Hauling a batwing on a trailer

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jkwilson

jkwilson

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My pasture mower has decided it needs more parts than it's worth, so I'm getting ready to buy a used 15' batwing. Looks like I'll be hauling it some distance from what I'm seeing on the market now, so I'm starting to think about how to secure one to a trailer.

I have a deck over that a mower will fit on, but how to load and secure? Back it on, drop it low, chain the frame down and chain the wings together? I'm kind of at a loss on what the best way to proceed is.
 
The only one I've ever hauled, we pinned the tongue to a hole in the loader forks and pushed it on. Things wanted to get in a bind backing it on hooked to the drawbar. It seemed to make sense to me that it shouldn't be hauled with the tongue supported by the jack, so we set it on a 6x6 and chained the life out of it. I put a couple of ratchet straps between the wings, but chains wouldn't be worse.
 
jkwilson":3md0ykyo said:
My pasture mower has decided it needs more parts than it's worth, so I'm getting ready to buy a used 15' batwing. Looks like I'll be hauling it some distance from what I'm seeing on the market now, so I'm starting to think about how to secure one to a trailer.

I have a deck over that a mower will fit on, but how to load and secure? Back it on, drop it low, chain the frame down and chain the wings together? I'm kind of at a loss on what the best way to proceed is.
Click to expand...


We had a case recently here of a guy lending his trailer to his neighbor to haul hay.
A round bale got loose and both guys nearly lost everything.
I can't help you on the best way to latch the batwing down.
Everyone has their mind right around here, no such thing as to well secured anymore.
 
Most of them have a provision to lock the wings up. You may see it necessary to chain them as well.

Once it's loaded I would remove all of the spacers on the cylinder and let the mower all the way down, place blocks under the skid shoes behind the tongue of the mower and let the weight rest on those, if the mower will not lower enough to sit on the deck on its own. I would not haul it on the tongue jack.

They are very top heavy and can be tippy, most of them have suspension as well that may cause bouncing.

BTW, if the opportunity comes that you want to pull it home, only do so if it has pneumatic tires.
 
I haul a 15' BH 2615 on a regular basis, most of the time it's still hooked to a Ford 7610 and I just back them onto the trailer, run a chain over/around the rear axle supports on the bush hog and another across the tongue while still hooked to the tractor. I keep a cable come-a-long between the wings as it's easier than fooling with the factory pins that supposedly keep the wings upright. I prefer to move them in the transport height position, as mine is more stable/easier to secure while resting on the 4 rear wheels than if you lower it down on the deck. Be mindful of your batwing wheels, as they usually stick out wider than your trailer but are generally 10' or so in the air and out of sight/mind.

I have hauled them before with no tractor attached, and use a huge block of wood (approximately 12"w by 8"t with some additional cribbing under the tongue so the pressure is off of the jack and chain accordingly. It's not rocket science.
 
cfpinz":udv0jhj6 said:
I haul a 15' BH 2615 on a regular basis, most of the time it's still hooked to a Ford 7610 and I just back them onto the trailer, run a chain over/around the rear axle supports on the bush hog and another across the tongue while still hooked to the tractor. I keep a cable come-a-long between the wings as it's easier than fooling with the factory pins that supposedly keep the wings upright. I prefer to move them in the transport height position, as mine is more stable/easier to secure while resting on the 4 rear wheels than if you lower it down on the deck. Be mindful of your batwing wheels, as they usually stick out wider than your trailer but are generally 10' or so in the air and out of sight/mind.

I have hauled them before with no tractor attached, and use a huge block of wood (approximately 12"w by 8"t with some additional cribbing under the tongue so the pressure is off of the jack and chain accordingly. It's not rocket science.
Click to expand...

just gotta make sure your block of wood is TX certified so you do not loose the farm.
 
Atimm693":14b4vvin said:
Most of them have a provision to lock the wings up.
Click to expand...

This is a little bit off topic, but someone might find it helpful. I've owned two batwing mowers, and both had steel straps with holes that you put on beside the hydraulic cylinders to secure the wings in the up position. I've cut a section out of the middle of the straps and welded several links of chain in place of it, with the overall length about 1/4" longer than the original. That gives some play, so they're much easier to put on, especially if you're alone.
 
M-5":vccvi0vw said:
A good fel can lift a 15' be no prob lem . Or use a fel to lift tongue and back it up on it. Strap it down and go . People do it every day and contrary to CB's mind they don't loose the farm.
Click to expand...

Contrary to what M5 thinks really doesn't matter all that really matters is what TDPS thinks.
They are cracking down over here that's for sure.
They are enforcing some DOT regulations never enforced before.
DPS will get your mind right.

https://www.dps.texas.gov/InternetForms ... CVE-13.pdf
 
greybeard":acjkyrjq said:
Looks like a car hauler bumper pull trailer but he's braver than I am with the 20'BW and looks like a 1/2ton pickup too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kMGkvJjw5c

I have no idea how he got this 16'BW in there or how he's gonna get it out.
Click to expand...

Thats how I haul our 15' BW. Its a low boy goosekneck trailer with sides just like that.

I put the ramps down and back it on there with a tractor. I use the draw bar and a chain though to take it off the hitch and set it down flat. I suck the wings together and all the way down to the sides with a good 3 or 4" ratchet strap. Then l chain and boomer the base deck down, and get after it.
 
Caustic Burno":1cozgrif said:
M-5":1cozgrif said:
A good fel can lift a 15' be no prob lem . Or use a fel to lift tongue and back it up on it. Strap it down and go . People do it every day and contrary to CB's mind they don't loose the farm.
Click to expand...

Contrary to what M5 thinks really doesn't matter all that really matters is what TDPS thinks.
They are cracking down over here that's for sure.
They are enforcing some DOT regulations never enforced before.
DPS will get your mind right.

https://www.dps.texas.gov/InternetForms ... CVE-13.pdf
Click to expand...

Indiana and Florida are a long ways from Texas , Everything in texas aint better just so you know.
 
M-5":cgazz4fq said:
A good fel can lift a 15' be no prob lem . Or use a fel to lift tongue and back it up on it. Strap it down and go . People do it every day and contrary to CB's mind they don't loose the farm.
Click to expand...

I can't imagine many loaders can lift a 15ft batwing. A Woods BW1800 weighs 5300lbs. My loader can barely lift half of that at the pins and by the time you got something long enough to keep the mower far enough away to lift you'd need one heck of a loader to pick one up. Even a BW180 is 4100lbs.

I was figuring I'd lift the tongue with the loader and back it up the trailer
 
UPDATE

I got one and got it home. Have put it to good use already.

Just to let you all know how I hauled it for future reference.

I didn't have a loader available to put it on the trailer, so I had to back it onto a deckover dovetail trailer. Parked the trailer in a dip to help with the angle. Raised the deck of the mower all the way up and backed up the ramps and dovetail as far as I could. Minor problem was that the ramps couldn't be moved with the mower on the trailer and they were set too narrow for the tractor rears. We had to use a couple of big oak planks to let the tractor go part way on the trailer so the mower was far enough on to have the jack on the deck. Took all the cylinder stops off and lowered the deck all the way. Chained it in place to keep it from running away while we unhitched, and then lowered the jack all the way down so the deck was sitting on the trailer floor front and rear. Chained it down and put a ratchet strap between the wings to hold them still. Reversed the process at home.
 
jkwilson":32ev80dz said:
UPDATE

I got one and got it home. Have put it to good use already.

Just to let you all know how I hauled it for future reference.

I didn't have a loader available to put it on the trailer, so I had to back it onto a deckover dovetail trailer. Parked the trailer in a dip to help with the angle. Raised the deck of the mower all the way up and backed up the ramps and dovetail as far as I could. Minor problem was that the ramps couldn't be moved with the mower on the trailer and they were set too narrow for the tractor rears. We had to use a couple of big oak planks to let the tractor go part way on the trailer so the mower was far enough on to have the jack on the deck. Took all the cylinder stops off and lowered the deck all the way. Chained it in place to keep it from running away while we unhitched, and then lowered the jack all the way down so the deck was sitting on the trailer floor front and rear. Chained it down and put a ratchet strap between the wings to hold them still. Reversed the process at home.
Click to expand...

Glad it worked out. Your probably better for not having to back up the ramps. Thats a lot of weight on some ramps and back axles, depending on the trailer.
 
However you get it on the trailer, secure it for front motion , ie, slamming on the brakes . Secure it for rear, and side to side motion . When you think you have it secured in every direction , put another chain or strap on. If you do that , you won't be sorry .
 
I have moved mine this way several times, always with a loader to put on/off, without a loader would be difficult. Tie it down good and they ride pretty good.


 

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