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Small livestock trailer - recommendations sought

 
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Mutton



Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 15 1:35 pm    Post subject: Small livestock trailer - recommendations sought Reply with quote
    

We are looking into buying a small livestock trailer. We want aluminium, road legal and light enough to go behind our quadbike.

It will be used across lumpy fields for moving sheep inside the small holding (as in getting the ram from field A, through field B and let loose in field C).

It will be used for picking up small hay bales from a few miles away

It will be used for abattoir runs and vet runs.

Seen this one for example - just as example of size and sort of thing - https://www.edwards-trailers.co.uk/pdfs/Price-List-Livestock.pdf - we are looking at the sheep and pig trailer on the second page.

So looking for recommendations/comments on:

Durability
Stability when towing across fields
Ease of letting down ramp and raising it
How easy all the catches are - as in taking the canopy off, latching the tail gate.
Road towing
How easy to clean
Weight - as in manouvering it with two people pushing to get it out a shed and onto the tow hitch

Bodger



Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 15 4:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

My advice would be don't go for brand new, they're obviously hellishly expensive, especially when they usually lie idle for most of the time.
I bought my 6x4 roll top trailer back in 1980 and its still going strong.
Check out E-Bay for livestock trailers and there's loads of them.
I also have an Ivor Williams 6x4 trailer with the wire mesh sides, its lighter than the roll top and with a few adaptions has proven to be very useful for moving stock between fields and short road journeys. That cost me £500 a few years ago and has loads of other uses too.

The answers to your list of questions has got to be brilliant and pretty easy.

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 15 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I've also got a 6x4 Ivor Williams, which, while bought new, technically belongs to my SIL, so it doesn't cost me a bean. Happy across fields, behind the tractor, quad or Land Rover, and just as good on the road. Easy to reverse. Ramp goes down easily, and sides come off. I've built, variously, a hut and a roof from timber to reassure people when I've used it for weaners, or 3 large pigs.

Only limit is that there are no gates on the ramp, so I use hurdles.

Carries a dozen bales exactly, without having to stack them.

Weight limit of, we reckon, about 600kg. Probably says so somewhere.

They certainly get 5 stars from me, and turn up at machinery sales every month.

Bodger



Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 15 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Here are the two that I've got. The ramp can't be seen on this picture because its down and I'd only got my slippers on and wasn't prepared to get muddy.














They've got some mileage on the clock but still very serviceable. You should be able to pick one up very reasonably, or better still borrow one.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45374
Location: yes
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 15 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

as a non trailer owner my only useful input is try before you buy and especially check that the catches/hinges all line up nicely,getting the beasts in and then having to wrestle the clasps is no fun and opening a stuck clasp that requires finding a hammer or whatever is almost as bad

ps a small side door is rather handy for access to a loaded beast to add a tag or whatever and for filling a trailer with chooks

Mutton



Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 15 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thank you all, very helpful.

(We used to borrow - the borrowee moved.......

Mutton



Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 15 8:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

And thank you especially to Bodger for going to take photos and upload them. Meant to say that and forgot.


Other than checking catches align, anything else to look for when buying a second hand trailer?

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 15 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Tyres and electrics would be obvious to look at and potentially expensive to fix.

Bodger



Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 15 11:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The best thing I did was to get rid of the old lighting system on mine and buy LED's for both of the trailers.

alison
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 15 12:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We have had brakes go a couple of times, and now park without the brake on, when stored.

Bodger



Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 15 12:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You don't need them by law and you tend not to have brakes on the smaller sized trailers. Our Ivor Williams horse trailer was a right pain for the brakes seizing on if you left it parked for any length of time and a sod to get free.

Lorrainelovesplants



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 15 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Please do check for any ID marks. Loads of stolen trailers around. Also, make sure everything is working. I'd avoid really old trailers.
NTTA website has loads of info on it.

gregotyn



Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area
PostPosted: Tue Jan 20, 15 2:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

If a 6x4 is what you want then the Ivor Williams I have is really good. Your best plan is to see your local agricultural dealer and see what he has got and talk to him-he usually has his ear to the ground and mine found me an IW 6x4 for £400, no vat, less than 2yo in perfect working order and a private sale, ie not his sale. Easy to tow and move by hand, with short sides, but could be converted to a stock box, it tows a dream, I tend to forget it is there.
The only advice I would give is that towing with a quad needs to be steady as rocking and rolling can tip not just the trailer.

Mutton



Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

PostPosted: Wed Jan 21, 15 9:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks folks

Yes, will look at trailer association stuff.

Thanks for warning. We already tow behind the quad bike - elderly flat trailer for moving hay bales across fields. Not suitable for conversion to stock box.

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