Hauling baler home

[Hardnosecattleco]

Am curious pick some brains on here. Am going to buy a small square baler it's 3 hours away. Any input on how to go about getting it home? It's a awfully long ways to hook it up to the bumper and pull away. Anybody put them on deck over trailers? I'm not hiring someone to haul it home do that's not a option.

 

[Dsth]

I would use my gooseneck flatbed. do you have one available? should also fit on a car hauler which would be fairly cheap to rent.

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

Ya my buddy has one I was thinking about using just wasn't sure if it would fit. I really hate to pull it all the way home on the bumper

 

[jltrent]

Just saw one the other day loaded at the dealer. They had the right side of the baler axle on blocks hanging off the edge of the trailer. Get some 6x6 wood blocks and slide that puppy on. It took them just a few minutes and they were on their way. I am sure they unloaded that way also.

Like this except the one I saw was a NH.

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

Just saw one the other day loaded at the dealer. They had the right side of the baler axle on blocks hanging off the edge of the trailer. Get some 6x6 wood blocks and slide that puppy on. It took them just a few minutes and they were on their way. I am sure they unloaded that way also.

Like this except the one I saw was a NH.

That's what I was looking for! Thank you! Think the law would mess with me for it hanging over?

 

[SBMF 2015]

Think the law would mess with me for it hanging over?

Put your flashers on and hammer down. I hauled a 7shank M&W ripper 15' wide on a goose neck flat bed. 40 miles to home. As the dealer was loading it, they said "You know you can't do this right?" My response was "You didn't see anything" . Through two towns on a major highway. No problem.

 

[Stocker Steve]

What is the max legal trailer width in the midwest?

 

[SmokinM]

What is the max legal trailer width in the midwest?

Same as everywhere else, whatever the police you pass will let you get away with! To my knowledge 10' or maybe 10'6" is max "legal" width. Farm equipment most places get a pass as far as permits go however a lot has to do with presentation. If you have some flagging on it and a flashing light then drive like you have common sense then you can get away with a lot. Start running people off the road with no working lights cruising on 4 may pop tires and it's a whole different deal.

If you load it on a trailer strap it down good and make it look like you know what your doing and not a hazard on the road. Do the speed limit if you safely can a 3 mile backup draws a lot of attention. JMHO but I haul a lot of stuff a lot of miles and generally only get stopped for dead inspection stickers.

 

[simme]

I believe that 8'-6" is the max width before the load is considered a "wide load". On some smaller roads, the max is 8'. I recall that the paperwork that came with my cattle trailer indicated that its 102" axles may not be legal on some smaller roads. When you get into wide loads, the official requirements include wide load signs front and rear. We hired a guy to haul a dozer with a 10' blade. He agreed to haul it IF we agreed to pay any fines for the wide load. Traffic guys stopped and held the load until we went and purchased wide load signs. Permits may be required (revenue for the state). When you get to the 12' or so range, escorts might be required. I am guessing that you will be about 9 feet wide. Probably best to plead ignorance, haul during low traffic, stay off interstates and narrow bridges and away from weigh stations and take back roads and hope for the best.
Might want to use four chains instead of straps. My fear would be the tongue shifting side to side. Might want to screw some 2x6's to the trailer bed each side of the tongue to keep it from moving.
How you gonna get it on the trailer? If you back it on with a tractor, think about the rear of the baler being lower than the trailer. Rear may hit trailer before the tires get to the ramps. Low trailer and low hitch height would be best. May have to get creative on that. Once saw someone build a dirt ramp up to trailer height because of that. We will need pictures. Video even better. Good luck.

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

As far as getting the baler on the trailer I was gonna see what the guy has I'm buying the baler from and go from there use my resources. There's not a doubt in my mind I can't get it on the trailer just trying to figure out how to go about doing it

 

[SmokinM]

They make a 3 point deal that you can put the hitch to that is handy to back these type things on a trailer. You can raise and lower the tongue/back as you move up and down the ramps. As you approach the ramps lower the tongue to keep the back from hitting then level it as you go up. Vice versa as you break the beaver tail. Low gear is your friend. Use the terrain to level the trailer up nice. Low back high tongue is usually helpful if possible.
I have a hole in the forks for my skid loader and will use that sometimes like a draw bar to drive stuff up on there. You can do the same with a loader tractor. It is easier than trying to back on generally.

Interstates have wide lanes so traveling with stuff in the 10' wide range it is easy driving and you blend in to traffic but you have to be able to keep up with the flow. You get out there and poke along they will pull you. Go fast enough you spend some time in the passing lane they don't even look at you. Don't look like a hotshotter but don't look like the Clampetts either. JMO

 

[SmokinM]

Now that I think on it Simme may be right. 8'6" is legal width anything over 10'6" requires a permit IIRC. Again farm equipment that belongs to you being hauled to your farm hits a lot of loopholes in those rules. Make it look good and drive like you got sense and roll on.

 

[RDFF]

What is the max legal trailer width in the midwest?

102". Just because you haven't ever been stopped, doesn't mean you won't be stopped, OR that you won't be fined if you are stopped. When pulling it behind, you're "legal" as a piece of farm equipment. When it's loaded on a trailer, you're now hauling it "commercially"... big difference. Most jurisdictions don't have width limitations for farm equipment, but the legal limit without it being a "wide load" which requires "wide load permits" is 102".

I'd pull it. If the 3 hours bothers you, but 1 wouldn't, stop and get a bite to eat halfway home, and turn it into two 1 1/2 hour trips! I've never understood that... Remember that no matter where you are, it's still "home" to somebody, and THEY'D totally be pulling that load behind their pickup to go "just a half hour or so"... Do it safe, put some good markings on it, maybe a couple of flashing lights, and you'll be fine.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Interstates have wide lanes so traveling with stuff in the 10' wide range it is easy driving and you blend in to traffic but you have to be able to keep up with the flow. You get out there and poke along they will pull you. Go fast enough you spend some time in the passing lane they don't even look at you. Don't look like a hotshotter but don't look like the Clampetts either. JMO

Neighbor pulled a 12' hay bine through city on I-94 during rush hour. Got pulled over by a trooper and chewed out. Then he was told to keep his speed up and not come back.

I have pulled some 13 to 15' wide implements down state highways. Bad part is hitting a construction zone lane shift with concrete barriers on both sides...

 

[kenny thomas]

In many places it matters less if your in the same state vs crossing state lines.
I can travel 75 air miles in VA without license plates on the truck or trailer. Just farm use. But I'm 5 miles from TN and 25 from KY and if I go to KY with a load I'm required license plates, CDL and DOT number. And yes they will stop you in KY.
But KY DOT stated in a meeting that if you lived in their state most rules didn't kick in until you get over 48,000 lb. He stated this in front of about 300 people in a cattle meeting.

 

[Johnnybar]

Loads exceeding 8.5 feet wide are considered oversize and require a state permit. Roll the dice and stay off common Highway Patrolled routes. I would tow after greasing the bearings...a 20-30 min job.

 

[callmefence]

As far as getting the baler on the trailer I was gonna see what the guy has I'm buying the baler from and go from there use my resources. There's not a doubt in my mind I can't get it on the trailer just trying to figure out how to go about doing it

If your so sure you can get it on and off the trailer, do that. Your gonna need a machine on both ends and a baler is pretty heavy and really awkward. I pull a jd 332 120 miles round trip from time to time. Not often. Just keep good tires on it grease in the bearings. Also have a receiver hitch welded on the flatbed about two feet to left of center for pulling it and haybines without taking down mailboxes.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

I pulled a NH 315 baler home. Interstate, secondary highway, country road, dirt road, all of the above. Took about three hours. I draped a large caution sign on the back, which I was told to do by the NH state police and took it slow. Since that point I have been told if you have farm plates on your truck you are gtg. Come to think of it I also pulled a manure spreader home a good three hours although that was a bit more narrow. Pulled a Kuhn 4020TH rake on a deck over and a 9 foot wide haywagon on a deckover from upsate NY. No issues. Like others have said, as long as you have your sh-t together and strapped down good and mark it,...let er rip. Good luck.

 

[Dave]

Talk to some equipment dealers in your area and find out how they do it. I have seen balers going down the interstate pulled behind pickups that had dealership paint jobs. I think they had a wide load sign and a light bar strapped to the baler.

 

[Silver]

I'm with Fence. Grease the bearings and tighten if needed, good tires, away you go. If you're going to haul it you'll want to find out what the distance is between the wheels.