shaneard said:
The only concern I would have is the MMM getting hung on one coming off whatever your loaded on and moving it and sliding off. Done it before with mowers on a truck. It's not fun.

That would apply to any material the ramp was made of, wouldn't it?

Shaneard · Jul 26, 2019

MossRoad said:
That would apply to any material the ramp was made of, wouldn't it?

It would with detachable ramps. With attached ramps you don't have to worry about the ramp coming off.

Capstone · Jul 26, 2019

MossRoad said:
Each ramp has a 2500lb capacity and you're going to be putting 1450 on each ramp. Seems that the math says it's going to be fine and you're under 2/3 capacity of each ramp. Don't know why it wouldn't work. How often are you going to be using them?

Will be loading 2-3x month on a fairly low flatbed.

Specs seem fine. Just wasn’t sure why the dealer warned me about aluminum. Maybe he was just thinking if the typical lawn tractor/ATV ramps?

LouNY · Jul 26, 2019

One thing with aluminum ramps is they tend to be slipperier then steel or wood.
Any ramp needs to be built for traction or have traction grips installed,
if you ever get wet tires on a slick ramp, enjoy the ride

TractorGuy · Jul 26, 2019

I use a pair of flat 6' aluminum ramps rated at 2500 lb per axle. I recently tried them with my JD4310 with the loader and bush hog mounted. I estimate it to be pretty much max for them and it loaded with no issues.

One thing to look out for with arched ramps is ground clearance. I bought a pair of arched ramps from TS and tried to load my racecar with them and it bottomed out on the arch.

I also have a pair of 7' arched aluminum lawn mower ramps. I think they are rated at 750 lbs per ramp. I accidentally threw those in the truck when I went to pick up an old 8N that had a loader on front and an Otis elevator gear case on the back for ballast. We ended up supporting them in the middle with concrete blocks and winched that sucker right up on the trailer without damaging the ramps.

Make sure you go over them good with a file and a pair of gloves on to clean the welding spatter. I recently tore a big gash in my hand on my aluminum ramps from a piece of welding spatter. Last time I handled them I felt another piece I missed so I need to go over them again.

Shaneard · Jul 26, 2019

TractorGuy said:
I use a pair of flat 6' aluminum ramps rated at 2500 lb per axle. I recently tried them with my JD4310 with the loader and bush hog mounted. I estimate it to be pretty much max for them and it loaded with no issues.

One thing to look out for with arched ramps is ground clearance. I bought a pair of arched ramps from TS and tried to load my racecar with them and it bottomed out on the arch.

I also have a pair of 7' arched aluminum lawn mower ramps. I think they are rated at 750 lbs per ramp. I accidentally threw those in the truck when I went to pick up an old 8N that had a loader on front and an Otis elevator gear case on the back for ballast. We ended up supporting them in the middle with concrete blocks and winched that sucker right up on the trailer without damaging the ramps.

Make sure you go over them good with a file and a pair of gloves on to clean the welding spatter. I recently tore a big gash in my hand on my aluminum ramps from a piece of welding spatter. Last time I handled them I felt another piece I missed so I need to go over them again.

I sold a Farmall Cub recently and the guy rented a trailer with no ramps, he ask me if I had some. I borrowed ours from work that are arched and fold in the middle. I didn't even think about it, I drove the tractor up on the trailer and turned around and both ramps were mashed flat. OOPS. I managed to get them back to like they looked before.

Diggin It · Jul 26, 2019

Clearance, trailer height and ramp angle may be issues more than weight.

They brought mine out on a huge lowboy suitable for a full size dozer or excavator. They had trouble getting it over the trailer lip in part because of the MMM and BH. Once the front wheels, MMM and rear wheels cleared, the BH would try to hang up. We had to extend the BH boom nearly fully outward to drive it off the trailer. And it could only be backed on with the BH to the rear (trailer forward towards truck). Trying to drive it on would try to dig the BH body into the ground.

4570Man · Jul 26, 2019

If they’re an honest 5,000 pound set of ramps I see no problem. Your dealers opinion was likely formed by the dinky atv ramps. Here’s 2 sets I’ve built. Both are about 60” long. They’d have better traction without the strip up the middle but that’s there so I can load ZTR mowers without having to decrease the spacing a lot.

Jaylegger · Jul 26, 2019

They weight capacity is no problem but as others have mentioned I think you required something longer. A 7 foot arched would help a great deal in preventing MMM from hanging up on trailer and backhoe from dragging and hanging up on ground.

I bought a set of these years ago and despite being only 3000 lb capacity I've used them with my subcompact with backhoe, mower, and bucket attached a dozen or so times with no issues. The photo that accompanies the product shows my model of tractor on them so felt they'd do the trick. Also, Erickson ramps are tested at 1.5 times the advertised load capacity. You also never have anywhere that weight on the center of the ramp at any given time during loading or unloading.

NON FOLDING ARCHED ALUMINUM RAMPS – 3 LB. RATED (PER PAIR) << Erickson Manufacturing Ltd.

Fuddy1952 · Jul 26, 2019

My wife and I have new Mustangs we got and I was thinking about ramps for oil changes because they're very low ground clearance. Those may work for them.
If you have scrap posts around like 6x6s for those ramps something in the middle you could put under when using them would really add strength.

4570Man · Jul 26, 2019

Jaylegger said:
They weight capacity is no problem but as others have mentioned I think you required something longer. A 7 foot arched would help a great deal in preventing MMM from hanging up on trailer and backhoe from dragging and hanging up on ground.

I bought a set of these years ago and despite being only 3000 lb capacity I've used them with my subcompact with backhoe, mower, and bucket attached a dozen or so times with no issues. The photo that accompanies the product shows my model of tractor on them so felt they'd do the trick. Also, Erickson ramps are tested at 1.5 times the advertised load capacity. You also never have anywhere that weight on the center of the ramp at any given time during loading or unloading.

NON FOLDING ARCHED ALUMINUM RAMPS – 3 LB. RATED (PER PAIR) << Erickson Manufacturing Ltd.

What are you loading on to need a 7’ ramp? I’ve never had any trailer with a ramp that long. I think I could load a small tractor in the bed of my dump truck with a 7’ ramp parked on level ground.

Thomas · Jul 27, 2019

I'd use them.

Capstone · Jul 27, 2019

Thanks for all the info. Will be trying them out today.

Jaylegger · Jul 27, 2019

4570Man said:
What are you loading on to need a 7’ ramp? I’ve never had any trailer with a ramp that long. I think I could load a small tractor in the bed of my dump truck with a 7’ ramp parked on level ground.

Using the 4 foot fold down tailgate on a 6x14 trailer I had problems with the mid mount mower catching on the trailer without laying down 2x6's to lift the front or rear tires to clear. I had problems with the backhoe dragging without extending it but the real reason why I ditched the short ramps was because when traveling with my land plane I was required to load it up front and to do this I had to back it up onto the trailer while attached to the 3 point hitch and this took significant additional wheel ramping steps and about half hour of messing around to clear the apex of the ramp/trailer.

The ramps I quoted above came up on sale so I bought them and having the longer arched ramps just opens up far more loading options and ease in doing so. And yes the extra length would also allow loading of a tractor into the back of a dump truck easy enough which reinforces my point.