towing an 8N

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I need to move my 8N with mid mount Continental belton finish mower about 2 times a year 22 miles to the Boy Scout camp (Camp Brosig). Farm-to-Market (FM)road all the way. Thinking about using this to flat tow it down there.... Anyone else use one?

5000 Lb. Capacity Adjustable Tow Bar

Haul-Master - item#94696
 
If you tow most any tractor you have to stay nice and slow as in 25MPH tops or you may find that the tractor would wag your tail badly
 
Jim........don't use a chain to tow. Use a 1-1/2"x10ft pipe with the chain inside. Otherwize, yer tractor will run into the backend of the towing vehicle. Putta SMV (triangle) on back of tractor seat ('cuz its higher that mower deck and therefore more visible) Tow atta'bout 15mph otherwize yer BIG ag-bar tires gonna BOUNCE all over the place. Me? I'd rent a "U-HAUL" car trailer and tell'em ittza old Ford convertible. Why? 'cuz ittza got BRAKES. .......Dell
 
(quoted from post at 14:43:47 01/13/13) I need to move my 8N with mid mount Continental belton finish mower about 2 times a year 22 miles to the Boy Scout camp (Camp Brosig). Farm-to-Market (FM)road all the way. Thinking about using this to flat tow it down there.... Anyone else use one?

5000 Lb. Capacity Adjustable Tow Bar

Haul-Master - item#94696
ust go slow & don't turn too sharp.
 
The 8Ns I have worked on have too much wear in the steering spindels, tie rods, and steering gear box to even tow at 25 mph. Even at 15 mph, they can start flopping around from side to side and do damage to the gear box. I had one I was towing last year with another 8N that flopped the steering enough to destroy the upper shaft bearing in the steering gear box. At that time, it was going less than 5 mph. Some days if I don't have bad luck, I just don't get no luck at all!

Put out the word among the adult scouters to see if anyone can loan you a car hauling trailer. It is by far the safest way to transport an 8N.

Paul in MN
(former Asst. Scout Master who used to haul an IH 300U about 185 mi with 5' brush hog to Many Point Scout Camp to clear the area our troop would be camping in.)
 
Someone correct me if I am wrong (too often). I believe that to flat tow an 8N very far that you have to leave the engine running to provide lube of the top of the transmission.
Secondly, unless you have a very tight steering box and links, front end can shake itself to death.
Thirdly, what kind ot ground clearence do you have carrying a belly mower?
 
Somebody in the community would be happy to loan you their car-hauler trailer to mow at the Boyscout camp.......I'm sure of it, if you ask everybody that has a trailer. They may even volunteer to drive their truck to pull it (if the tow vehicle is needed too), if you buy lunch.
 
(quoted from post at 17:50:19 01/13/13) Someone correct me if I am wrong (too often). I believe that to flat tow an 8N very far that you have to leave the engine running to provide lube of the top of the transmission.
Secondly, unless you have a very tight steering box and links, front end can shake itself to death.
Thirdly, what kind ot ground clearance do you have carrying a belly mower?
'll go with steering looseness & mower ground clearance, but not transmission/engine running.
 
The transmission would not be any problem since it is a splash/gear pick up lube system but yes the steering can well be a problem and if loose like most can cause the wag the tow car/tuck right off the road
 
If a trailer is not available, you might consider just driving the tractor with the mower chained up. The speed of the tractor is just about as fast as you would want to go, if towing.

That way you will be able to know for sure if you are going too fast, which is not likely. Strap your bicycle to the mower for the ride back.

Hey, I'm only trying to help. ;-)
 
Well to tow one it would be out of gear but since the rear end would be moving so would some gears in the transmission and those gears would throw oil up and around so nothing would be hurt by lack of oil. Works the same way as if you where pulling a car or truck with a stick shift and when you do that the transmission in that car/truck is not hurt but the rear end is still moving the drive shaft so then internal gears in that transmission is still moving and oil is thrown up and around those gears. Understand where I am coming from??
 
I don't know myself. But I know I've seen it discuss here before. The conclusion was you need to leave the engine running if you tow it very far.
 
(quoted from post at 21:22:26 01/13/13) I don't know myself. But I know I've seen it discuss here before. The conclusion was you need to leave the engine running if you tow it very far.
nybody can draw a conclusion! Why is the question? Looks to me like whether sitting in neutral with engine idling or engine off being towed down the road, either way about half of the gears are churning & slinging oil, kinda like the differential is doing.
 
(quoted from post at 05:22:26 01/14/13) I don't know myself. But I know I've seen it discuss here before. The conclusion was you need to leave the engine running if you tow it very far.

I would have to go look at a trans before i would recommend towing with out the engine running... I have towed with a dead engine by putting it in gear and pulling 10 ft are so to lube the trans then knock it out of gear and re-pete every 5 miles,,, I would prefer to have the engine running then I know their would be no issues AT ALL... If it towed well I see no reason why you could not pull it around the world as long as you knew the trans was getting lube... I would prefer a tow bar myself if that was the only way I could get'er done...
 
...about half of the gears are churning & slinging oil, kinda like the differential is doing.

They are half submerged in oil so just turning should be sufficient for a gear or bearing with no load .

I don't see the rock shaft , lift arm bushing , or cam needing lube while being towed , but at 25 mph I would think they would get plenty of splash lubrication , he he .
 
(quoted from post at 02:34:34 01/14/13) I've been looking in the archives for that and have not found it yet.

The 8N transmission in neutral with the engine running will be spinning these gears (marked green).

trans1.jpg


The 8N transmission in neutral being towed with the engine off will be spinning these gears (marked red).

trans2.jpg


Either way it should look like an automatic car wash spray of oil in there if the transmission oil level is close to normal.

.
 
(quoted from post at 00:58:31 01/14/13)
(quoted from post at 02:34:34 01/14/13) I've been looking in the archives for that and have not found it yet.

The 8N transmission in neutral with the engine running will be spinning these gears (marked green).

trans1.jpg


The 8N transmission in neutral being towed with the engine off will be spinning these gears (marked red).

trans2.jpg


Either way it should look like an automatic car wash spray of oil in there if the transmission oil level is close to normal.

.
MEN
 
Yep just like towing a car or truck with a stick shift enough oil moves to be just fine. If that was not so how in the world do all those cars/trucks pull behind RVs thousands of mile still drive
 
Why not drive it over there? Every year I drive mine about 13 miles one way to a buddys place, brush hog for about 5 hours and then drive it home. If you are only going to pull it 25MPH or less, you aren't saving much time or gas. You would be surprised at the responses people give you when they see you on a 60 year old tractor. Now if it is 22 miles one way, you may want to find a half way spot to stretch your legs and other parts.
 
After looking at Johns pix I still would not tow it far with out the engine running,,, I would be afraid 1st gear would starve for lube were it spins on the main shaft...
 
WOW! Lots of input. Pretty much had decided against flat towing. Happened to run into a friend whoe was a ScoutMaster 20 years ago and he now has a 16 foot flatbed and I can use it. When I moved here 10 years ago, I used a Uhaul tow dolly to tow my 1948 about 60 miles behind my 1985 Dodge Diplomat, and the tractor suffered no ill effects from towing that way at 55-60 mph. The motor was not running. Another friend has a tow dolly he uses w/his motor home I can borrow.
 

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