Hauling a D2 with MF 165

Hello Guys (from down in NZ)

I want to haul my D2 around the district (I do a bit of casual moleplowing for neighbours). Short of hiring a transporter everytime I'm sorta thinking that I could use my MF 165 to haul it.

We're talking distances of up to 15 miles (up to 30 miles is legal here, under farm registration rules), on pretty flat going.

My 165 has wet brakes, and they're in good condition. The D2 is a plain 50" 5U tractor, so I'm assuming it is just under 8000 lbs. I'm going to build the trailer myself, so am probably looking at an all up weight of 11,000 - 12,000 lbs for the trailing combination.

Anyhoo, what sort of trailer and hitch combinations have you seen that "work" for this sort of set up. I'm thinking that a low bed with aft wheels is going to be beyond the capability of an MF 165 3 point hitch drawbar.

That leaves some sort of 4 wheel trailer. or a tandem with dropped axles ?? Sprung or unsprung, braked or not ??

Interested in pictures and ideas - Thanks

Foster

I don't think the brakes on that size tractor are anywhere near adequate for stopping that much weight. In fact, I've never had a tractor with brakes I considered adequate for normal tractor use even. I'm sure there are some out there, I just haven't had them.

On another note,you would have to have the brakes adjusted equally and the pedals locked to avoid jacknifing.

Whatever kind of towing set up you have you need trailer brakes also.

KEH

I worked for a company that had rollers that weighed up close to 10 ton and they repowered them with farm tractors, 60 horse Kubota's. They had plenty of power to pull the roller and enought brakes to stop safely but if you got in the hills you had to use a lower gear when going down hill. Just use good old commen sence and you will not have any problems. And KEH I mean no disrespct to you but if your brakes are not adequate to stop your tractor for normal use I think you should take them and have them repared by a GOOD brake person. Bob

One tractor didn't have good brakes when I bought it new. Another was a recent model and I had the brakes rebuilt. They make noise and I would consider them only barely adequate. Another is an old Kubota with FEL used and abused in a chicken house. The previous owner rebuilt the brakes and they are pretty good but not great. Maybe I have too high expectations for tractor brakes.

Gearing down is the safest way to go, but I'm amazed at the late model tractors that don't have sychronized transmissions. I doubt if the MF65 does, but I don't know. Never had a tractor with power shift which of course is the way to go for heavy loads.

KEH

The fertilizer plants here use tandem axle spreaders that hold 8-9 tons, and have self-contained braking systems activated by coupler on the hitch. When you slow down, the inertia of the spreader activates the brakes. google Willmar mfg or Tyler for info on their products.

My dad bought a new HD-4 in the late '60s; as prepped for work, it probably weighed around 10,000 lbs. I built a trailer for it using wheels/spindles/hubs from one ton truck front ends; home-made axles from 3 inch tubing and trailer from 3 inch channel and 3 inch tubing; no springs, no brakes. Never weighed the trailer, but I'd guess it weighed 3-4000 lbs. We pulled it with 4020s and.....occasionally a one-ton truck. Never had a 165, but had a 175 and numerous other M-Fs. Been operating farm and construction equipment since 1952; NO WAY I'D TRY TO PULL/STOP WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH A 165!!!

I didn't ask if it was a good idea or not, cripes reading the board I wonder if anything ever gets done in the places you guys come from - is the spirit of "git er done" completely dead in the US ??.

I simply want some ideas on trailers. Thurlow - how about telling me more about the configuration of the trailer you built, how did it load etc.

Yours - "not hiding behind my mothers skirts"

Foster

Trailer was framed......mostly.......out of 3 inch square tubing, including the axles. Axles were a part of the frame, i.e., frame was welded to, rather than sitting on top of axles, which lowered the deck that much more. Don't remember the dimensions, but it was built to 'fit' the dozer. Tires were used 16 inch truck tires, probably 7.50s. Tongue used a hitch pin, rather than a ball. Deck was 1/4 inch diamond-plate steel; with it welded securely to the frame, the trailer (except for hubs/wheels/tires, etc) was ONE PIECE. It sat low enough to the ground that the dozer could be loaded/unloaded essentially anywhere with a couple of 6 or 8 inch blocks of wood placed a couple of feet behind the trailer. After further thought, the axles were from 3/4 trucks, rather than 1 tons. If I were doing it today, I'd use rear axles, cut the differential out and put in a 'splice'. The thing was only used here in the county, but worked great for the 15 or 18 years we had it; it went with the dozer when it was traded off.......

Just make it like a bobcat trailer and use 7000# axles. Then you could use the trailer behind a truck as well. You could use a surge brake coupler to help with stopping and then you wouldn't have to add anything on the tractor to help with braking. I hauled a 12,000# JD 355D crawler on my trailer a couple times. 8 to 10,000#s shouldn't be too much of a problem for tandem 7000# axles. My trailer has electric brakes but then you need a brake controller. My trailer is made from 6x2x3/16 wall rect. tubing around the perimeter and 4x2 tubing for the cross members. Way better than channel iron and it doesn't flex corner to corner like channel. Hope this helps. Dave

At 10-15 mph on fairly level ground he will have absolutely no problems stopping. In fact he will probably never have to use the tractor brakes to stop.

In Iowa on level ground I have seen one M Farmall pulling 3 gravity wagons filled corn.The secret is keep the speed down and no steep hills.

A 165 should be able to pull and stop 8,000-12,000 lbs. We have used ours in the past (maybe 10-15 years ago)to pull chopper boxes on the road, both 16 and 18 ft. boxes. The 18 footers can hold up to 20-22,000 lbs. Didn't load them quite that heavy when going down the road with the 165, but it pulled those wagons. Probably had them loaded to about 18,000 lbs or 9 tons with the 165.

It was definately back there and stopping was hard, but with good brakes and plenty of distance you could stop. Since then we got a bigger tractor to run the chopper, and my 1600 is back on the blower, so we pull the wagons with our 285 now.

Only thing I can say is DO NOT pull form the 3 pt arms. If you don't have a drawbar, find one. Would make life a little easier.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Hi foster,

I pull a 20k water trailer with a F350 DRW. The trailer is a 70' dodge 1-1/2ton flatbed with a 1500gal tank, tow bar and no brakes.

On dirt roads on 90º corners the trailer will push my F350 duals if the speed is too fast, 2mph vs 1mph. I don't use my truck brakes other than for a complete stop. I run most stop signs, very slowley. For flatland this works ok but having trailer brakes would be a great benefit and easy to add too a ag-tractor.

Surge brakes suck and have a 2k pin weight limit.

The fastest build, strongest, cheap design is made with I-beam main rails, 3" Channel cross on 16" centers for the deck, with a GN hitch on 10" channel framing, about 4000lbs and $4k cost on a 20ft deck plus dual tire single electric brake axle, about $1k delivered.

Pin weight is determined by placement of load weight on the deck.

The GN can be pulled with a pick-up or tractor or easy converted to a 5th wheel (my choice)

However the Texas trailer mfg's will build the same 20+5 trailer for about $5400 delivered.

In 2005 paid $6400 for a Legend 27+5, dual tandum 10k oil bath axles, 24kGVW and $200 more than my material cost had I built the same myself.

T_Bone

I would definitely suggest installing an underslung, swinging drawbar if you don't have one. That's NOT something I'd be pulling from a linkage bar.
Beyond that I think I'd go with a moderately high trailer as the axles will need to be under it. I'd probably go with a single wheel tridem cluster... I think those are 7000# axles.
A decent sized I-beam or H-beam should do for the frame, or even heavy, deep channel depending on what axles you get and what you have to work with.

I would want to situate the axles under the trailer such that it is mostly balanced when it's empty, but also structure the wheelbase and length such that you can move the cat around on the deck a bit to get your weight distribution.
You want to maximize the weight on the drawbar for traction.... but there will be limits there for front end weight and drawbar limits, so you need enough room to back the cat to the rear over the trailer wheels to lighten up on the drawbar.
Don't go and build a 12' deck and expect to load the cat right up on the headboard... go with 18-20' and give yourself some breathing room.
A short beavertail on the back would also be good.

Rod

I brake controller isn't that hard to wire. Run electric brakes, and use a 4 way round plug for a quick disconnect, and you can take it inside when not towing so it doesn't get wet.

The Amish around home were using a 70 hp deere to haul a D6. They got away with it til it got away from them going down a hill and through a stopsign. And over a car or two in the process. Then they got nailed for not having trailer brakes, registration, insurance, and using off-road fuel.

(quoted from post at 23:44:14 09/17/09) I brake controller isn't that hard to wire. Run electric brakes, and use a 4 way round plug for a quick disconnect, and you can take it inside when not towing so it doesn't get wet.

The Amish around home were using a 70 hp deere to haul a D6. They got away with it til it got away from them going down a hill and through a stopsign. And over a car or two in the process. Then they got nailed for not having trailer brakes, registration, insurance, and using off-road fuel.

Click to expand...

That is funny... I mean I respect the Amish beliefs and traditions, but they must obay ALL LOCAL, STATE, and FEDRAL laws... Just like us.

On the MF 65, go for it and use a mounted (under-slung) drawbar. You'll be fine.

CT