Every once in a while, a heavy piece of machinery leaves me in a bind. This includes cars and pickups. I recommend using a trailer to move dead vehicles. Sometimes circumstances don’t allow for a trailer. That’s why I’m going to talk about pulling a tractor.
There is nothing about this that is safe. This post is for educational purposes only. You’re responsible for anything that happens if you try this.
I had a friend help with the move. That’s him on the tractor. He’s in the riskiest position.
The tractor doesn’t run, so lifting the back blade was done with a jack and held in the up position with two come-alongs. The come-alongs could slip or snap and the cables could really tear up my buddy. Even if they don’t, the back blade would come crashing down and stop the tractor’s movement. This could cause the chain to snap and fly around in a destructive manner. The sudden stop might throw my friend off the tractor. All bad things.
The tractor could run into the pickup if braking isn’t coordinated as well.
The idea is to keep tension on the chain and drive at a constant speed. 5 miles per hour is the fastest I’m willing to go.
Be careful, especially when going up hill. The back blade counter-balances the weight in the front of the tractor, so it’s easy to lift the front wheels off the ground when towing.
How can I pull the tractor if I don’t have any helpers? Get a pipe and put the tow chain through it. Snug up the chain so that the pipe keeps a constant distance between the tractor and the pickup. There can be issues with this. For one thing, the front wheels may not track correctly and the tractor can wag around.
That’s it for now. Be safe out there!
–JS
wow…I would definitely invest in a tow strap…chain are way too dangerous as you so clearly describe in your blog. I use a tow strap for pulling all my vehicles (the mud and snow get deep in Wisconsin). Good Post, keep em coming!
Well its obvious this move wasn’t wife-approved. Good thing I didn’t witness this, I probably would have had a heart attack.
Damian has a point. Try to wrap chains if you use them. I’ve seen tow straps break and fly around as well.
Perhaps you should have asked a certain neighbor who has a car trailer if you could have borrowed it…just saying….
Doug, it was one of those, “We don’t need to move it for a month–oh wait, we have to move it now!” kind of things. *shrug* All part of the adventure.