DOH. reminder that it's just a Lawn Mower

[Danno77]

yeah, seemed like a cool idea at the time. No harm no foul.

Loaded the trailer and hooked it to the mower. (Dang that hickory is heavy. I can't believe that my trailer is so grossly overloaded with that small amount of wood.) Drove nice and slow down the hill (street) in front of the house, so that I could get a straight shot up the hill behind the house. Probably could have done it if the mower was heavier. Did hear the belt squeal once when i got pissed and floored it. Who wants to take bets on how long it is before I replace that hydraulic transmission? I really left some torn up turf in the back yard. I eventually decided that the physics of the whole thing wouldn't work, and had to bring the trailer back around and hook it to the truck. as I pulled it off the mower hitch I realized that I loaded it pretty balanced. I wonder if I had some more weight toward the front if I could have done it. Could have saved myself some trouble if I had just done two smaller loads. I gotta remember to pick up a bar with a bigger drop, that's something like an 8" drop and it's still not enough for that little trailer.

 

[Corriewf]

Might help if the tire wasn't so low... I would think you could pull it. Then again, I have hauled half a cord of wood in a custom cruiser.....never mind any advice from me.

 

[Danno77]

Might help if the tire wasn't so low... I would think you could pull it. Then again, I have hauled half a cord of wood in a custom cruiser.....never mind any advice from me.

lol, no, that tire isn't low. it's just about to bust from the weight.

 

[Corriewf]

Might help if the tire wasn't so low... I would think you could pull it. Then again, I have hauled half a cord of wood in a custom cruiser.....never mind any advice from me.

lol, no, that tire isn't low. it's just about to bust from the weight.

Funny... My wife says the same thing about my belts lately. Anyway, it doesn't seem like that much wood on that trailer, but pics can be deceiving. What made you give up in the end?

 

[Danno77]

Might help if the tire wasn't so low... I would think you could pull it. Then again, I have hauled half a cord of wood in a custom cruiser.....never mind any advice from me.

lol, no, that tire isn't low. it's just about to bust from the weight.

Funny... My wife says the same thing about my belts lately. Anyway, it doesn't seem like that much wood on that trailer, but pics can be deceiving. What made you give up in the end?

It's not that much wood. that's the point. it's less than a third of a cord and it easily weighs over 1500lbs. I gave up because I couldn't get the wood to the stacks!

 

[Shari]

Your only problem is you have the wrong 'color' lawn mower.

Shari

 

[OhioBurner©]

Your only problem is you have the wrong 'color' lawn mower.
Shari

Hey I was going to say it! lol. I can't see what model greenie that is but I'm sure it could pull the weight. Is it a driveshaft tractor or a belt drive? You mentioned something about a belt squeeling so maybe its a belt drive - not really sure how much those can take.

I dont have any pics handy of my cub pulling it but I'll attach a picture of my trailer (6x10) with the cub on in. It weighs 1400# empty. I dont have any problems with it with a tossed-in load except if I use my 1000 which has an old (original?) clutch that will start slipping in second gear but no problem in first. My friends always say a cub can haul a lot more than it can stop! And dont tell her she's getting to be 35 years old now either!

 

[nate379]

Surprising enough the 10 year old belt on my 20hp CMan tractor is still alive and kicking. I have loaded it down hard enough to stall the motor out.

 

[nate379]

Surprising enough the 10 year old belt on my 20hp CMan tractor is still alive and kicking. I have loaded it down hard enough to stall the motor out. I have almost 500lbs of weight on it for winter (48" snowblower on front)... oh and that isn't counting 200lb me either.

Youur Dodge must sit low. I have a 10 or 12" drop on my Dodge to haul my car trailer... truck isn't lifted or anything either.

 

[gzecc]

yeah, seemed like a cool idea at the time. No harm no foul.

Loaded the trailer and hooked it to the mower. (Dang that hickory is heavy. I can't believe that my trailer is so grossly overloaded with that small amount of wood.) Drove nice and slow down the hill (street) in front of the house, so that I could get a straight shot up the hill behind the house. Probably could have done it if the mower was heavier. Did hear the belt squeal once when i got pissed and floored it. Who wants to take bets on how long it is before I replace that hydraulic transmission? I really left some torn up turf in the back yard. I eventually decided that the physics of the whole thing wouldn't work, and had to bring the trailer back around and hook it to the truck. as I pulled it off the mower hitch I realized that I loaded it pretty balanced. I wonder if I had some more weight toward the front if I could have done it. Could have saved myself some trouble if I had just done two smaller loads. I gotta remember to pick up a bar with a bigger drop, that's something like an 8" drop and it's still not enough for that little trailer.

Danno, Maybe its time to upgrade that deere. Which model is it. I know of a few models that would barely know it was being pulled!

 

[burntime]

Danno, danno, axle weight, blah blah blah, brakes, blah blah blah... And you gave me shiznitch on my ranger :lol: I have loaded my 12ft yard trailer like that. Sometimes you can't see the trees cause the wood is in the way :lol: Yep, thats a load for sure!

 

[albertj03]

What model John Deere is that? Does it have a differential lock? I think sticking as many suitcase weights as you can on the front (probably 4) and a diff lock may have made the difference. I've been amazed at what I can haul with my X500 without straining the transmission.

 

[burntime]

The best part of hauling a lot of wood with the tractor is that it is usually winter and there is a 200 pound snowblower on the front of the sovereign... Works great as a counter weight!

 

[Danno77]

I pulled that load with the Deere (LX188 btw) just fine when i was on flat ground or the street. When I got to the hill in the back yard I couldn't pull it up the hill. There just wasn't the traction there. I ripped the yard up. The fact that I made it back up the street in front of the house was proof that it wasn't necessarily the weight causing the problem, but the traction of the mower (rear slope in grass is same as front slope of street). Like I said, MAYBE loading that stuff forward on the trailer would have set some more of the weight over the mowers drive wheels.

I want a new (to me) Deere, but I can't afford anything that is better than this LX188, lol. I really think my next setup will be the lowest model Hyrdrostatic Deere mower, and a Vintage Garden Tractor of some sort for the grunt work. My dream Garden Tractor is something like a Deere 110 that has a blown engine so I can add one of those cheap Chinese diesel motors in it.

 

[northernontario]

In his retirement, my grandfather became an apple farmer. He used to carry trailer loads of apples from the lower orchard up to the main drive using a small Cub Cadet lawn tractor. Used it so much he wore out the engine and had to replace it. That thing could haul a lot of weight with no issue at all. When he died, that lawn mower was passed along to a friend, who still uses it!

Of course, he also used to drive a RWD '87 Nissan pickup with the v6 and a 5-speed. I remember that truck being LOADED full of apple crates, tables, and towing a camper trailer... back when grandpa used to work the local fairs selling apples. When he passed, the truck went to a cousin... and it immediately quit. We towed it home, fixed it, and my brother drove it for several years. He then passed it to me... I used it last year during our home reno's. It's had it's issues (I blew a rad hose... and have heard plenty of stories about the hydraulic clutch failing... and remember being a little boy in the truck just before we got back to the farm with a full bed and camper trailer, and grandpa is rev-matching to downshift to 2nd to make it up the hill to his place.

 

[Danno77]

The best part of hauling a lot of wood with the tractor is that it is usually winter and there is a 200 pound snowblower on the front of the sovereign... Works great as a counter weight!

that cab is freaking awesome. I'd take care of the snow in the entire town (just for fun) if I had that setup.

 

[burntime]

Thanks, yep, the snowblower was my favorite attachment until shortly after getting it. Then it became the snowcab! :lol: I snowblow in dress clothing and a lite jacket. It gets to the point where you need the toys to save time... Kinda like buying a splitter. Yes I split by hand 6 cord a year for 6 years...now I fire up the splitter and do it at my leisure.

 

[mayhem]

Call me crazy, but you're using your lawn mower to haul that much wood around and your pickup truck is just sitting there with an empty bed that could hold a 50% larger load. Why not just use the truck?

 

[Danno77]

Call me crazy, but you're using your lawn mower to haul that much wood around and your pickup truck is just sitting there with an empty bed that could hold a 50% larger load. Why not just use the truck?

Many reasons, one of them being that it didn't get stacked on that trailer all in one sitting and that truck is my Daily Driver. Another reason is that the 6 year old is all about helping stack wood now, and the trailer is much easier to reach.

 

[lukem]

I would think if you loaded the trailer a little more to the front those ag tires would give you plenty of traction.

The squealing belt is probably the one from your engine to the hydro pump. If the drive belt to the pump is begging for mercy, your pump probably is too. You'll cry when you see the cost of a replacement pump so go easy on it.

 

[Danno77]

I would think if you loaded the trailer a little more to the front those ag tires would give you plenty of traction.

The squealing belt is probably the one from your engine to the hydro pump. If the drive belt to the pump is begging for mercy, your pump probably is too. You'll cry when you see the cost of a replacement pump so go easy on it.

exactly what I was thinking on all points. The squealing only came once when I really gunned it, and then let off. I've already seen the replacement transmission prices. I could buy a new mower for the cost of that...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Danno, maybe it is time you break down and get an atv. Then you can haul wood like quads; even uphill. lol

 

[Danno77]

I agree that I need an ATV. I was thinking something in the line of a nice SxS -->fill the bed with gear, pull the loaded trailer. that would be fancy, but I certainly can't justify it (at this point in my life)

 

[Danno77]

Would I have to get a different saw if I got this:

 

[Shari]

Call me crazy, but you're using your lawn mower to haul that much wood around and your pickup truck is just sitting there with an empty bed that could hold a 50% larger load. Why not just use the truck?

Many reasons, one of them being that it didn't get stacked on that trailer all in one sitting and that truck is my Daily Driver. Another reason is that the 6 year old is all about helping stack wood now, and the trailer is much easier to reach.

Gotta train those 6 yrs. right!

Danno, if traction is your only problem and you have enough power, why not add some wheel weights to the JD? I keep wheel weights on my Craftsman year round - summer for hauling wood loads, winter (with chains) for plowing our driveway.

Shari