[Declan]

What maximum size of tipping trailer could my wee 35 cope with?

[henchard]

Depends what you want to use it for. On the road or just on your own land. 

When I was seriously farming back in the 70's we regularly used a Fergie 3.5 ton (from memory) tipping trailer on a MF35 but I'm sure we would use it to move much larger trailers around on the farm. You wouldn't want to use it on the road with a bigger one though because of the brakes.

If you can find a good example of one of those old MF trailers would be a good match.


J

[Odin]

"As I understand", the MF trailers were made Humberside way by a firm call Weeks. I have one that I re-bodied. It is on 5 stud Land Rover wheels with 7.60 tyres, so I rate it at two tonnes with these tyres. I use it on my 885 (45hp approx) and was carting conventional bales this time up to six high but still damaged a trailer tyre. Most of the work was up hill with one long decline, using low gear it coped but I would not like to have been heavier.
Obviously the Fergy 35 is an earlier tractor of mid 30s hp?  We used to cart up to 7 high in the 1970s with a 35 and 135, but that farm was flat and we punctured tyres.
Another limiting factor on small tractors is the tow bar, look at a few to see how badly worn they are.
Apparently one on my DBs has a 780 tow bar in good condition which is rare because they were all overloaded and damaged because the tractors would pull the load (as I was told by a DB expert).   

[Small Farmer]

As Henchard says it all depends.  On level tarmac with high pressure tyres you could pull 10t.  Across a soggy field with low ground pressure tyres 3t could be a real struggle.  Add a hill and it's skin off a rice pudding time.


Don't forget braking either.  Being pushed downhill by a trailer is very unfunny, and the weight on the towbar will reduce the weight on the steering wheels and controllability.