Will an M6800-M7040-etc fit on a 14' trailer with the bucket off?

[sixdogs]

A friend wants to know and I'll bet someone here knows the length of an M6800--M7040 or similar with a loader on. He figures to put the bucket in the back of the truck so that should make it within a few inches. He also thinks he could hang the loader arms off the edge a few inches. I wish he had a longer trailer.

The tractor itself is 11'3" and I can't find anywhere the loader length is mentioned. Any help appreciated.

 

[grader guy]

A friend wants to know and I'll bet someone here knows the length of an M6800--M7040 or similar with a loader on. He figures to put the bucket in the back of the truck so that should make it within a few inches. He also thinks he could hang the loader arms off the edge a few inches. I wish he had a longer trailer.

The tractor itself is 11'3" and I can't find anywhere the loader length is mentioned. Any help appreciated.

I just measured my m7040 and without bucket i came up with 15'. my tractor is parked indoors with a grapple on it in the dumped position.. I measured from the skid steer quick attach to back of rear tire. Hope this helps.

 

[sandman2234]

That is a LOT OF TRACTOR to put on a 14 foot trailer. My concern might be how many axles the 14 foot trailer has under it and it's capacity.
Putting the tractor "on" the trailer might not be the biggest problem. Getting the weight far enough forward to keep the trailer from swaying as it goes down the road and putting the trailer, tractor and towing rig in the ditch. At speeds, a swaying trailer with that type of weight is almost impossible to correct.
Seriously consider another option, such as a longer trailer. (longer and heavier duty probably)
David from jax

 

[sixdogs]

He's pretty determined. Wants to put it on backwards so the weight is right. Says he got two axles with elec brakes all around so it must be a skid steer trailer. I tried to get him to rent a trailer at U-Haul or somewhere but he didn't want to do that.

 

[sixdogs]

Grader guy--thank you for measuring.

 

[newbury]

We want pictures!

It should fit.
Here's my M4700 (which is listed as about the same length on Tractordata.com) on my 16+2 Hudson trailer.

Bucket resting over the trailer tongue a bit.

M4700 wheel base 78.7"
M7040 wheel base 80.7" to 84.4"

My problem was the width, I had to narrow my rears down to fit between the fenders, that's why the tires are on backwards.

/edit - trailered it about 900 miles in 16 hours with no problem.
And in the picture it was not yet chained and strapped down for transport.

 

[sixdogs]

newbury--Thanks. A picture is worth a thousand words. Well know by tomorrow afternoon and I'll report back

 

[sandman2234]

We want pictures!

It should fit.
Here's my M4700 (which is listed as about the same length on Tractordata.com) on my 16+2 Hudson trailer.

Bucket resting over the trailer tongue a bit.

M4700 wheel base 78.7"
M7040 wheel base 80.7" to 84.4"

My problem was the width, I had to narrow my rears down to fit between the fenders, that's why the tires are on backwards.

/edit - trailered it about 900 miles in 16 hours with no problem.
And in the picture it was not yet chained and strapped down for transport.

I wasn't at all surprised that it fit, and have no doubt your 18 foot trailer did a beautiful job of hauling it. The problem isn't fitting it on a shorter trailer, it is hauling it once it gets on the trailer. Typical trailer rules require about 60% of the load on the front of the trailer. That is what I am concerned about, and what that much weight is going to do to the towing vehicle once it starts to fishtail.

Sixdogs,
Depending on how far forward he can get the tractor tires, he might be better off putting the tractor on forward facing. Kind of depends on what he is towing it with. If he can elevate the loader over the tongue and keep it high enough not to hit the towing vehicle, and can figure out a way to support it (such as a headboard), then the weight on the front might be better going on forwards.
Hope he has good luck with it,
David from jax

 

[sixdogs]

Sandman...wouldn't most of the weight be in the back end and backwards be a better idea? Explain that thinking some more. There is a railing thing up front that might prevent it going too far forward. Plus, I think I can make suggestions but they probably won't be listened to.

 

[sandman2234]

Sandman...wouldn't most of the weight be in the back end and backwards be a better idea? Explain that thinking some more. There is a railing thing up front that might prevent it going too far forward. Plus, I think I can make suggestions but they probably won't be listened to.

I don't know the exact makeup of the current axle weights, meaning which is heavier if weighed. However, if you pull the front wheels up to the front of the trailer, and the loader overhangs the tongue, then that puts the center of gravity further forward. (with bucket it does it more). If you back the tractor on, assuming the rear is heavier, you still have a longer distance to the rear of the load from the center of the trailer. Meaning the center of mass is further back due to the loader sticking out the rear of the trailer. Basically you can move the center of weight further forward if the loader overhangs the tongue.
Rear tires are made to handle more weight, but do they weigh more? Only way to know for sure, is to load it both ways and weigh it.(You can do this at a Catscale at most truck stops) Probably cost $10 plus $1 for a re-weigh)
David from jax

 

[Grandad4]

I was also going to comment about weight distribution. If it was an old school 2wd farm tractor, about 60% or more of the weight would be on the rears, but with contemporary mfwd utility tractors, it's much more even between front and rear, particularly if a loader (even without the bucket), is involved. Tire weights or fluid in the tires would change things, of course. Pretty hard to generalize... you'd about have to try it to find which direction and position gives the best balance point, but 14' doesn't give much room to work with.

 

[newbury]

Sandman...wouldn't most of the weight be in the back end and backwards be a better idea? Explain that thinking some more. There is a railing thing up front that might prevent it going too far forward. Plus, I think I can make suggestions but they probably won't be listened to.

The only way to know is to calculate your weight, put the tractor on, and move it around until you get what you want for tongue weight. If it's difficult to get to a scale you can get the tongue weight close w/ a bathroom scale and some leverage. It's probably nicer to have a truck scale hand but I don't have one.

I put my M4700 on both backwards and forwards and it was about where I wanted it in the pic I posted.

But if your friend has to narrow his tractor width to get it between the fenders he might need a hand, especially if he's got loaded tires. Those suckers are heavy.

 

[JWR]

I really suspect, as one of the other guys said, that width between fenders may be your first problem. As for tongue weight, my favorite way to get it right is to measure hitch insert distance from the ground, empty, and then move the tractor on and forward until I get the right amount of drop in the rear end of the truck. In my case with a Pequea 18ft beaver tail trailer and a 10,000lb load, the drop at the back end of a Ford 4WD truck seems to be around 6 or 7 inches and it is balanced well. Best to simply try it a few times until you are happy with the balance and then remember it. Beats heck outta fooling with scales, weights, etc.

 

[sixdogs]

It fit, sort of.

The trailer turned out to be a dump trailer with two ft sides so he was able to hang to bucket over the front of the trailer and everything just barely fit. Width was no problem. If he had taken the bucket off, I feel the tractor would have fit with an inch or two to spare.

Backwards would never have worked and the weight would have been all wrong so thanks for that advice. Front worked, deed is done and he is loaded and gone. Thanks to all.

 

[sandman2234]

It fit, sort of.

The trailer turned out to be a dump trailer with two ft sides so he was able to hang to bucket over the front of the trailer and everything just barely fit. Width was no problem. If he had taken the bucket off, I feel the tractor would have fit with an inch or two to spare.

Backwards would never have worked and the weight would have been all wrong so thanks for that advice. Front worked, deed is done and he is loaded and gone. Thanks to all.

That almost sounds like I was right, lol....
Glad it is done, hope all of his trip was safe!
David from jax

 

[sixdogs]

That almost sounds like I was right, lol....
Glad it is done, hope all of his trip was safe!
David from jax

It was an odd sight with a tractor and loader in a dump trailer but it worked well. There were rugged tie-downs inside and the guy knew how to do things the right way. Tractor never moved, was weighted correctly and it all worked. What worked was going on forward with the bucket on and hanging it over the front. The bucket gave the extra weight-forward and put the weight center where it needed to be. He's happy and thank you.