Hauling small tractor on single axle trailer

I know its usually best to have the weight right over the axle or so I've heard. But where should I put it for the best ride and ease of hauling on a long distance trip? If I had the money I'd just buy a tandem axle trailer and solve all the problems.

About 60% of the weight should be on the tongue. I assume you have checked to see that the axle and tires will carry the weight of the tractor and trailer.

Too much weight on the tongue will make the front end of the truck light and it won't steer good. Too much weight behind the trailer axle will make the rear wheels of the truck too light and it won't have traction and will steer poorly. Both conditions are extremely unsafe.



KEH

I'd load it with more of the weight ahead of the axle, and thats assuming you have a good load bearing hitch set-up! The ball hitch might not keep the connection, especially if it is worn some. Too much weight behind the axle and you will get sway. A two axle trailer would be better, i think. Along with the anti-sway bars!

Thanks, its really more of a large garden tractor so I don't think its going to mess with the truck too much. Trailer likes to hop up and down on a rough or bumpy road and I want to minimize that if possible.

10 to 15 percent is more like it. You could say 60% in front of the trailer axle.
Depending on the weight of the tractor and the strength of the trailer and its hitch this may be very dangerous. If the trailer and tractor weigh in at more than 3500 lbs the trailer should have brakes.

its hard to give god info without knowing more, just exactly what tractor are you hauling, how much does the tractor weigh and what do you have for a trailer, ie how long is the bed, what kind of axle is under it, a rule of thumb is if it is larger than a large garden tractor [ around 20 hp and rubber band drive] you dont want it on a single axle trailer, its too hard to get the weight to sit right on the trailer, and if its wrong the trailer will whip side to side and may wreck your tractor, trailer and truck, if your going long distance and you have a full size pickup, your better off putting the tractor in the truck, if its something like a N series ford, [ yes a N will fit in a standard long bed pickup]

Mike: That term, "small tractor" leaves something missing for me. How small? A guy with a fleet of articulated's might think a 100hp tractor is small, whereas a guy with 30-40hp tractors might call a garden tractor small.

You need good tongue weight, probably 60% of weight forward of trailer axle and 40% to rear of axle. No matter how big or small the hauling rig or how big or small the tractor, you should have 50% more deck space than length of tractor. I've hauled many a tractor, large and small. It's always nice to be able to move the tractor forward or aft to balance the load. I've often done that once on the road, especially if it's a machine I'm not familiar with.

I know, I know, I know. I read Mike's reply down below and its a garden tractor, but your point is dead on. My biggest is a '70 4520 and my smallest a '40 something or other AC-B that I mow with. Although I do have a couple of Wheel Horses out in the barn that I start a couple of times a year because they're there. But to a fella with an articulated, everything I have combined into one heap of metal...is small, and maybe even smaller than that. Grin.

True story. Used to do some work for this guy that owns 6 or maybe 7 funeral homes, most pretty rural. The guy, real nice guy too has got a tractor collection like I've never seen. Could have a museum, not joking. We've talked a few times about tractors but I've never asked where...er, how he got them. Might've been some bartering going on, I don't know. So, at this one funeral home he sets out a Farmall M around Christmas every year, decorates it with wreaths and stuff, and its a sharp M to boot. Nice M. Anywhere else that might look out of place, but hey...are rural funeral homes and most folks around are farmers, so...I like it, and I suppose they don't mind either. I asked one time, "You keep them tractors way over there, miles away, so how do you get this one here? Drive or trailer it?" As it turns out one of the care takers there for odd jobs and stuff is a retired farmer, kind of a little guy, and he piped up, "No, I ride and steer while he pulls me here, and it wouldn't be so bad except he gets up to about 40 MPH, and it gets cold on that thing", and the owner, an old timer himself grinned and nodded along that he was tellin the truth. I am not joking. 40 MPH on a a N/F M freewheeling behind a hearse to a funeral home about 5 AM. Well, one screwup doing that and they were headed to the right place anyway. Talk about tempting fate. Real nice folks, and they don't bother with a trailer. Me, I drive or trailer. HaHaHaHa.

Mark

It should work, shouldn't it??? LOL.

Mike, you want to balance it on the axle with slightly more of the weight forward...tongue weight. Your hitch on your truck or car should be stamped with a "tongue weight" in addition to pulling weight. Your "tongue weight" might be 350 lbs, might be 500 lbs, might be more, I don't know. You don't want to exceed that, but you do want some tongue weight on the ball or pintle so that the trailer wants to stay on the ball or pintle, not lift off. And you aint gonna weigh it, so watch for the backend of your truck or car start to go down some, and you'll be puttin some weight on that tongue...but not too much.

Mark

Oh Heck Yea! Might have to let the air out of the tires so they don't drag the ground too bad!

You're spot on about 15% of the total loaded weight being a good target for tongue weight for a tag-along. I'm thinkin' they meant 60% of the tractor weight should be forward of the axle to try to achieve that.

A rule of thumb I go by is when the rear bumper on the pickup drops about 2 inches, it's balanced about right.

Many moons ago, I was pulling a livestock trailer half loaded with 220 pound hogs, and forgot to shut the center gate in the trailer to hold the hogs to the front. I was rolling down a gravel road at a good clip when all at once those hogs decided to all run to the back of the trailer. Let's just say it wasn't a pleasant experience.