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Hazelton, Kansas |
WD:
I have a stretched twin-screw tractor with 22 foot box & hoist, and I FAR prefer my single axle tractor/single axle trailer combinations. The tractor trailers are old International DT-466 SA tractors with 22 foot Jets, so they are nothing special.
Reasons are:
1. The SA tractors with 22 foot trailers weigh about 17000 lbs total, while the stretched twin screw weighs about 22500. The tractor-trailers have quite a bit more legal capacity (probably 100 bu or so).
2. The tractor-trailers are much more maneuverable than the stretched twin screw.
3. If the stretched twin screw dies, my whole investment will be shot. If one of the SA tractors dies, I can just buy another used fleet SA tractor. I think it will be much cheaper.
4. Per comments by others, nothing is overloaded on the SA tractor-trailer combinations.
5. Initial cost of the SA tractor-trailer combinations was lower than the stretched twin screw-box-hoist.
6. The SA combinations have no problems with PTOs, pumps, hoists, push-pull control cables, or bed twist. (If it ain't there, it can't break.)
7. We dump most of our grain at local elevators, and if the pit is empty the SA trailers dump much faster than the bed and hoist.
The only real advantage I can think of for the bed-hoist is that it is a little easier to fill drills and air seeders out of it. But if I would spring for one of the air seeder hopper attachments, even that advantage would disappear.
I'd buy a trailer in a heartbeat...
MDS
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Putting Grain Boxes on old Highway Tractors
