Backing a hay wagon

[Lt.Mike]

I’ve always considered myself pretty good at backing down a trailer, large or small, most any vehicle but backing a hay wagon is proving to be a whole nuther game.
The tongue swings on the drawbar and the front axle turns the front wheels.
Right now I avoid getting into a position I can’t pull forward from but I know that day will come when I’ll have no choice but to back it out.
Anyone have any simple tips to back one of these?

[tst]

practice

[Bill Hudson]

practice

You betcha! A very flexible neck for looking over your shoulder is very helpful. Learning to back a wagon is like learning to ride a bicycle, once you have learned it becomes reflex action.

Bill

[ScottyD'sdad]

A front mounted hitch, on the tractor, like Barnyard sells for cubs, makes it easier on the neck.

Ed

[Lt.Mike]

practice

You betcha! A very flexible neck for looking over your shoulder is very helpful. Learning to back a wagon is like learning to ride a bicycle, once you have learned it becomes reflex action.

Bill

I can back a trailer with my eyes closed but this wagon doesn’t react anywhere near the same.
Honestly I don’t know where to start on it.
I guess I’ve got to get to a wide open area to see how it reacts to steering.

[MiCarl]

This is a skill I have in small quantity. I'm also proficient with trailers.

What I find helps me is to imagine the wagon as two trailers - front axle and rear axle. I think about what the front wagon axle needs to do to back the rest of the wagon (the trailer). Since backing the first trailer (front axle) is pretty much an automatic skill I can focus on the rear of the wagon.

Still pretty easy to make a knot of it though.

It helps to practice on a tractor with power steering. Easy to lose track of things when you have to turn to get both hands on the steering wheel to fight it around.

[Jim Becker]

I'm not that great at it either. But here are the three things that I find key to it:
1) The tractor needs to be an extension of your arms. You need to be able to back the bare tractor without thinking about it.
2) You need to know how to move the wagon tongue to push it by hand it into any place you want.
3) Never let your eyes off the tongue while using the tractor to push the wagon back.

[Eugene]

Some of our tractors had a hitch mounted on the front end. Much easier to back a wagon when you are going forward.

[ajhbike]

I worked at a boat yard as a teen and had to learn as part of the job was moving hundreds of trailers. New F150 has the enhanced back up system which also helps. That being said I usually use the TO35 around the house with a front mount ball...super easy.

[Gary Dotson]

Like many of you, I’ve done a good bit of trailer backing but a wagon is a whole other animal. Practice and more practice. Start with the rig as straight as you can and try not to let it get away from you, if it does, you start over. I have a friend who is amazing at wagon backing, he’s won several contests.

[Ike]

You have to swing the wagon tongue in the same direction that you want the tail of the wagon to go. The opposite of a trailer.

[cubbrian]

Backing becomes even more difficult if the tie rods and tongue of the wagon are wore out.

[dgrapes59]

I've had very little experience backing that type of trailer, but one thing I have learned about backing up any trailer is....
If someone is watching I have all kinds of trouble if I'm by myself, I could probably maneuver through an obstacle course

With some practice, I'm sure you will figure it out, good luck,

[T-Mo]

I worked at a boat yard as a teen and had to learn as part of the job was moving hundreds of trailers. New F150 has the enhanced back up system which also helps. That being said I usually use the TO35 around the house with a front mount ball...super easy.

Nice looking Fergie. Maybe post about it with pictures in the proper section. I love those old Fergusons.

[outdoors4evr]

Point your front tires the direction you want the wagon to go. Make large radius turns (don't crank steering wheel far at first).