Tractor tow dolly

1954Frank

Member
Years (and years) ago when I was young(er) there were lots of tricycle front end tractors still in service. I have seen a tow dolly for this type of tractor; you drive the front wheels into a cradle. As you go forward the cradle rotates up and over center, lifting the front wheels. Some kind of pin arrangement keeps the cradle in position. Some kind tie-down straps, chains, whatever keeps the wheels in place. Then you can pull it with your truck... Anybody familiar with something like this?
Thanks
 

I know a guy who has that setup that he pulls behind a trailer,loaded with a tractor,that he pulls with one of his tractors to shows and other tractor events.
 

dolly's
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I have or did have one but it has been at a friends for several years. It was homemade when I got it about 30 years ago. The cradle is shaped like about a third of a 55 gallon steel drums but is only wide enough for the front end. The wheels are mounted on the ends of it and are from a 36-39 Ford car. The hitch is welded solid to front of unit, cradle does not move. You can have a tractor on it and unhook and hook back up with no problems. It had ramps made but they wewre missing when I got it. I just used a cement block with a short plank on top of the block to ground to load, when loaded I would just put them in truck bed. To unload just set brakes on truck and back out, droping front end as no worse than putting the front end thru a plow furrow. Was a chain bolted to frame at front of cradle and just wraped it around the pedstile and back to front frame where a piece was made with a slot to slide chain in. I used it for years and others have borrowed it as well.
 
If you build one, I'd advise making the tractor wheels rest a little bit in front of the dolly wheels. That puts a little weight on the truck and will help you when pulling a hill on gravel. If the tractor wheels are centered directly over the dolly wheels, there is a rotation that lifts the dolly tongue when you pull forward with the truck. The harder you pull the higher it lifts. It's not too noticeable on level ground, but it is bothersome on a hilly gravel lane like mine.
 
That is entirely different that what I understood him to be talking about. I understood him the cradle rolled forward and back so it was low to drive in and rotated forward when the wheels are in so they would not pull right back out without a back side to hold them in. I used what you are talking about to pull automobiles on as my Fatherinlaw had one to use behind his camper.
 
Having it balanced means you can unhook with tractor on without having a jack under toung of dolly.
 
Yes, I guess you could do that Leroy.

We always rolled the tractor off and then unhooked the dolly from the truck. I didn't have a jack on it. I originally built mine to be balanced, but had to scratch and claw getting up the hills on our lane. I cut the spindles off and moved them a few inches to the rear and it made it usable. It's been a long time since I've seen it. I can't remember if I traded it or loaned it out and it didn't come home. I remember that it was real easy to loan out, in fact it usually took several phone calls to figure out where it had "moved" to. I started to weld my name on it one time, then it dawned on me that some borrower could get in a wreck and right there real convenient would be my name. A lawyer's gift from heaven.

I used to make hay all over the neighborhood, and it was handy for getting equipment to the field with just one driver.
 
Never had that problem. What hills were not that bad and where we would want to unhook was lever enough did not have to even think anout setting tractor brakes or on a wagon blocking the wheels.
 
Thanks for all responses.
I seem to remember as a boy seeing farmers transport their tractor from one farm or field to another behind a pickup truck. How fast could/ should you tow a tractor this way? Or maybe how fast is too fast? Can any damage to the gears or bearings in transmission, differential, or final drive occur?
 
I have one question on anything newer than a super M. That has the hytran type oils in the rear ends how does that lubricate the bearings? Since some of them have oil flow from pumps for the lubrication.
 
Have no idea as the tractors hauled with mine would have been prior to 1960 as mine was A & B Deere, friend that used it, Farmall MD and AC WC. The ones I bought it from had 2 cylinder Deeres biggest newest was I think a 730 possibly. But that was back in early 80's I bought it and they had not used it for several years. Bought it from a seed corn grower. At that time they just had wide front New Generation Deeres. Dolly was setting abanded when I first saw it and asked about it.
 

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