How much weight can a BX 1870 move without harm

[Baymee]

I wanted to move my trailer loaded with coal off the asphalt driveway. Total weight about 5000 pounds. There was little tongue weight and I attached the hitch to my front 2” ball.

With full RPMs, my BX1870 seemed to struggle moving up a very slight incline so I disconnected it after a few feet of travel. It was capable of moving it but I didn’t like the noise.

Can the hydraulics or transmission be damaged when it struggles like this?

 

[skeets]

were you in low range? If not try it low range 4wd and maybe 3/4 throttle. NOW if you get it moving you have to stop it,, and stopping is a lot harder than getting it going, cause you dont crash trying to get going,,, just a thought

 

[OrangeKrush]

were you in low range? If not try it low range 4wd and maybe 3/4 throttle. NOW if you get it moving you have to stop it,, and stopping is a lot harder than getting it going, cause you dont crash trying to get going,,, just a thought

and then report back..

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm...little tongue weight ...
is it a 2 wheeled trailer, or a 4 wheeled wagon ?
to me a 'trailer' has a tongue,connects to tractor, 'wagon' has steerable wheels up front
seems like a LOT for a 2 wheeled trailer.

 

[DustyRusty]

Are you suicidal?

 

[PaulL]

I used to pull my boat with my BX (now pull with my B2601). Tandem trailer. 2600kg = 5,200lbs give or take. It always worked fine for me, no issues. The BX will spin it's wheels long before anything breaks. One time when I wasn't there my partner pulled the boat out with the BX. Apparently it just wouldn't go at all. My brother in law was there, and he's a tractor guy, and he said it didn't pull. But it sounds suspiciously to me like it was in high ratio. I never had problems pulling the boat out of the ramp with the BX - I used the 3ph towball, and I'd lift the 3ph a bit to generate downforce on the rear of the machine.

I'd guess you're in H, and need to move to L. I don't believe you'll hurt the transmission other than if you overheat things - and you'd be pulling for a fair way to do that.

And I second that you'll be reliant on friction to stop you. On the flat and going very slow, you'll be fine. On the flat my trailer stops itself if I stop pulling on it. On any kind of slope, make sure you know your plan. On the boat ramp I was fine - you go back until you're in the water, it stops itself mostly. And it pulled out fine. But if you get any kind of speed in a place where there isn't a plan to stop, best case you're jumping off the tractor and watching everything run down the hill into a pile. Worst case you're in that pile.

 

[Baymee]

You’re right, since I’m new to a high/low transmission, I had it in high and 2 wheel drive. My former tractor was a Deere 316.

As far as slope, it’s very gentle, less than an inch per foot, maybe 2 feet over 50 feet distance on gravel. The slope on the asphalt is a few inches of rise over 50 feet of distance. It’s a two wheel trailer with large tires. It’s balanced to the point where the tongue weight is less than 50 pounds when evenly loaded.

I’ll move it this coming week and get back to you.

Thanks for the info.

 

[skeets]

Be careful and think it through, and think it through again and then go slow,,, remember trying to stop 2 1/2 tons is hard enough in the truck,, slow and easy

 

[Baymee]

Believe me, I learned my lesson a few years back with the same trailer loaded with wet clay. It was hooked to the Deere 316 and I was going down a slope of a few % when all of a sudden it pushed me from behind and I couldn’t slow it.

I saw my life pass before my eyes, as the expression goes, and it jackknifed my tractor and pushed me sideways for a few feet before it stopped.

 

[miketrock]

I'm no tractor expert, but wouldn't having more tongue weight than 50 lbs. ... like 10%-12% of 5000 lbs. , make it as though the tractor is heavier and therefore more able to stop itself and the trailer ? By having almost no tongue weight, it makes your 1500+- lb. tractor trying to move and control 5000lbs .... if you increase the tongue weight, you're increasing the tractor's weight and also decreasing the "effective" trailer weight. Not making them equal to each other but closer. Do you also realize that although there are only brakes on the rear axle, by locking in 4x4, the front wheels become mechanically connected to the rears via the drivetrain and will help with traction for stopping.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I wanted to move my trailer loaded with coal off the asphalt driveway. Total weight about 5000 pounds. There was little tongue weight and I attached the hitch to my front 2” ball.

With full RPMs, my BX1870 seemed to struggle moving up a very slight incline so I disconnected it after a few feet of travel. It was capable of moving it but I didn’t like the noise.

Can the hydraulics or transmission be damaged when it struggles like this?

at 5,000# you are almost at 300% of the max. spec. towing weight!!!

not surprised going uphill it struggled.

wrt damage you mentioned only a few feet but don't say how long it took you to move these few feet. If only a second or two then likely no troubles. If you spent 30 minutes going these couple of feet that would be another story.

 

[Baymee]

No, a few seconds. Nobody else mentioned the towing weight limit. I don’t remember seeing that in the manual.

 

[steidle245]

Here is the portion of the owners manual for the BX 1870 showing that it is rated for a max trailer loading weight of 1765 lbs.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

No, a few seconds. Nobody else mentioned the towing weight limit. I don’t remember seeing that in the manual.

that's good to hear... I would guess 2 or 3 seconds should not have made any permanent damage.

towing weights are in your op. manual usually just after the specification tables. Usually titled Implement Limitations. If I remember rightly Wo is 3pt lift limit, W1 is hitch load, W2 max hitch weight and W3 max. trailer weight

 

[PaulL]

The towing weight limit to me is associated with what the tractor can control/stop in most conditions. Clearly a BX cannot control 5,000lbs, hence all the questions about the terrain. I don't believe it's in any way associated with what would harm the tractor - pulling 5,000lbs on flat level ground, and terrain where friction will stop the trailer, will be fine. In short, if you're on terrain where if you unhooked the tractor and left the trailer sitting there, it wouldn't roll on it's own, then you're probably safe. If it's somewhere you wouldn't park the trailer without chocking the wheels, then it's potentially not safe for the BX to move it.

 

[Baymee]

4wd, low gear, no problem

 

[mikester]

My old golf cart could tow a half ton pickup truck on level ground. Just don't expect to start or stop with ease. If you have a large tongue weight don't expect much steering either.

If you have 4WD use it. If you are on hills get someone to video your antics for youtube.