Hi guys, I'm looking at pulling my 2500# (would like to upgrade to 4000# some day) boat in and out of the garage (with a slight grade) and making a 90 degree turn in the driveway. Do you think a 19hp tractor would cut it? I'm also wondering if an automatic cvt or automatic hydrostatic transmission would be better. Any words of wisdom you might have is greatly appreciated!
I have a 17HP John Deere hydrostatic garden tractor (265) and it has no troubles towing my car hauler (1500#) empty on grass up hills. Hydrostatic is definitely the way to go.
ignorant wrote: a large garden tractor with wheel weights might work...
Wheel weights plus loaded tires. Meaning replace most of the air in the tires with liquid ballast. Rv antifreeze is good for that. Straight water will freeze in the winter.
failboat wrote:ignorant wrote: a large garden tractor with wheel weights might work...Wheel weights plus loaded tires. Meaning replace most of the air in the tires with liquid ballast. Rv antifreeze is good for that. Straight water will freeze in the winter.
Farm tractors have been using calcium ( salt water) in tires for years.
My grandfather is a retired lockeed employee and they have a private campground with on site storage. They use old tugs!
So your friend proposes taking the boat in the trailer, hitching it to his car/truck, going to the ramp.
Here's where it gets weird. He's going to park somewhere, disconnect the trailer, hitch to a magically appearing riding mower. Drive that to the ramp instead of the car. He's going to put the boat in the water. Drive the riding mower and trailer somewhere to park (maybe near the car he's already parked?), and go sailing.
Seriously, why not just use the car/truck he's hauling the trailer with to launch the boat, like every other person who tows a boat?
The boat is "dry sailed", that is, sitting on the trailer in a boat parking lot next to the water. The car parking lot is some distance away.
Smaller boats are walked down the ramp with a two wheeled dolly.
Dan
This is a boat yard or boat ramp facility that can't handle boats on trailers that are pulled by cars or trucks? Weird. Perhaps finding a better launching facility would be the best solution.
I'm having trouble imagining walking a 20' boat on a trailer up and down a ramp by hand, even with a trailer dolly.
But, if the ramp is shallow angled enough for that, It would be shallow enough for a riding mower or such. Kinda surprised the facility doesn't already have one.
Might want to consider modifying an old rotortiller or such into power dolly duty. Taller tires, more nimble, etc.
What about motorizing the existing dolly? Or even the wheel on the tongue lift of the trailer?
Keep the battery and motor smallish, and you could store them easily enough. A motorcycle starter motor, bit of chain and sprockets, and a motorcycle or lawnmower battery.
First off, check the dates on what you are reading guys! (thread is from two years ago with a new question at the top of page 2)
Goxc, if your not messing with hills or flat tires I dont see any problem. I moved a car around with my hydrostatic JD tractor. (over 3k lbs)
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My brother has one of these to move his airplane in and out of his hangar. I am certain that something similar will move a boat.
I have a solution.. The Kansas Sailing association has a similar setup to what you are describing yards from the shore of Clinton Lake in Lawrence KS..
So...
I have one of these.. 
And there is no problem at all..
With a set of these..
But in all seriousness.. Before the beach wheels .. Really wanted to leave Cub cadet 149 out at the lake. A nice hitch on the old cub would have done the job very nicely. I have pulled 3000+ pounds of trailer around the house with ease with the old beast... and it would have kept me from having to either install a hitch on the GLHS or drive the dang van to the lake everytime.. Heck.. once the mower was out there I could ride the bike to the lake.
I have an old Uhaul mid tine tiller I plan to convert to a little tug.. I just haven't got around to it yet. It has a nice two speed gearbox with reverse.. I just need to find a simple way to gear it down so I can install larger diameter heavier tires.. Really the mid tine would work AWESOME.. it is just replacing the tines with tires means a pretty fast ground travel anyway... Then the desire to add taller tires to aid in traction and easy extra weight.. well it compounds things just a bit..
I'll have to remember to post some pictures.. That project is getting done this summer.
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