Loading tractor with implements on trailer

[white cloud]

Thanks in advance for reading this.

We got our L2501 shortly before Christmas. It is now time for serious use. When I have the disk harrow or bush hog attached to the three point and try to drive the tractor onto the trailer I have clearance issues. The trailer is a Big Tex 10-ET with a dove tail and folding ramps. To me the slope of the dove tail and ramps seems reasonable but when I raise the implement and drive onto the trailer the implement hits the ground for about a foot of travel. I have tried shortening the top link but it gets difficult to turn pretty fast. I would appreciate any advice. I have attached a picture of the top link attached to the disk harrow.

 

[Bulldog777]

Geometry. Longer ramps, find a ditch, or a lower trailer. Loaded a lot of tractors and have them drag exactly the way you're describing.
Larger tractors have a longer wheel base and more ground clearance. Smaller tractors exact opposite, thus the break over is greater.
Your approach and departure angles change quite a bit with a lift kit/larger tires on a jeep. And the four door vs the two door jeep have pros and cons on the break over angles. Just an example.
Hope this helps a little.

 

[D2Cat]

Might try backing onto the trailer.

 

[white cloud]

Might try backing onto the trailer.

What great advice. I will give that a try.

 

[Redlands]

Try a block of wood under the end of each ramp.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Another option, move the top link up on the implement and down on the tractor, this will make the implement lift much higher.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Leaving trailer attatched to tow vehicle, drop jack and crank it up a few inches. This flattens the ramp a little and makes loading easier. I have found this to be very successful.

 

[white cloud]

Thank you for some really good ideas.

Does lowering the top link on the tractor have any negative side effects? I am not real clear on the effects of moving the top link up and down on the tractor. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[groomerbuck]

Put truck in 4x4 and apply ebrake. Use jack on the trailer and crank the front of trailer up . This will lower the rear of trailer making your angle much less.

 

[MattN03]

I've had to load a car onto my utility trailer and I couldn't clear the front bumper on the car. To fix this, I put the truck in 4Lo, put concrete blocks under each rear truck tire, and drove up on them. That pitches the trucks bed up, and the trailer down significantly.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Thank you for some really good ideas.

Does lowering the top link on the tractor have any negative side effects? I am not real clear on the effects of moving the top link up and down on the tractor. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Moving the top link down does not hurt anything, if the implement is too heavy it will have a harder time lifting it, but it won't hurt it.
Moving the top link down will just give it more lift (a lot more) and it will be a little faster to react to up and down.
As does moving the rear mount point up higher.

 

[white cloud]

Moving the top link down does not hurt anything, if the implement is too heavy it will have a harder time lifting it, but it won't hurt it.
Moving the top link down will just give it more lift (a lot more) and it will be a little faster to react to up and down.
As does moving the rear mount point up higher.

Thank you for your patient and useful reply. I am going to try this on Saturday.

Neither my wife nor I had any experience with a tractor before this year. These things are amazing but there is lots to learn.

 

[Russell King]

One thing to fret about ... if you lift the trailer front up with the tongue jack you will also be taking load off the rear tire on the vehicle. Those are tires that keep the vehicle stationary. You should block the front wheels for safety's sake. Especially if there is a downhill in front. The tractor could push everything forward before it loads.


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[D2Cat]

White Cloud, you mention not having experience with a tractor. I want to emphasize what Russell King said.

One easy way to keep the trailer tongue from raising up (and sometimes causing your pickup to roll forward) is to PUT SOME WOOD BLOCKS UNDER THE BACK EDGE OF YOUR TRAILER so the trailer can not come down when you drive your tractor up on the ramps.

The heavier the equipment the more upward pressure on the tongue.

Here's a picture of my trailer that has "feet" under the ramps so whenever the ramp is down the trailer can not come up in the front. The block will do what these "feet" do. Be safe.

 

[scdeerslayer]

If you move the top link position for trailering you can always move it back once unloaded for work.

Also a hydraulic top link will give you more lift on the rear of the implement with ease.

 

[nickelplated5s]

Might try backing onto the trailer.

Won't work, it will be worse. If changing the geometry doesn't work load the implement first, detached.

 

[white cloud]

Moving the top link down does not hurt anything, if the implement is too heavy it will have a harder time lifting it, but it won't hurt it.
Moving the top link down will just give it more lift (a lot more) and it will be a little faster to react to up and down.
As does moving the rear mount point up higher.

Your idea worked perfectly. I put the top link on the lowest setting on the tractor and highest on the disk harrow. I had no issues loading or off loading. I replace the top link to it's "default" position for work. Thank you very much.

 

[Daren Todd]

Won't work, it will be worse. If changing the geometry doesn't work load the implement first, detached.

I'm curious how it won't work????

I have a dove tail and have the same issues as the op with my rotary cutter tire dragging. It's worse when backing off the trailer.

But backing onto the trailer, the rotary cutter clears the deck by a couple of inches till the tires contact the ramp. Then shoots up a couple of feet off the deck. Much easier on the equipment then the bind going the other direction


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[white cloud]

White Cloud, you mention not having experience with a tractor. I want to emphasize what Russell King said.

One easy way to keep the trailer tongue from raising up (and sometimes causing your pickup to roll forward) is to PUT SOME WOOD BLOCKS UNDER THE BACK EDGE OF YOUR TRAILER so the trailer can not come down when you drive your tractor up on the ramps.

The heavier the equipment the more upward pressure on the tongue.

Here's a picture of my trailer that has "feet" under the ramps so whenever the ramp is down the trailer can not come up in the front. The block will do what these "feet" do. Be safe.

You will be happy to know that my local Big Tex dealer carefully explained why I wanted "feet" on my ramps. I hope others new to this might also profit from this wisdom. The Big Tex dealer also explained why I didn't want to park the bucket on the tongue of the trailer and then make a sharp turn and gouge the back of my new truck. I wonder if we don't need a sticky some wheres for us newbies explaining the things to think about when transporting a tractor on a trailer. Some of this wisdom could be very expensive to acquire using the "learn by doing" method.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Your idea worked perfectly. I put the top link on the lowest setting on the tractor and highest on the disk harrow. I had no issues loading or off loading. I replace the top link to it's "default" position for work. Thank you very much.

Excellent to hear!