Deck over trailer selection

[crispyboy]

I need your opinions on a deck over trailer that my brother is looking into purchasing for hauling a farm tractor with bush hog.



Option 1: Flat deck

Option 2: Tilt deck



Give me your opinions -

- pro/con

- which is easier to load

- load distribution

- is the tilt worth the extra $$

- does one tow better than the other

- Is this too much for a SRW 3/4 ton pickup

- would airbags be needed?



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[Wertles]

I have loaded a few tractors on trailers and I can say that the beaver tail trailer does just fine. The tractors have enough power and ground clearance to do it with ease (at least mine do). If it were me, I would not spend extra money for the tilt bed. Just extra parts to wear out/need servicing/fail etc. if the only loads were tractors. Now my play car would never make it on a beaver tail trailer. No ground clearance. I would need the tilt bed for that.

 

[NIsaacs]

A tilt deck is more money but way more universal to load with. Make sure the trailer GVW is sufficient for his load and or other potential loads. I assume the Bush Hog is three point hitch mounted. If so, will it clear the ground with the steeper flat deck system as you load? Make sure the trailer is long enough to place the tractor with enough hitch weight. The 2500 and no air bags should be fine for about a 10/12,000# gvw trailer load.



Nick

 

[DGamelin]

I have both of those trailers in stock, I am not a big fan of tilt trailers because when the deck is wet it is hard to get traction. A lot of my customers will put expanded metal on the deck for traction. The tilt also has the axles moved further forward so you have to pay more attention to weight distribution so you don't make the trailer wag. A tractor with a bush hog usually works out fine on it. The tilt I have is a 2012 trade in. I am at least a grand behind retail on it if you are intereasted. The owner only had it for three months.

The flat deck has the axles much futher back compared to a convintional trailer and a longer tongue to reach under a dump truck, so the tongue weight can get a little heavy. But for a pintle type trailer it is a nice little set up. It uses a 8" junior I beam, the trailer is around 4k pounds. Not something for a 1/2 ton.



________________________

93 250 2wd xc 354 auto 295k

04. 5 3500 4wd cc dully 373 6speed 143k

 

[crispyboy]

This is great input - thanks and keep it coming!

 

[Okie-Go]

Personally I would get a gooseneck. Would depend on the size of tractor and how often he intends to use it.

Okie

 

[Mark31]

Crispy, I pulled a Hurst 8x21 14k tag, made in Washburn, Tenn when I used to help a friend with hay. When I bought, I got a McElrath 23 ft gooseneck, made in Spartanburg, SC. The worse the road, the higher the speed, the greater the wind, the heavier the load, the better the goose looks. I can get my 88 S15 GMC extended cab 2wd on my trailer ok. (I have one foot longer, heavier ramps. ) Most newer cutters have a "floating" top link connection so no problem loading on a deck over. Tilts are more money (except for maybe DGamelin's trailer!) and more weight. The most "famous" tilt bed (~32 ft tandem goose) around here belongs to a "whirlwind": Two minutes or less after his round baler ties the last roll, the tractor and baler are loaded and he is leaving the field. Mark