Transporting a swather

OliverNate · Jul 24, 2019

Wondering if anyone has been hassled hauling a swather on a swather transport trailer? I'm sure its one thing going from field to field while cutting but I'm talking about you just bought it and hauling it home say 200 miles? Obviously I wouldn't run down the interstate, have a SMV, magnetic blinking lights, and magnetic lights tapped into the vehicles lights (I tend to go overboard). My transport trailer is a homemade rig so no VIN or license plate. Main thing I'm thinking is the fact that I'll be over width. But I would think it should fall under farm use so shouldn't matter?

SVcummins · Jul 24, 2019

Never had a problem even crossing the scales Ford F-350 and big new Holland rotary swathers would scale over 30,000 gvw

rockyridgefarm · Jul 24, 2019

(quoted from post at 19:46:59 07/24/19) Wondering if anyone has been hassled hauling a swather on a swather transport trailer? I'm sure its one thing going from field to field while cutting but I'm talking about you just bought it and hauling it home say 200 miles? Obviously I wouldn't run down the interstate, have a SMV, magnetic blinking lights, and magnetic lights tapped into the vehicles lights (I tend to go overboard). My transport trailer is a homemade rig so no VIN or license plate. Main thing I'm thinking is the fact that I'll be over width. But I would think it should fall under farm use so shouldn't matter?

I was gonna run up to Minnesota and pick up an owatanna last week, and had these removable bed extensions made. But a great neighbor helped me fix my broken Heston 6650 instead. How wide is the head? 12 cut would likely be 14 wide. 15 , likely 17 . Get wide enough , you ll need overwidth permits to be legal, wider yet, you ll probably need lead and chase vehicle to be legal. Crossing state lines can Further complicate things.

flying belgian · Jul 24, 2019

Boy I don't know. I think as soon as you put it on that trailer it becomes a commercial swather, not a farm implement. Few years ago I hauled my own wet corn bin on my own Donahue trailer pulled with my own tractor. Got ticketed for about eight things one of which was over width. Told Judge its a farm implement. She said "not once you put it on a trailer" Said if I would have put wheels directly on tank I would have been ok. I said "but its a farm trailer" no license. Ended up getting a ticket for that too. I said "but its being pulled by a farm tractor" Then got a ticket for that too.(mirrors were not wide enough to see around my over-width load) At that point I stopped talking. Got out of there with a $300 fine.

moresmoke · Jul 25, 2019

All depends where you are. No problem here in ND. But not all places are as farm friendly.

casecollectorsc · Jul 25, 2019

Pulled a 18' pull type windrower home from north of Fargo down to Ortonville on the Minnesota side a couple weeks ago. Of course pulled it end-wise but still took up more than my lane. Was followed about 10 miles by a Deputy for awhile waiting for him to pull me over. Didn't have flags or lights and was raining lightly. Guess he didn't want to get wet as he passed and let me go. About a 250 mile trip that I don't want to do over.

showcrop · Jul 25, 2019

Nate, it sounds like your trailer is not currently road legal, so pulling it down the road would be inviting problems. I have towed two mowers and a baler in the neighbor hood of 200 miles interstate. I did the unthinkable: I called the state DOT and got an over-width permit. They told me to take the interstate. If you enjoy stress and drama take all the advice here. If you want an easy legal experience call your DOT. Just because your trailer is home built doesn't mean that it can't be legal and registered. I have had two homebuilt trailers.

jon f mn · Jul 25, 2019

I used to haul one all over Minnesota like that.

BarnyardEngineering · Jul 25, 2019

Depends on what this "transport trailer" is. Is it a specialized rig for moving swathers? I've seen specialized trailers meant to haul swathers down the road sideways. Those could be passed off as farm implements the same as the swather itself.

The thing here is you never know who you're going to encounter and how they're going to react on any given day. Most regular traffic police that you'd normally encounter are pretty oblivious to DOT issues. Unless you're speeding, running red lights, driving erratically, taking out pedestrians, etc., they could care less. Then again, you could get one with a Barney Fife complex or encounter an actual DOT officer.

Andy Martin · Jul 25, 2019

It depends 100% on what state or states you'll be in. In Oklahoma you can tow about anything with a farm tag on the truck so long as it is farm related. No permits required.

Not so in other states so if you don't know your state rules you're guessing.

OliverNate · Jul 25, 2019

Would all be done in Minnesota. The trailer is made for hauling swathers. I think it's actually overwidth without anything on it. Single axle. You lay the ramps down and drive up on it backwards and there is a bar at the front of the trailer that when you push it with the rear tire on swather it pulls on a pair of chains that pull the ramps up. At the rear of the trailer is a trough that the drive tires sit in.

Transporting a swather

OliverNate

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SVcummins

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rockyridgefarm

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flying belgian

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moresmoke

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casecollectorsc

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showcrop

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jon f mn

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BarnyardEngineering

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Andy Martin

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OliverNate

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