Wagon

[Brly]

Gents,
I've decided on getting a wagon rather than a trailer. I have looked at the Kory Model 3000 running gear, the Country Manufacturing 2 Ton Wagon, EZ Trail, etc. I was very close to pulling the trigger on the Kory wagon, but don't really want to pay that much for a small wagon, plus shipping(yikes!), plus lumber, etc.
This is to pull behind my Super A, by the way.
I've been watching the local craigslist for anything that might come up. What appears to be an average size hay wagon running gear has just come up for sale near me. Great shape and comes with a spare set of wheels and tires, all for about half of what the new Kory would be. I'm going to ask for the dimensions, as I'm not too familiar with hay wagons, but I would probably only put a 4' x 8' bed on it.
Will this be a good wagon for a Super A? My concern is weight and getting the whole rig stopped. My house sits on top of a hill, so pretty much everywhere I go will be up or down hill. There is one spot in my gravel driveway that is quite steep. Will the tractor handle the weight of the wagon + a decent load? Mostly used for hauling brush, but would certainly see rock, dirt, firewood and all the usual stuff.
Thanks,
Ben

[Eugene]

Check the shaft from the front to the rear of the running gear. Most shafts are adjustable, meaning you can shorten or lengthen the wheel base. Virtually of the hay racks (wagons) when I was a kid were larger than 4' x 8'. The but here is that the rack was larger than the running gear, extending a foot or more wider on each side of the running gear.

For most tasks a Super A will handle the trailer and load. Big question is what is the load, weight of the material by volume, how many cubic feet, and how steep the slope. If in doubt, make two or more trips.

Edit. The shaft from front to rear of the running gear, we called it the reach.

[Brly]

Thanks for the info Eugene. The reach is adjustable so I would make it as short as it goes. I also understand the platform on a hay wagon is a deck over type. I would probably make the platform at least as wide as the tires. Hopefully thats no more than 6 feet wide, but I don't know. I've asked the seller what the width is outside the tires and what the axle to axle length is, as it's shown in the photo. Those dimensions should give me a pretty good idea of what I have to work with.
I'm the type to play things safe as far as overloading, so I'm not too worried. I just don't want to have a wagon so heavy that I can barely put a load on it.
Thanks again,
Ben

[Denny Clayton]

Will you be backing this wagon? A 4 wheel wagon is a bear to back. As small as you are talking, I would go with a 2 wheel trailer. Either way, your Super A will handle it as long as you have good brakes.

[Eugene]

Some of our earlier tractors had a bracket mounted to the front, bolster, to hitch 4 wheeled wagons. Much easier to guide a wagon when looking forward.

Our flair sided wagons had wheels out side the bottom portion of the bed.

Since you are planning on building a wagon bed, you can make it any suitable size or shape.

Two wheeled trailers are much easier to back up.

I have a home made two wheeled trailer that I used to haul gravel and to pick up rocks. The trailer will handle two ton or more of material. But, because of the steep hill, I use a WD Allis Chalmers when hauling that heavy of a load. For loads weighing less than 1000 lbs, including trailer, I use my standard Cub. Low gear and brakes when going down hill.

[Matt Kirsch]

Looks like you may have been looking at the "miniature" running gears.

The one you are looking at locally is probably a full size running gear, meaning a minimum of 6' wide, but more likely closer to 7' wide. Typical hay wagons back in the day were 7' to 8' wide, and 12' to 16' long.

Not sure what you mean by "a decent load" but two tons is going to push you around on the hills.

[Brly]

Yup, the miniature running gears are exactly what I was looking at. Easy to put a 4' x 8' bed on.
The full size running gear from craigslist measures a little over 6' wide (outside of tires) and a little over 8' axle to axle with the reach set a short as possible. I could make this work, but it's probably just too big for what I need.
It just bugs me to pay twice as much for something half the size and capacity.
The Kory Model 3000 is on sale right now through FleetFarm; $130 off regular. Shipping cost hurts though. I'll probably just suck it up and get what I want.
If backing it up is that big of a problem, I'll fix the drawbar mount so it only pivots at the wagon.
Thanks,
Ben

[Bill Hudson]

Ben,

Take a look at this thread http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=89105&hilit=wagon. From what you are describing this Pioneer wagon might be just the ticket, or you can opt for the 1 ton gear http://www.pioneerfarmequipment.com/1-ton_wagons.html. Don't worry, you can get the wagon with a tongue suitable for a tractor.

Bill

[Eugene]

Local farm auctions, ag equipment consignment auctions, Craigslist.

Trailers and wagons come up frequently. Often inexpensive.

Convert an old boat trailer.

[Jim Becker]

Here are a couple threads from about 3 years ago. You should read them as the comments are right on the track of what you are looking for.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=80464

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=80487

[Matt Kirsch]

If backing it up is that big of a problem, I'll fix the drawbar mount so it only pivots at the wagon.

Hmm, that'll only result in something getting bent or broke.

Backing up is definitely more involved than a simple trailer, but it can be done, and if you practice enough it gets easier. Knowing the mechanics of how it works and planning your moves ahead of time helps even more.

Initiating a turn is exactly backwards of a simple trailer. Starting with everything straight, if you want to swing the wagon right, you turn the steering wheel to the right. But, then you have to steer to the left to get the tractor back in line with the wagon tongue and limit how quickly you're turning, THEN turn back to the right to "follow" the wagon around the curve.

Even though I don't do it but once or twice a year, I can still back a loaded hay wagon into the shed and park it between two other wagons. For something the size you're talking about, you could even push it wherever it needed to go. I've pushed wagons loaded with 5 tons of hay by myself on level smooth ground.

[Brly]

Thanks a lot guys. I really appreciate the links and info on other wagons. Good reading.
As far as backing up a wagon, I'm not overly concerned and will avoid changing anything to make it easier. I'm sure I'll figure it out.
Guess I just have to make up my mind. My wife and I moved to our new house about a year ago and there's a lot of trimming and brush removal I want to do, but have been putting off until I had something to haul it with. Trying to save my pennies too..
Thanks again. I post if I pull the trigger on anything.
Ben

[Brly]

Well, I ended up getting this Saturday. It showed up on craigslist nearby, so I snagged it. I torn it down to the running gear Sunday and have started rebuilding the deck. It needed to be straightened up some and I'm going to make it just a bit narrower and about a foot shorter.
Needs a new tongue too.
When I'm done I figure it will be about $700 less than if I bought a new running gear.
If I remember, I'll post another picture when I'm done with it.
Ben