I agreed to buy the tractor. That was the beginning. The problem was the tractor was not running, and 250 miles away. Enter U-Haul. Rented their 77 inch wide trailer for 24 hours at $49.99. Trailer was supposed to be good for 4000lbs. MF says tractor weighs 4019 dry. Oughta work. Tractor could be 60 in wide or 84 depending on wheel set. Recall trailer was 77 inches. Might work. Brought tools. 5 hours later I arrive at pickup point to load tractor I have never seen. Good news: Tractor is in better condition than expected. Wheels are at 1/2 spread ~76 inches.
Tractor is oriented downhill.
Sellers sons have arrived to help.
500lbs of wheel weights Bad News:
It is 10 degrees.
It is dark.
Tractor is froze to ground.
Clutch is froze to pressure plate.
500 lbs of wheel weights won't come off. Did I mention it was 10 degrees? Okay, so the tractor broke loose from the ground bringing large amounts of sod with it. It was moving. 30 minutes later, tractor was firmly chained to trailer. Owner was paid, directions given, and we were off. I found that it is impossible to unload a tractor on your driveway at 3AM without waking your wife and kids (neighbors too, but they don't matter). Only after getting it home did I find that the tires were loaded with Calcium. You can do your own figures, but with a 28x14.9 inch tire, the weight should come in around 1000lbs for two tires. This leaves the final weight on the 4000lb max trailer at 5500 lbs not including lubricants and a tank of bad gas. I should mention that while trailering rusted farm machinery, do not be surprised when it becomes the focal point of every gas stop, pit stop, and Cracker Barrel parking lot. I got more connections, advise, and comments (congratulatory and otherwise) than I ever expected. I will mention that currently the tractor is running, driving, and has supplanted the wifes Walmart cruiser in the garage. Kinda hard to move when I have the axle off. I swear this wasn't planned. Hee Hee ;-)
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