hp for towing?

jason, NW Ontario · Feb 25, 2011

Does anyone use one of these small, newer mfwd units to tow a load heavier than the actual tractor? This summer I need to tow a single axle trailer off the drawbar with a loaded weight of 4800lbs. Most every weight I've seen for these new 30-40hp is scarcely 4000lbs.
Jason

Lloyd In South Carolina · Feb 25, 2011

I have a JD 4510, fwd... tow more that twice it's weight from the draw bar with complete ease. Stops and goes no problem at all. 2nd gear, medium range.

L.

jiminct · Feb 25, 2011

i towed a full wagon of about 120sq bales w/ my small jd790 mfwd about 3 mi up and down a few steep hills. pulled it no sweat but it was a bit much going down the hills i just put it in low range and throttled down. when i came to the stop signs i slowed down way b4 i came close to stopping just so i knew i could. i figured that load around 4800lbs as when i bale squares i try to be around 40lbs or a bit more. that 790 is roughly 2200lbs.

jiminct · Feb 25, 2011

i towed a full wagon of about 120sq bales w/ my small jd790 mfwd about 3 mi up and down a few steep hills. pulled it no sweat but it was a bit much going down the hills i just put it in low range and throttled down. when i came to the stop signs i slowed down way b4 i came close to stopping just so i knew i could. i figured that load around 4800lbs as when i bale squares i try to be around 40lbs or a bit more. that 790 is roughly 2200lbs.

RodinNS · Feb 25, 2011

I quite regularly tow 2-3 times the tractor's weight... but I'm also talking about somewhat larger tractors than you. It's also a matter of knowing what you can get away with, where... and when. I've hauled probably 24K on a wagon train behind an 8000# Ford 3930... took that down a hill that was probably 30+ % grade. The tractor ran up to governed speed in third gear... and that was probably one of the first times I ever questioned wether or not I was going to slide.
I've also handled probably better than 35K behind a 12,600# Ford 7710. This was a manure spreader applying heavy pressure to the drawbar so I had lots of ballast... That's actually pretty normal behind that tractor BUT it's also hard road only. Any little slip in the field on a hill and she's dug in or going backwards...
My suggestion... start working up in smaller incriments to see what you can handle and what you're comfortable with. You have to be comfortable with it. You lose your nerve with that kind of load, one mistake... you're toast.

Rod

Mike M · Feb 25, 2011

Just have weights on the rear or tires loaded. Same as with the old tractors when pulling heavy loads.

Nebraska Cowman · Feb 25, 2011

pounds of pull is not the same as the loaded weight on a rolling load. On level ground I could pull a 4000 rolling weight. My actual pounds pull would be less than 200

jason, NW Ontario · Feb 25, 2011

Wow, I appreciate the info. Having never been around anything remotely new, I had no idea these newer machines had similar torque to the older iron. My newest is a '75 and around 7000lb.
Jason

Jerry/MT · Feb 25, 2011

I don"t know what you mean when you say "Most every weight I"ve seen for these new 30-40hp is scarcely 4000 lbs."

The force required to tow a load is a small fraction of the load itself. For example on dry concrete, the rolling friction coeficient is on the order of 0.03. That means that the force required to tow a load is 3% of the weight of the load. So a 10,000 load takes 300 lb of pull.

rrlund · Feb 25, 2011

If you're going for towing it SAFELY and being able to stop it,probably not too smart.
I knew a guy who had a flat bed semi trailer with a dolly under it that he used to haul round bales. His 4040 Deere would PULL it alright,but it would push him right through stop signs if he tried to stop too quick. He said it really wasn't safe with anything less than his 4440 with the duals on it.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 25, 2011

I used to jockey empty hay wagons back down to the field, from the barn, with a yamaha timberwolf 4x4 230 cc 4 wheeler. Get to the top of the long hill, and cut the ignition, and let the 4 wheeler's engine brake the load for about 1/4 mile, then turn it on again, when the speed would drop.

newfarmer9 · Feb 25, 2011

The problem is not towing, but STOPPING (as others alluded to). Make sure you have a braking system in place or tow slow enough that you can stop in a hurry if need be.

JMOR · Feb 25, 2011

(quoted from post at 20:46:30 02/25/11) The problem is not towing, but STOPPING (as others alluded to). Make sure you have a braking system in place or tow slow enough that you can stop in a hurry if need be.

xactly! And if on gravel, hills, loose dirt, etc. and jack knife it, it will likely be funeral time.

Geo-TH,In · Feb 25, 2011

JMOR,
I use a IH C to pull a 10K dump trailer up a steep hill with about 5K of gravel, total weight is close to 8k. Horse power isn't a problem. Only issue is traction going up a steep grade and bending the drawbar. Can easily pull the dump trailer with over 10k of dirt on level ground in 3 gear at an idle. Can't travel that fast with an old C so brakes aren't an issue. If it were, I would connect the electric brakes.
I think the Hp of an IH C is around 20 and I think it weighs around 3500 with the mower.
George

JDavid · Feb 25, 2011

I wonder what you think of pulling a 1000 bu + grain cart, probably 60,000 lbs or a little more behind a 180 horse 14,000 lb 4850 John Deere. Pretty normal when harvesting fall crops in the field.

msb · Feb 25, 2011

4850 FWA? Wouldn't want anything less.

hp for towing?

jason, NW Ontario

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Lloyd In South Carolina

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jiminct

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jiminct

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RodinNS

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Mike M

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Nebraska Cowman

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jason, NW Ontario

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rrlund

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