Pull Behind Trailers -- Got any Pointers?

[rwilke]

Fellas;
I'm seriously thinking about buying a pull-behind trailer to use for yard work such as hauling firewood, stones and dirt.
I've been looking all Summer for a good used one, but haven't found one worth bringing home.
I'm about ready to simply purchase a new one, something like this:
http://www.agri-fab.com/dump45_0240.html
...around $220.

But then this baby looks WAY SWEET!:
http://www.agri-fab.com/atv45_0350.html
...but ~$500 + S&H, Ouch!

Most of what I've seen are constructed of sheet metal bottom & sides - which doesn't thrill me.
But I've been thinking if I was to build a plywood liner that I can slide inside of it, that may keep from tearing up the metal bottom & sides and extend it's usable life without repairs. Anyone with some ideas or suggestions?

Thanks in Advance!
Ryan W

 

[ewells]

check out harbor freight or northern tool they have a 4foot by 4 foot and a 4x8 that can be stored on end like a rollaway bed. I have a 4x8 made by nu-way now out of business but makes for easy storage but cub cadet 122 did bend one side rail when I loaded for trip home.

 

[mgonitzke]

Ed W.-

I think you're talking about the wrong kind of trailer.

Ryan-

I have had a 7 cu. ft. Agri-Fab for a couple years now. I got it used at an auction for $10. It's pretty beat up but it works. I find it interesting that that one in your first link has a 1200lb. capacity. I'm not sure what you could fit in there that weighs 1200 lbs. I fill mine full of stuff and it I haven't had any problems as far as tearing it up. The holes in the bottom where it bolts to the frame cracked and I had to weld them. A bigger problem is rust. I know mine has a few thin spots in it. It would be worth it to apply some sort of coating to protect the bed from rust. Truck spray-on bedliner would be nice but probably expensive. A wood liner could trap water and rust it out faster. If I ever get around to fixing mine up nice, I'll probably try to coat the inside with something more durable than normal paint. I'd also like to make side extensions to increase the capacity a bit. Make sure whatever cart you buy has greaseable bronze wheel bushings at the least, and bearings would be better. Avoid the ones with nylon wheel bushings, they won't last. And I prefer having a 1 7/8" ball on the cub and the appropriate hitch on the tongue of the trailer...won't wear out your drawbar and you're far less likely to lose the trailer than with a pin and no safety clip...BTDT.

I think that 2nd one is overkill.

 

[hcole]

Brinly makes some nice carts that aren't overly expensive.

 

[kide]

Ryan:
If you don't need to stay with IHC equipment, find a used J...n D...e Model 80 - I bought mine for my dad in 1969, it's still rolling. It has a perimeter pipe frame around the top that toughens it up, cast steel elbows for the tailgate pivots and a good axle/wheel setup. It's provided good enough service that I won't paint it yellow/cream - it deserves to keep it's green. I'm not sure what a heaped load of gravel weighs, but it's a load !

Hey - made noise up your way last Wednesday night - we made six runs - four of them all within a few tenths (8.50s-8.60s , all at 153 mph). This was on the driver/owners 66th birthday! There was a racer from Stanton with a beautiful Olds Cutlass, he only made one run - starter / ring gear puked..looked really fast. Also a berzerko nostalgia twin engine FED that looked to be about 50 years old. He was doin' half strip burnouts !

 

[mgonitzke]

Kendell-

Don't know about where you're from, but those JD carts go for more used at auction than you could buy a new agri-fab or similar for, around my area, at least.

 

[aschumacher]

I've got a unit I got at Sears, about $140. H.D. and Lowes has units made by same Co. but different tires so u cant really compare them(as usual). Some have wider tires than others. I moved 7yds of crushed stone in early June and things went fine. I'm using a 1/2" bolt for a hitch, as trailer only thing that gets towed.

 

[rwilke]

Ed W.,
I'll check out Harbor Freight. I did, however, already look at Northern Tool for their offerings. Thanks!

Matt G.,
You bet, if I could have located a used one like you did (even for $50/$75) I would have snagged it up quick! I just haven't been able to locate any such used carts around these parts. I want to haul some field stone, so I think I could get upwards of 1200# of cargo fairly easily.
As far as rusting between the wood liner and the bed, I agree that truck bed liner material may be kinda expensive, but it is tuff stuff.....Hmmm,,,,, I think a plywood liner could be kept dry underneath via indoor (dry) storage when not in use and that I could tip the liner out of the bed (I wouldn't fasten it in) if necessary. I can locate some scrap/used plywood easier & cheaper than purchasing bed liner material.
Thanks a bunch on the pointers regarding wheel bushing construction and hitch types - I'll keep those in mind... Thanks!

Yeah, the second cart is MUCH more $$$, but it would have excellent flotation when loaded heavy and I was trying to cross some soft/mushy yard or woodland areas. But you're probably correct - the $$ would likely be better used elsewhere...

Henri C.,
Hmmm,,,,, I'll have to check into any Brinly carts, I didn't think of them. Thanks!

Kendall I.,
I would prefer to stay away from Green equipment, but if I could locate an older,yet sturdy JD cart like you did for a reasonable price, I'd snag it up! Thanks! (I likely would have to sand & paint it black though

)

Was the Olds Cutlass silver color? If so, he is relation of the fella with the twin-engined Front Engine Dragster (FED). I know the owner/driver of the FED, he's a very personable fella and has run that '70 FED for many years now. He tours other tracks & parades exhibition-style with the FED around a ~500 mile radius. Yeah, his half-strip burnouts @ 100+mph have got to be a wild ride indeed!

Ryan W

 

[rwilke]

Allen S.,
You bring out a great point regarding wheels/tires: <font size="+1">SIZE DOES MATTER!</font>

If fact, I wish I knew someone who was willing & talented enough to build a decently-sized dump
cart nestled down between 14" car tires - yeah, the cargo bed would be a bit narrow
(since it wouldn't be ON TOP of the tires) but loading it would be easier and not get so tippy so quickly.
Ryan W

 

[aschumacher]

Ryan, dont know what fabrication equip you may have(if any), but if u need something heavy duty, how a scrap butt end of a small P/U truck? Kentuck could tell us if practical. A.
<font size="-2">it maybe too high to hitch to a Cub)</font>

 

[kweaver]

who wants a stinkin trailer !
I say "TRUCK IT"

I later made a trailer out of the bed, still got it loaded with drywall scrap since last summer. No where to put it

The "bed" was a sandblast cabinet at one time.

<font size="-2">I was stayin out of this until</font> ALLEN <font size="-2">drug me into it!</font>

 

[sgalante]

Ryan,

I have had one of these for about 10 years now.
Rubbermaid Dump Cart

The best price I have seen is here:

On-Line Store

When I bought mine they were about $200. I guess times have changed. The great thing is that they are built really strong. Nothing against the Brinly & the Agri-Fab, but those are similar in sidewall strength to a plastic wheelbarrow. These Rubbermaid carts are much heavier and thicker wall construction. They also have removable tailgates so you can drop the back of it, and drive away or just shovel the stuff out of there much easier. I have the 10 cubic foot one, and would have gotten the 15 if I had seen it. One thing is, it will NEVER rust. Not made for the road, but nothing will kill it. It even has a place to put 1 x 2 slats if you want to raise the sides. (I have seen them at Lowes & Home Depot before, don't know if they still handle them.) Hope that gives you another avenue. SteveG

 

[ccote]

I've been thinking about getting one of these:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200304327_200304327

Don't have any experience with it though...

My grandfather had a dump trailer made up. It has a body welded up out of thick aluminum sheet metal, with a similar shape to the one linked above. The frame is a simple T shape of iron pipe, and it has 15" car wheels. It's survived 30+ years of hard service. I'll see if I can get a picture of it.

 

[kide]

Matt G:
I bought one of the AgriFabs for my son last year.. I'm betting that when I'm done with the green one he'll get that - the red one will have been gone for years

Ryan:
Yep, silver - we really wanted to see him run more. The FED was scary to watch, skating all over the track. On the trailer, if you get one of the newer ones, the steel will probably be around 18 gauge - I'd at least have a liner for the floor, that you can take out to avoid moisture buildup. If you look at the trailer in my profile, that was built on an old two place cycle trailer, with the box made out of 3/16 galvanized sheets, skip cut with a plasma cutter, folded and then rewelded on the folds to make the box. I lost it at 65 MPH, saw it about ten feet off the ground after the tongue dug into the shoulder of the road. The box was OK, I had to put a new tongue on it....

 

[klindstedt]

I second Stephen's recommendation for the Rubbermaid cart. I have the 15 cu. ft. model and have abused the heck out of it. I've had it for six years and it still looks great and is holding up fine. I did have to put air in one of the tires this year though.

 

[lhinds]

I like to use my 4x8 tilt trailer that goes behind my Truck.I haul my 147 to where i am going to work with it, then put the trailer behind the 147. I have moved 1 ton of rock with the cub using the tilt trailer. Only problem is loading trailer to heavy in the rear and taking weight off tractor tires.
Luther

 

[kmcconaughey]

I used a homemade trailer for years I was rather abusive to it. Here's a typical load of firewood for it. Ten years ago when I jackhammered out my old concrete entry steps I hauled several loads with it heaped up with concrete and it handled that too! A couple years ago the bearings gave out and I decided it was time to get a new trailer, I opted for the 17cu.ft. Agri-Fab trailer. I couldn't be happier and I don't treat it any better then the old home made one.

 

[aschumacher]

Kraig, That Agri-Fab trailer you have is made by the same co that makes them for sears/HD/lowes. Looks exactly like mine. You have any problem getting it to go where u want it when backing up? Added about 15" to the hitch with a 2x4 so mine would respond better when backing.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Allen, no problems backing the trailer up, however my 125 has been modified with a longer drawbar due to the rear mount battery and weights so I can't say for sure. I think the modified drawbar's hitch point is about 15" or so behind the normal hitch point.

 

[rwilke]

Kraig,
It appears to me that your homemade trailer had smaller dia & narrower tires than your newer 17' Agri-Fab trailer does, correct?
Did you notice any pulling differences with the larger tires?
Ryan W