educate me on wagon buying and what to look for

Anyway, I want a wagon to pull (play with, along with my tractor) behind my Farmall H. There is a used implement / tractor dealer about 30 miles away that just got in about 4 different wagon frames.

I WANT A WAGON! Now, what should I know and look for when I go to the dealer to look at these frames?

Keep in mind, that all I want to do with it is maybe put mulch and firewood in it. Also keep in mind that I don't know ANYTHING about wagons.

What do I need to know and what should I pay for a frame?

Thanks for takind time to look.

Bill

I've about run the wheels off my little 5' x 10' trailer. Handiest thing on I use on my acreage for hauling all sorts of things.

I also have a 4 wheeled "wagon" with removeable sides and hoist (i.e., it dumps like a dump truck). It's handy for hauling small loads of dirt or gravel; of course you have to have hydraulics available (single acting hydraulic hookup would work just fine).

If you are set on a 'wagon' with 4 corner wheels & a steerable hitch, then do you want a hayrack (flatbed) or a barge box (wagon with sides - many the sides can be removed to make it a flatbed but smaller than a hayrack) or a flair box (like a barge box with cruves, can't be turned into anything else)? I would get any of these at a farm auction like Mike suggests - can get all you want for under $150 around here if you are just playing with it.

But I'd rather have a trailer for your uses.

--->Paul

Just go to a farm auction. You can buy old beat up wagons that will work just fine for playing around like that for as little as $50.

Of course the tongue has some play, the boards might be a little rotton or have holes in them, and the tires are bald;---but so what? It is just a toy, and that will work ok for the time being.

Even if you replace a few boards and tires that is a lot cheaper than the alternatives that you are looking at.

Just my opinion.

Good running gears are bringing around $350 here (used). Flats I build to sell are $450 for a 20'er, materials and labor run me about $300.

Go to the auctions. Find an old running gear and take care of it. I have a few around for haying but they also make nice large work benches on the driveway and are great for setting ladders on when you paint the house. Gee, I may write a book. 101 uses for an old hay wagon. Good used wagon and rack are $300-500 dollars here at auction.

Now I can get it through that same door but I drop it off the row crop and push it with the loader on the utility. I like your way better. How about some lessons?

A narrow front end tractor makes backing up a little easier, they trn shorter. I really wouldn't need the Oliver 77 for anything else, but it has enough weight & manoverablity to back up my 200bu gravity boxes, & that's worth keeping it.

Now, for fun, get a bale basket, and back up 30 loads of hay to the barn door, around the silo, with the basket & baler attatched. With an IHC 300 wide front which is known for having poor turning radius..... Oy.

--->Paul

My 2 cents
JB