[BryanThompson]

If all goes well I just purchased a used L3400 HST with loader for $13k. The thing only has 70 hours on it!! I thought it was a good deal.

Now I need to find a trailer to haul it home. Can someone please tell me what size trailer I will need? How long is the tractor with the loader? I plan on getting a 60" rotary mower for the back so I need a trailer that will haul it all.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bryan

 

[dlwalters3]

Bryan,

I have a B3300SU which is about 7 inches shorter than your L3400, but the tractor and loader with a box blade fits well inside of a 16 foot trailer even with the FEL on the floor. However, with a 60" rotary cutter on the back, the tail wheel and some of the cutter would probably hang off the back of the trailer if the FEL in down on the floor. I have seen some people haul the tractor with the loader down on top of the front rail but I don't like to do that. I would rather it be down flat on the floor of the trailer. I would think that a 20 foot or maybe even an 18 foot trailer would be more than big enough to get it all inside the trailer. Then again, I wouldn't worry too much about the tail wheel hanging off the back of a 16 foot trailer either. But that's just me. Either way, I think you would want at least a 16 foot double axle trailer.

Dan

 

[NEWT92]

Hey Byran :Welcome1:

I would go get a 20' and be done with it. The extra length will allow you to position the load where you need it to pull safe. Also, you have extra room for any other implements you may need to take. Think of it this way, trailers are like a garage, you always seem to run outta room.

 

[BryanThompson]

Thank you very much! Found a trailer today. 18' gooseneck 12,000 lb load. I am sure I will have alot more questions in the future since this is my first tractor.

Bryan

 

[Farmer Simon]

My goodness ! That's one heck of a trailer. In my language it's 5.4meters and carries 5.4ton. Wow. I'm just a little jealous. What are you going to pull it with ?
Post some pics when you can.

 

[BryanThompson]

Ok so I now have it all home! I attached some photos. The guy I bought the trailer from has told a few fish stories in his day. The best I figure it the axels are 3,500 lbs. each so it is a 7,000 lbs. limit. The tag on the trailer says 8,000.

 

[NEWT92]

Yep, 5 bolt wheels = 3500 each.. The plates are most likely rated for 8000. Thats how it is here

6 bolt wheels = 5200 or 6000lb axles.

 

[Farmer Simon]

That's an awesome trailer. Very well designed. I can't see the suspension but looks like it's run out of travel ??? I may be wrong on that. Otherwise it's really nice.
Also you may want to work on your tie down technique. Those are nice straps, you wouldn't want to damage them. I'm no expert in the field and I have to work out a way to hold my little tractor on the trailer as well.
I love your tractor and FEL. What a beast !

 

[BryanThompson]

I am looking for any input I can get on the tie down. I just can't seem to find a good way to do it. Any help here would be greatly appreciated. The strap going up to the top of the loander is just taking up slack so it does not flap in the wind.

 

[TUDOR]

Use transport 70 chain, the gold coloured ones. For my Masseys, I've welded 3/8" grab hooks on the top of the bucket and a pair are pinned to the hitch plate at the back. One 15'x 5/16"chain with grab hooks for each end and a binder for each chain. Technically, two binders should be used for each chain since each chain is hooked to the tractor at 2 secure locations on each end and is effectively now 2 separate chains, but it's an awful job trying to tighten the second binder.

The chain should hook to the trailer ahead of and behind the tractor so the tractor can't roll forward or back, and by using both hooks on each end of the tractor, you prevent side to side motion as well, once the chains are tensioned. That slider hook in the middle is a no-no for tying down for transport. The chain will slip through it and allow the tractor to slide sideways, hence the added grab hooks.

Web straps, heavy loads and sharp edges don't mix. Your tie down method should try to pull the tractor apart, not squeeze it together like the set up that you used to get it home.

 

[Farmer Simon]

Oh, yeah. I see it now. I can't really help you from this end mate. A few of my mates are general freight truck drivers and another mate owns a tow truck.
If you can talk to one of your local, more well respected tow truck, or better still tilt tray owners, I'd say they would have some valuable advice.
Just to make this reply a little more confusing I'll try to explain how a tilt tray truck might strap down the load. Basically they use one strap per wheel. The strap pulls each wheel directly sideways toward the closest side. Not diagonal in any direction, not sideways to the opposite side. There is also one more trick and that is they create a loop in the strap before putting it over the tyre. There are special straps to create these loops and they are used only for this purpose. And that's it. Not rocket science really. Every wheel is secure. That's all you need to do and it works fine.
Hope this helps.

Edit.
I didn't see your reply there Bob. I'm a huge fan of chain, or what we call "rated" chain here in Australia. And I have to agree with Bobs' method as well. All good. Excellent advice.