Hello, I am in the process of purchasing my retirement home, a lake front property. I am going to need a piece of equipment to mow an acre of lawn, light gardening prep, maintenance of a dirt/gravel drive, and light landscaping. In addition, I have this idea that I might put in my own boat launch. Ideally, I would like to have a metal building to dry dock my boat with roll up garage doors on both ends, leading down to the launch ramp on the back side. Instead of using a truck, I would like to mount a ball on the front of my tractor and use it to launch and recover the boat. That is my question, I do not have a feel for what size piece of equipment could handle this. I am leaning toward a BX tractor for everything else but just do not know that it has the weight to handle the boat. Frankly I don't even know if a B tractor can do it and maybe I need to forget that idea all together. So my question is if you have a 3000 lb trailer, on a concrete ramp with a maximum of 15% grade or 8.5 degrees, could a BX or B tractor have the weight and power to handle the task?
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How steep is the ramp ? Is it dirt, gravel or concrete ? And how big and heavy is the boat and trailer, and how much is the tongue weight on the trailer ? Lots of variables, depending on answers to those questions, a BX might work if the proper conditions are met.
Boat and trailer is just shy of 3000 lbs. I am unsure of the tongue weight. The ramp would be rough concrete and no more than 8.5 degrees or 15% grade.
85Hokie
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I have a friend at smith mountain lake here in virginia that has a B7200 geared - he has pulled boats, jet skis, pontoons up a concrete drive at the same steepness at you describe if not higher - he is 82 and has been doing it since 1985.
The "problem" truly is not the ability to pull it - rather the ability to stop it! The (assuming you have a FEL and pulled from rear) would pull a boat out of the water in low gear, now how much up the entire grade is another thing coming.
Hooking the boat to the front is fine - but if you had 4wd and I sure you would, get a ballast box attached to the rear 3 point, so when you do hook to the front, the ballast box will keep the rear hooked to the ground. With HST - the entire machine is using brakes by letting off the pedal rather than applying the brake pedal. NEVER place in 2wd going down to the water! Have your tires filled when you get the machine too.
A B series will get you a little bigger machine - what is your budget on this tractor? I do think you will be happy with the BX or the B series.
You say you have a 3000 pound trailer - you mean a boat on the trailer weighs 3000 total? Single axle trailer? (you answered my question as I was typing! )
The "problem" truly is not the ability to pull it - rather the ability to stop it! The (assuming you have a FEL and pulled from rear) would pull a boat out of the water in low gear, now how much up the entire grade is another thing coming.
Hooking the boat to the front is fine - but if you had 4wd and I sure you would, get a ballast box attached to the rear 3 point, so when you do hook to the front, the ballast box will keep the rear hooked to the ground. With HST - the entire machine is using brakes by letting off the pedal rather than applying the brake pedal. NEVER place in 2wd going down to the water! Have your tires filled when you get the machine too.
A B series will get you a little bigger machine - what is your budget on this tractor? I do think you will be happy with the BX or the B series.
You say you have a 3000 pound trailer - you mean a boat on the trailer weighs 3000 total? Single axle trailer? (you answered my question as I was typing! )
Grouse Feathers
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Putting the tractor in 4wd on dry concrete with maybe 300# on the front and 400# on the back and then maneuvering the tractor might be a problem. I don't think he can use 4wd without potential damage. I do agree without the 4wd there is a potential traction problem and all the weight that can be added to the rear should be added. Stopping will be the biggest issue and the OP needs to be aware there are no wheel brakes on a small HST tractor (at least a Kubota) the brake disk is in the transmission so in 2wd the brake stops only the rear wheels. You will be using the brake because at that slope if the tractor stalls it will roll down the slope.
Build a frame and winch it up. I've seen dedicated cradles for this or you can use the trailer. If the trailer, set it up so you can get a truck or tractor in too to move it off the property.
85Hokie
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" I don't think he can use 4wd without potential damage. I do agree without the 4wd there is a potential traction problem and all the weight that can be added to the rear should be added. "
I agree with you 100% - but in this case - pulling straight up/down a concrete drive, in low and very slow, the advantage outweighs the disadvantages. Now if he has to haul it a 1000 yards, I can see the potential problem.
I made the mistake of going down a 23% incline with 2 wd drive only ......scared the shyte out of me! AND i wasnt hauling anything other than my scared a$$
Something else to consider too, when the "boat" is launched or brought back up the ramp, depending on the steepness of the ramp, the rear wheels of a truck are typically wet on the ramp, a tractor's front end, rear end will be in the water, maybe not deep, but they will be wet. Of course all this depends on the slope of the ramp too, based on what he describes, the slope if it continues to the water like the land, will take a good deal of length to fully draft the boat. A boston whaler will float a hellva lot easier than a V hulled, grady white.
I agree with you 100% - but in this case - pulling straight up/down a concrete drive, in low and very slow, the advantage outweighs the disadvantages. Now if he has to haul it a 1000 yards, I can see the potential problem.
I made the mistake of going down a 23% incline with 2 wd drive only ......scared the shyte out of me! AND i wasnt hauling anything other than my scared a$$
Something else to consider too, when the "boat" is launched or brought back up the ramp, depending on the steepness of the ramp, the rear wheels of a truck are typically wet on the ramp, a tractor's front end, rear end will be in the water, maybe not deep, but they will be wet. Of course all this depends on the slope of the ramp too, based on what he describes, the slope if it continues to the water like the land, will take a good deal of length to fully draft the boat. A boston whaler will float a hellva lot easier than a V hulled, grady white.
Yes I am familiar with the potential of damage from turning a locked 4wd system on dry pavement, It would be my intention to set this up as a short straight run from waters edge to storage building. The idea of the tractor instead of the truck was easier maneuverability but I do have a ball hitch on the front of my current truck and can use it instead. This is a large wide beam aluminum bass boat. It floats off well before the coupler reaches the waters edge on any grade from 12-15 percent. I don't think the tractor would have to get it's wheels wet. If so that is a definite no go because the ramp under the water would build up silt and alge and be slick. Don't want to launch the tractor too. Thanks for the ideas though. It sounds like a wider garage door and use the truck is going to be a safer bet than spend extra on a larger tractor just for this purpose." ...pulling straight up/down a concrete drive, in low and very slow, the advantage outweighs the disadvantages. Now if he has to haul it a 1000 yards, I can see the potential problem.
Something else to consider too, when the "boat" is launched or brought back up the ramp, depending on the steepness of the ramp, the rear wheels of a truck are typically wet on the ramp, a tractor's front end, rear end will be in the water, maybe not deep, but they will be wet. Of course all this depends on the slope of the ramp too, based on what he describes, the slope if it continues to the water like the land, will take a good deal of length to fully draft the boat. A boston whaler will float a hellva lot easier than a V hulled, grady white.
Hi I have a 17 ft. Crestliner that weighs about 2500lbs with trolling motor 3 batteries 115 yam. 4 stroke and my bx 2660 moves it quite easily. I'm not sure of the grade but it's quite steep, I use my 3pth not the loader as it's easier to see when hooking up. I use the bx for everything you mentioned in your post, cutting grass, pulling a 60" box blade, 50" snowblower, 48" tiller. You would be amazed what a little bx can do.
I'm with some of the others on this. I think you would have sufficient power to pull it out with a BX but I would worry about stopping it when launching. if I was you I would look into a electric winch that you anchor in the boathouse to pull it out & launch it with. I have no personal experience with one but I've but seen several set up that way. Enjoy your retirement and Happy Holidays!
How about experimenting in steps? I heard they have tilt tables for tractors to find the tipping point, with a chain to keep it from going over. Use the same approach: experiment with a safety in place.
Attach boat to tractor and position at top of ramp. Park truck in front of tractor and attach strap/chain/winch between tractor and truck to limit how far you can go down the ramp before it pulls you up short. Try going down to the end of your safety line and back up, see how everything feels. Worst case, you put the tractor in neutral and use the truck to tow it and the boat back up the ramp. If it feels good, park tractor at end of safety and move truck closer, then repeat. Do this until you can launch and retrieve the boat or decide you don't like what you're seeing.
Make sure you set the truck's parking brake, don't want to see pictures of all three vehicles in the lake!.
-- Carl
Attach boat to tractor and position at top of ramp. Park truck in front of tractor and attach strap/chain/winch between tractor and truck to limit how far you can go down the ramp before it pulls you up short. Try going down to the end of your safety line and back up, see how everything feels. Worst case, you put the tractor in neutral and use the truck to tow it and the boat back up the ramp. If it feels good, park tractor at end of safety and move truck closer, then repeat. Do this until you can launch and retrieve the boat or decide you don't like what you're seeing.
Make sure you set the truck's parking brake, don't want to see pictures of all three vehicles in the lake!
. -- Carl
I have a BX and have had larger tractors. With larger tractors I never have had fuel plugging and related problems. the BX has been a headache,. With the fuel tank under the seat it needs a fuel pump, a dinky thing at that. You may have great use for it with mowing, etc, but I'd go for a larger tractor, since the BX has features that are cheap alternatives to better things, such as the crude control of the three point. You don't need new either, especially with the newer fuel monitoring devices. For the boat handling, place a ball hitch on a "quick hitch"as from Harbor Freight and you don't even need to get off the tractor to engage it. Aiming the tractor up hill on the ramp is safer also.
I agree with using a 120VAC winch for the boat. You can even set it up to run off of a remote control. Combine that with an electric garage door and you can just climb in the boat, lower it into the water, then pull the trailer back up and close the garage door without leaving the boat. The reverse when you return.
What I see around here with boat houses are tracks made out of round tubing, and metal wheels on the trailers to ride on those tracks. If you want to use the regular trailer (I wouldn't unless you plan to take the boat somewhere else) you'd probably want to have some sort of guides for the tires.
What I see around here with boat houses are tracks made out of round tubing, and metal wheels on the trailers to ride on those tracks. If you want to use the regular trailer (I wouldn't unless you plan to take the boat somewhere else) you'd probably want to have some sort of guides for the tires.