Tractor and timber trailer advice/help!

[mattplace]

Right, bear with me... I have an old IH574 68hp (when new!) tractor which is road legal - see pic below.

Our woodland is approx 750 yards away on the road and it's fairly quiet country lanes and flat terrain.

Also, when I buy in timber, the only artic access is about 1 mile away on a busy 'A' road.

 

What is the law with towing an agri / forestry trailer?

I have searched google and found an old website which said you could tow 4 times the weight of the tractor - tractor weighs 2.5t x4 = 10t. Is this true?

 

Could I tow an 'un-braked' 6t timber trailer (similar to the one pictured below) legally on the road or does it have to be braked? If so, how do the hydraulic brakes work as I'm sure this tractor isn't piped for it??

 

Finally, do agri trailers have to have a manufacturers data plate? I could buy the wheels and stub axles and build a similar trailer, but would it be road legal?

 

Thanks in advance!

[gensetsteve]

Right, bear with me... I have an old IH574 68hp (when new!) tractor which is road legal - see pic below.

Our woodland is approx 750 yards away on the road and it's fairly quiet country lanes and flat terrain.

Also, when I buy in timber, the only artic access is about 1 mile away on a busy 'A' road.

 

What is the law with towing an agri / forestry trailer?

I have searched google and found an old website which said you could tow 4 times the weight of the tractor - tractor weighs 2.5t x4 = 10t. Is this true?

 

Could I tow an 'un-braked' 6t timber trailer (similar to the one pictured below) legally on the road or does it have to be braked? If so, how do the hydraulic brakes work as I'm sure this tractor isn't piped for it??

 

Finally, do agri trailers have to have a manufacturers data plate? I could buy the wheels and stub axles and build a similar trailer, but would it be road legal?

 

Thanks in advance![ATTACH]97210[/ATTACH][ATTACH]97211[/ATTACH]

 

I did look into this a year or so ago and the only answers i came up with is if the trailer and load weigh more than 750kg you need brakes. I think you are right about the 4 times rule. I have a 2140 jd which I think is about 80 hp and an unbraked trailer which I can put 3 cu metres of soil in about 4 tonnes. I would not want to put more than that behind. Brakes are a good idea you may be able to use the hyd service to power the brakes by pulling gently by hand on the lever.

[openspaceman]

I did look into this a year or so ago and the only answers i came up with is if the trailer and load weigh more than 750kg you need brakes.

 

 

Yes that's how I see it.

 

If the tractor is pre 1986 I think you can still use separately controlled brakes, later than that and I think they need to be connected to the service break.

 

I used a spring loaded ram on the county trailer that applied the brakes if the coupling broke.

 

There is an exception for towing unbraked harvesting equipment, which was the argument I was going to use when traveling empty between sites.

 

Looking at the OPs trailer it's similar to my moheda and I think you could cut the front stub axles off and replace with a braked version coupled to a ram.

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Right, bear with me... I have an old IH574 68hp (when new!) tractor which is road legal - .

 

Is the machine road legal? Lights/Brakes/Wiper/Tax Disc/Insured for use on the public highway/Mirrors as original.

 

Seen some machines being checked here and people told now need a lap belt and SMV triangle.

 

You should also consider the total length of the towing vehicle and trailer.

[mattplace]

Thanks for the replies!

 

So it looks like i need brakes! It makes sense anyway! Its 1976 so i could use the 3rd service lever... so thats the brakes sorted.

[mattplace]

Is the machine road legal? Lights/Brakes/Wiper/Tax Disc/Insured for use on the public highway/Mirrors as original.

 

Seen some machines being checked here and people told now need a lap belt and SMV triangle.

 

You should also consider the total length of the towing vehicle and trailer.

 

It's not insured yet but will be soon and then I'll get my free tax disc. Lights/ wipers etc are good, and the original mirror is in the door pocket!! Lol

 

No lap belt or smv triangle though!

 

What is the max length of towing vehicle and trailer?

 

Do you know of any links stating the rules as I'm finding it very difficult to find anything on google?

 

Also, what's the score with home-made trailers? I see artic trailer conversions are popular with farmers and they wouldn't have any ID or data plate

[swinny]

Ya bugger, thats the model of tractor i want lol!!! ih 574

[agrimog]

you need to check on both the vosa website, and the road traffic act websites, the laws concerning what you can, and cant do with tractors and towing have so many loopholes and grey areas that theyre a nightmare, but as for lights, horn, wipers, there is NO test for agricultural machines, and plod CANNOT force you to comply with his made up ideas of the law, as for weights check the construction and use regs, i know with the mog its 29.4 tonne gtw so work it out from there

[openspaceman]

Ya bugger, thats the model of tractor i want lol!!! ih 574

 

I worked for an IH dealer in ~76 when they first came out with q cabs. The fitter then said the immersed disc brakes were paper lined, I never did see any stripped out but they were a b*****r if you had them on independent and tried to press them both instead of the centre pedal, straight to the floor.

[skyhuck]

you need to check on both the vosa website, and the road traffic act websites, the laws concerning what you can, and cant do with tractors and towing have so many loopholes and grey areas that theyre a nightmare, but as for lights, horn, wipers, there is NO test for agricultural machines, and plod CANNOT force you to comply with his made up ideas of the law, as for weights check the construction and use regs, i know with the mog its 29.4 tonne gtw so work it out from there

 

I'm pretty sure that although there tractors and agricultural machines are not subject to an MOT, they do need to comply with highway regulations, i.e. mudguards, brake lights, horns, etc.

 

Ag vehicles (including mogs, if registered Ag) cannot exceed 24KG GTW.