I'm in the market for a trailer to haul a side by side, mower and 43hp Kubota tractor with a 6' mower.

Not all at the same time. But I want something that can comfortably carry it.

I drive a half ton pickup. I doubt I will need to carry the tractor more than to the dealership to get serviced which isn't far.

Any particular brand or features that would be wise to look for?

I have a Big Tex tandem axle that I love. Kinda pricey, but worth it IMO.

Pipetop if you can afford it for extra strength. Double the amount of tie down points you think you need. Bulldog hitch coupler for easy and sure hookup.

What should I expect to pay for a good quality trailer

Spend a few dollars on as good a locking system as you can stand. Either on the hitch or the wheels or both

nactownag said:

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What should I expect to pay for a good quality trailer

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$2K to $2.5K should be enough for a pipe tandem axle.

Edit - Looks like they went up in price since I got mine a couple of years ago. More like $3 - 3.5K. If I did not need mine, I would sale it and probably at least break even.

Sounds a little low for a pipe top but I haven't priced one in a while.

Check out Texas Bragg trailers. Custom built in Texas. Built like tanks. I've been very happy with mine.

We haul 80 hp cabbed tractors with a half ton GMC. Get a gooseneck hitch put in and it will solve a lot of issues.

I have a Top Hat car hauler 20' that grosses at 14k. It's a well built trailer that pulls great behind my F150, I believe I paid $4200 for it 2 years ago. I like the car hauler style because of easy access to anywhere on the trailer, and you can move objects easily from the sides. It's built stout enough with a 14k gross I'm not worried about overloading it either.

PJ. Tandem axle with quality 14 ply trailer tires-including the spare.

Big Tex!

I have an 18' pj tandem that's been great. I like that the rails can come off all the way around if you want to haul something larger than the 83" wide bed. It's also great if you're picking something up on pallets for easy loading and unloading.

I've used it for utility tractors, mowers, pallets, etc. I've also hauled a muscle car 800 miles with it and it was great.

The price has gone up in the last year due to the steel embargo.

From my experience, the top 3 trailer manufacturers in my opinion for overall quality would be:

PJ Trailers
Lamar
Load Trail/LoadMax

I've looked a lot at these and others through the years to get ideas for my students' Ag Mechanics projects, and they seem to be better built and pay attention to the little details.

As others have mentioned, definitely get tubing top rail. You can go with pipe, but I prefer building ours with square tubing. Square tubing will allow you to place materials on the top rails with forks if need be. Also, look at materials and thickness for frame, tongue, and crossmembers. The better quality trailers are made of channel with a channel, wraparound tongue. The last thing would be making sure that it is powder coated. A lot of manufacturers do powder coating now, but there are some cheaper ones that still do wet paint.

If you could wait a little bit for your trailer,and depending on your location, you may consider talking to your local Ag program about building it for you. While they may not be able to build it cheaper, they typically can customize it to what you want.

yaterag said:

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I like that the rails can come off all the way around if you want to haul something larger than the 83" wide bed. It's also great if you're picking something up on pallets for easy loading and unloading.

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I agree. The first time I saw a guy with a trailer like that, I slapped my forehead and said "why didn't I think of that".

I researched a lot of trailers for my mule. Ended up with a ranch king made in beeville or bellville. I had to have tandem axle 3500# with brakes I tow it about 1200 miles round trip. I have a 14' I paid less than 2500. I love this trailer.

Devil's advocate here... op will want a lighter, tubing frame top trailer with 3500# tandem axles (depending on load weight needed) and electric brakes on one axle. Any bigger than that, and the trailer may start driving his 1/2 ton truck. While 14 ply tires are great, they also bounce a LOT when lightly loaded. If you can, drive the C/ 6 ply until you have problems and replace with E's.

If you can get away with a 16', that's the cheapest. If you are gentle with it and not abuse it, a cheaper trailer isn't bad. No need to spring for a big tex or a southwest gooseneck here IMO, but if you think you're gonna rip the fenders off the 1st week, buy accordingly.

I would not suggest an angle top, as the torsional stability on those is crap. You may not even be able to detach the trailer with a load if the jack is offset mounted. Swing away or removable jack and a bulldog coupler are pretty much must-haves for frequent use.

Post the model of kubota tractor, and if it has a loader. That's going to drive your axle sizes and possibly tire selection.

L4330
And yes it has a loader

Not mine but looks like this

Says weight of tractor alone ranges from 3440-3860 lbs. http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/001/8/5/1853-kubota-l4330.html

My recommendation stands, pipe or tubing top, 2x3500#, probably load range C tires (E probably better, probably won't like 14ply ride). You will want to select trailer length based on getting a majority of the load weight on the tandem axles of the trailer, but slightly forward so that there is tongue weight pushing your drive axle of your truck down. NEVER load it where the tongue is lifting your truck up, get a longer trailer, or back something on instead of facing forward.

I would get an 83" wide trailer, especially if you've got doors on a UTV. And get a spare that bolts on, forgot that.

I previously had an L-frame Kubota with front-end loader, and an 18 ft pipe top utility trailer. I liked the 18 foot length, as it was could hold the tractor with a shredder hitched up with 2 or 3 feet of overhang off the rear. If you don't have a shredder, 16 feet should work fine. If it were me, I'd do 18 or 20 feet pipe-top with dual 3500# axles. Very little downside to the additional 2-4 feet.

I have 2 ranch kings. 16' car hauler and 10' utility. Built by ameritrail in Bellville. Give em a call they'll build whatever you want. Bought last one 4-5 years ago. Shopped around and felt they were the best built for the money. In my opinion you'll want bulldog hitch if you go bumper pull and not goose neck, drop leg jack and brakes.

+ 1
Pipe
83" wide
18' long (if can afford)
You can always add more tie-downs. 4-6" c-channel cut and welded where you need them.

Keep in mind a big heavy pipetop trailer adds a lot of its own weight to the towing equation.

I have a tractor with loader of similar size and weight. I pull it on a 16 foot angle rail tandem axle trailer with a normal bumper hitch with no e-brakes and two 3500lb axles. I bought it at a local Houston/Austin manufacturer that called itself "The trailer man". It's technically a "4500" lb trailer that weighs in at ~1500 empty and has a 3000lb capacity, but it'll handle a 4000lb load with no issues IF you center it properly and use a tow vehicle with adequate brakes. I've towed my Ford 1600 with loader and shredder on it dozens of times. I did weld on two 3000lb side mount rotating jack stands on the rear corners to stabilize it for loading. Highly recommend doing this for any trailer as it has the added bonus of making free standing tire changes possible, or other axle maintenance as you can use the front and rear jacks to completely elevate the trailer several inches. I can load the tractor with those whether or not it is hitched to a tow vehicle.

I have also squeezed my Honda Fit onto it once after I first bought it, and hauled a couple of tons of rock with it a couple of times.

Keep in mind that the compact tractor/loader/attachment combo takes up the entire length of a 16 foot trailer and then some. in my case the loader bucket is resting on the front rail and the shredder tail wheel sticks out a foot or so over the rear. 18 feet might be a smidge more practical.

Using a lighter trailer has made it easier to tow, and kept the full load well within the manageable range for a half ton truck, and lightly loaded can haul it with light trucks too, like my Nissan.

I have had zero problems with bending or load damage because I don't abuse my equipment and understand how to center a load.

You basically have the exact same requirements for a trailer that I do. My 16' hauls my JD 45HP with a loader and shredder without a problem. The shredder does hang off the back about 4' but it is not a problem. My trailer is an LB Trailer, 7000 lbs, with a bulldog hitch and pipe top rail. I bought it years ago used for under $1000. It is still in great condition although I did replace the wood on it a couple of years ago. I pull it with my F250 and have never had a braking issue with it and it does not have a braking system. Might be an issue with a half-ton and a heavy load. I would check to see what your truck is rated to haul before you invest the extra in a braking system. You can save yourself a lot of money buying used off of craigslist, etc.

I probably let friends use my trailer more than I actually use.

Yeah, I think a lighter tandem 3500lb axle pipe top at 16-18 feet will be fine. I will say I went angle top at the time I bought mine because it was cheaper and good enough, and it has held up just fine, but a light pipetop wouldn't weigh much more but would be a bit more durable.

Is it recommended to get the ramps that are stored under the trailer rather than the folding back or other ramps?

I've been seeing different types of ramps. The trailers I had growing up had the ramps that are stored under the trailer

nactownag said:

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Is it recommended to get the ramps that are stored under the trailer rather than the folding back or other ramps?

I've been seeing different types of ramps. The trailers I had growing up had the ramps that are stored under the trailer

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I like mine that are stored under the trailer since most of the time I am hauling other stuff and do not have mess with them.

nactownag said:

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Is it recommended to get the ramps that are stored under the trailer rather than the folding back or other ramps?

I've been seeing different types of ramps. The trailers I had growing up had the ramps that are stored under the trailer

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the folding ramp with expanded metal is good for your mower and utv, but for the tractor i would get the ramps that store under the trailer.

my experience with the expanded metal rear ramp is anything heavier like a tractor will bow and eventually break the expanded metal.