I’ve mentioned the tractor before.  It’s a Farmall C that I purchased in Oregon.

The pic above was taken in Oregon.  I bought the tractor last fall and the snow came too early for me to get it moved to the stead.

Spring has sprung and the snow is gone (mostly) from Sumpter, Oregon.  So, a friend and I rented a trailer.

The hope was that we could drive the tractor onto the trailer.  The new magneto I purchased for the tractor is slightly different than the original (more on that in a different post) and I need a part to make sure it stays on.  Needless to say, the tractor wasn’t going to start.

We jacked up the blade on the back of the tractor.  Then we pulled the tractor with a pickup.  I think we could have used an ATV.  Anyway, we got the tractor to the trailer and winched it up with a come-along and chains.

That’s snow in the background.  It wasn’t too cold, but I should have been wearing a jacket.

Some thing to think about before you think about attempting this…

You need a buddy.  This isn’t a one man job.

You need a pickup that can pull the trailer without bottoming out.  Yes, “bottom out” is a verb.

Your pickup needs to have enough brakes for the job.

Rental businesses may not let their trailers go out of town.

Check the tires, all of them before you drive away.

Ask for a spare.  It isn’t essential but it’s good backup.

Don’t drive fast!  The trailer can start swinging around.  That’s bad stuff.  60 was my top speed.

Make sure your load is balanced correctly.

Stop and put a hand on the trailer tires.  Stop after driving 15 minutes and check.  Do it often after that.  The balance on the trailer and other factors may heat a tire and wear it out quickly.

Leave plenty of time for loading and towing.  Think about taking a day off.

Lastly, be willing to be the person who helps out with a move like this.

Happy Living!

–JS