Tractor towing machine - Page 2

Mr. Adventure · 07-20-2012, 04:51 PM

I'm impressed with your spirit of adventure. Like sausage, good things can have an ugly manufacturing process.

The push bar needs to be able to swivel at the tractor end like a trailer hitch, so that you can steer with the tractor as you push or pull on the trailer tongue (that's how they do it at the airport, except the nose wheel is mounted on the airplane instead of the tow bar). But the failure cause isn't clear from the photo. It could be that the tongue weight was just too much for the dolly while the trailer was being pushed hard. It looks like the tires are handling the weight pretty well.

Could you have the dolly welded back together with a trailer tongue coupler on the dolly bar? You could have the Dolly reinforced a little at the failure point at the same time, too.

On the theory that those guys at the airport get some kind of training before they're allowed to push expensive airplanes around, it might be interesting to practice somewhere on flat pavement to get the hang of it.

07-20-2012, 05:54 PM

The test area is flat, other than the 1/8th lip at the blacktop/concrete junction. The bar is too light to handle the load, steering was no problem. Though the wheel on the airplane steers, the connection is rigid whereas if I had a ball at both ends there would be no control of the trailer. If it was anything but perfectly straight the two swivel points (ball and couplers) would just keep folding until such time as there was a bind. One end must have some sort of rigid connection, the tractor end makes more sense.

The failure was that the metal that bent did not have the strength to handle the 3023 and the resistance of the lip, something had to give and in this case the rather thin walled tubing did. The one contributing factor is that I could not align the bent rod so that it was level, this would contribute to the bend as well. Back to the drawing board--another day.

Dave

gmferg · 07-20-2012, 07:16 PM

I agree with Mr. A. The steering will be very difficult without a pivot at the tractor. When the tractor is steered it will be pointing away from the hitch and with a rigid connection the tractor will be attempting to drag the dolly tires sideways.

I agree that a double pivot will be very tricky to control but if the tractor wheel base is shorter than the dolly arm you might have a fighting chance.

Padgett · 05-06-2014, 07:03 AM

I need something to move the trailer around in a somewhat restrictive and sandy but reasonably level back yard and have been looking at a number of 15-20hp John Deeres which are around 450 lbs - are some better than others ?

To mount on the front without a dolly, I would be concerned about unloading the drive wheels. with a dolly it would need to go on the back. Have one of the 600 lb HF dollys but was going to remove the bar entirely and fabricate something short/strong to bolt on the back & handle the compressive loads of pushing while adding some load to the rear wheels.

What are the thoughts on Hydrostatic vs geared transmissions & ability to move on sandy soil ? TV had no problem other than maneuverability in a restricted area.

Any advice is welcome, last riding mower I had was a 5hp thing that would do wheelies in the early '80s.

Redtail Cruiser · 05-06-2014, 01:58 PM

You could check out this option http://www.quikwheel.com/Video/pw/video.asp

Padgett · 05-06-2014, 02:29 PM

Nice but will it mow the lawn ?

**Kidkraz** · 05-06-2014, 02:37 PM

Padgett,

So your question was move really which riding lawn mower could also be used or adapted to tow and also move your TM? Would you be open to some other means of moving your trailer? Or just the mower, for those two uses?

Padgett · 05-06-2014, 06:29 PM

If something can be multi use I am for it. Keep in mind that the rear yard is sandy soil with grass in places, not pavement, low wheels are NG. Thought about an ATV but a lawn tractor seemed more useful. Can carry trash from the back to the front also.

However the basic thought was that something designed for off-road would be more useful than something not. Are also a lot of JDs with Hydrostatic trans around here and I am told that is better for trailer towing than gears.

"Electric dollies cannot get traction on pea gravel or sand."

**Kidkraz** · 05-06-2014, 06:58 PM

ok, i recently had the enduro caravan mover motors installed on my camper, but i don't think they would work for your type of conditions

tentcamper · 05-06-2014, 09:30 PM

Kidkraz, The caravan mover is that the one that drive engages on the tires? If so that is a nice one.