I bought a little Yanmar 26 hp tractor with a FEL to use around my house. I don't have but 21 acres here, so I don't need a big tractor. I bought a scrape blade with tilt and angle and have already been using it to work my half-mile driveway. I'll do a little gardening and bush-hogging with it also.

I'd also like to be able to take it to a couple of hunting clubs I'm in to help with the deer plots. I probably won't ever take it more than about 30 miles from home, but one reason I wanted a smaller tractor was so I'd have something I could easily move around with my half-ton pickup. So now I need a trailer.

Most of the time when I have moved a tractor, I've borrowed a flat bed. I really prefer the metal trailers that have a rail around them and a lift gate. I've had this 5x8 trailer for 17 years and it has served me well:



I've seen dual-axle trailers that were made much like this one, but I've noticed they often have both axles right at the back of the trailer. If I put the tractor to the front, that would be way too much weight on the tongue. What's the purpose they have in making them that way?

I'm thinking I want a lift-gate dual axle trailer that is about 5.5x16, with a wood or metal floor. The tractor weighs 2200 lbs; with the loader and an implement I need to figure to be hauling 4000 lbs, and the trailer oughta be rated to haul at least 5000 for a safety factor.

So is this a bad idea, and I should be looking for a flat bed? Or am I on the right track in looking for what I'm describing? Anybody got a good trailer to sell cheap to a poor old preacher?

Thanks for any help.

IMO, any car hauler with two 3500 lbs axles will work great. The axles should be 60/40 from front to back. Most flatbeds ramps will not go close enough to load that size tractor.

My family has the same type/size tractor. We've hauled it a many a mile on a tandem axle 6'x16' trailer with food floor and angle iron ramps. Never had trouble besides warping 1 axle.

How did axle warp? Turn wrong?

Keep an eye on Craigslist for a 6.5 x 16. Anything close to $1000 for one in good shape is a deal. Two 3500# axles will work well for that.

Thanks for the replies. I've been looking at a 6x16 that is pretty rough, but he's asking just $625. The tires and wheels are all junk. It has 14, 15 and 16" tires on it, and every wheel is a different type. It would do the job, but it scares me to look at it. With wheels like that, I wonder what else might be wrong with it .

So what makes one a "car hauler"? Is that a certain type trailer, or just one big enough to haul a car?

See how this one is made with the axles so far back? Why do they do that?

A car hauler is usually a flat bed so you get a little more width. I have hauled cars on my 6.5 x 16 but it's a tight fit on a full size car because of the bed rails.

That pic is just a bad angle I think.

It's better to have a little weight on the truck as it helps with stopping and startiing.

You need enuff tounge weight or that joker will fishtail with ya.... Too much weight on the back and you'll sling that joker off the trailer....

Thanks Charlie. Maybe that one is just a bad angle, but nearly all I'm seeing seem to have the axles way to the back. There's gotta be a purpose to that. This one is pretty typical:



But here is one that seem to be made the way I think I'd want one:

You guys posted while I was looking for pics. I understand about the need to balance the load; I've owned a travel trailer and soon figured out the load had to be balanced or all sorts of bad things happen.

All of my experience makes me leery of one with the axles in the back, but there's probably something here I just don't understand. They wouldn't make so many that way with no purpose to it.

I may be wrong but looking at all the pics it seems like all the axle placement is roughly the same if your measuring from the back of the trailer to the axle, even the single axle.

Only reason the axles are in the middle of your last pic is because of it being a shorter trailer and too short to offset. I have a Big Tex trailer and I can assure you they are built very well. You won't go wrong with one.

Make sure the tounge goes all the way to the front axle. If not it's a landscape trailer. Not enough weight capacity. Get a real car trailer.

The purpose is that if you put weight behind the trailer axles, it will result in negative tounge weight which will actually try and pick th back of your truck up. That will get you killed quickly. You have to have enough truck to pull he load, but long trailers help you place the load where it needs to be, instead of where it has to be. The majority of weight needs to be on the truck side of the axles.If it results in too much tounge weigt for your truck, you don't have enough truck.

The reason axles are more rearward is to allow weight on the tow vehicles hitch. If you have a trailer that is axle centered, you will have fish tailing occur when loaded.

If you pull it empty with the axles up front it will beat you to death. The plus side is if you build it balanced with the axles toward the front you don't need a jack and its easier to hook up. I've built them both ways. If you rarely pull it empty it is ok to have the axles toward he front. Just put your load on the front.

We have several this way that we use all the time. We hook up trailers 18 feet long that have no jack. You get the truck within a foot or so and move the trailer by hand to the hitch.

Be careful with different size and type tires. Had a problem with a Big Tex single axle with different tire and load. Eventually caused odd tire wear. Took to trailer place and had to replace with 2 of same tires. Also watch the bolt pattern. Apparently I had an non standard pattern that I would have to order a spare online as opposed to standard bolt pattern where you could find a spare in stock at a store.

Yep...standard trailer bolt pattern is 5x4.5 (ford pattern). You can find trailer wheels and tires anywhere with that pattern. My 20ft had 5x4.75. It's a small chevy pattern. But I had a tough time finding 14" rims for the things. I had 3 14"'s and one 15" so I wanted them all the same size. I ended up buying some 80's model El Camino 14" rims..with beauty rings for it. I get alot of "compliments" on my bling trailer rims. LOL


Also, I wouldn't pay $625 for a trailer that looked rough and needed tires. You'll be $400+ in wheels/tires and then you may/or may not...need to work on the trailer. You should be able to find a nice 6x16 trailer for $1000 needing nothing and be in good shape.

when we were building trailers ,we set them up so that the tounge weight was 200 to 400 lbs, when trailer was loaded right , that way it wont thro you off the rd. to much hitch weight is the reverse. hard to steer.

5x5 bolt pattern on 15" rim is pretty common too.

All good replies you have gotten but this one gets over looked a lot but is important. Also, from what I have seen, all the ones that pictures are posted of you will squirt an intestine out trying to lift those rear gates if not careful. They can be REAL heavy.

I don't know how far you are from Deatesville but I would at least call Whitworth and get prices on new. They have them with new or used tires on them. Worth it to pay more for new tires. Also, there is a long haired guy there that impression is he can't pass a drug test but is good with tractors and equipment. Especially Yanmars.

I would get a tandem axle 6.5x16' with ramps instead of a gate. Having an open rear will allow a bush hog wheel to hang out little bit, which will happen on a tractor with a loader.

Thanks for all the info. I guess I was concerned over nothing regarding the axle placement. I thought you needed 10% of the weight on the tongue, and some of the trailers I see look like they would have 50% on it.

I have a weight distributing hitch I can use if I have to, but I don't think it will be needed for this little tractor if I can find the right trailer.

Preacher I have a 6.5x16 tandem I'm going to list in the classified section. I'm asking $1K. Doesnt have a gate or ramps but that could be added I'm sure.

PCP, keep in mind where the wheels are on a semi trailer.... That's not the same as pulling a trailer with a pick up, but it's close enough for discussion sake. Gooseneck trailers like we use for hauling tractors and hay have about 65-70% of the trailer in front of the axles.

Like has been said above, you've got to have weight on the back of the truck and the further back the axles are, the better the trailer pulls.

Many thanks to everyone for all the help! You guys helped me realize I needed to pass on the one with the bad tires and rims, and I wound up buying SuperSpikes trailer today. He was kind enough to meet me halfway and save me a much longer drive. The trailer is exactly as he described and it pulls much better than my little 5x8 trailer. Thanks for a great deal, Chad!

I've ordered some ramps for it, and then I'll be ready to pull it to my club and bush hog the roads and patches. I'm probably gonna have some questions about chains and binders; don't have much experience with them. I'll ask in a separate thread. Gonna try to go to Tractor Supply tomorrow to see the sizes they have.

A good evening to all!