Wheel Horse mini farm wagon

[IthacaJeff 151]

Hi Folks:

For many years I have wanted to do this, and Covid gave me the chance. I had a spare frame with front axle and wanted to turn it into a wagon. Well, a total of 3 frames and 3 axles went into this, but it mostly served as a way to learn to weld. Bought a welder (Forney 140 Fci Easy Weld), practiced, then decided to dive in. I am a crummy welder, but as long as it holds I am fine. Two frames bolted and welded butt end to butt end, and there ya' have it. Had to purchase some steel plate, the rest of the metal is scavanged from WH tractors and an old spring tine harrow I had. The tongue is entirely from really old metal from the harrow -- perhaps 80 years old? The wood deck is obviously not yet on, that should be the rest of this week. In the background is a 1940/50s JD wagon, I believe to be a 963 or 953.

Edited August 10, 2021 by IthacaJeff

[IthacaJeff 151]

More pics.

[ebinmaine 66,943]

Excellent work!

 

I thought about doing this multiple times in the past. The only reason I haven't done it is because I would use it for wood and I like to have some of the weight of the trailer and its cargo on the hitch of the pulling vehicle.

 

Very nice work. 

[IthacaJeff 151]

More pics. BTW, cost nealry $300 thus far, not including welding supplies and grinding disks. Uggh. Grinding dust all over the place.

Frames/axles ~ $60 (from WH members)

Extra steel ~ $45 (local supply)

Wheels ~ $40 (not all WH, from WH member)

4 tires ~ $60 (Carlisle, Amazon)

Paint ~ $30 (Rustoleum and Majic rattle cans, primer, paint, and rust converter).

Hardware ~ $20

Tie rods ~35 (from a WH member, tried making my own. . .fail)

 

I have the 4 x 4 lumber for the deck support, will need to buy a couple more 2 x 6s.

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by IthacaJeff

[ebinmaine 66,943]

Should be quite useful in comparison to the cost. 

An excellent investment.  

[SylvanLakeWH 25,355]

Nicely done!!!

 

[953 nut 54,740]

               Well dine!                      Now the next obvious challenge is learning to back it up into a stall.         

[Alex175 784]

2 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Now the next obvious challenge is learning to back it up into a stall.

 

Challenge is the right word.  I will back up any fixed axle trailer you want, and place it right where it needs to go...give me a pivoting axle trailer like this though and ask me to back it up and I'll just ask why you hate me 

[ebinmaine 66,943]

5 hours ago, Alex175 said:

 

Challenge is the right word.  I will back up any fixed axle trailer you want, and place it right where it needs to go...give me a pivoting axle trailer like this though and ask me to back it up and I'll just ask why you hate me 

 

If I was going to park a little sucker like that I would put it in a "pull through only"  spot

 

[71_Bronco 1,072]

I have a Gorilla pull-behind cart / wagon (pictured below). Fantastic little trailer. Only issue is, the front wheels (closest to the handle) turn with the handle. I tried backing up with it on my tractor, and cursed up a storm. I'm normally pretty good with a trailer.

 

I was thinking about adding a pin to the front axle to "lock" the front wheels straight, allowing easier backing up. Wonder if you could do the same, add some kind of bracket and removable pin to make the front axle fixed. Just a thought.

 

[IthacaJeff 151]

I am well aware of the challenge of backing up a wagon! The JD in the background in pic 1 taught me that. I imagine only pull through parking.

 

Should have the flatbed on by the weekend. Pics to follow.

[edgro 677]

Dolly lock pin, truckers have that on the pup trailer of the wiggle wagons. Might be a Michigan thing

Edited August 12, 2021 by edgro

[kpinnc 11,756]

Add a second high mount to the tractor that lifts the front wheels off the ground, just for parking when empty. 

 

Regardless, that trailer is nice!

[IthacaJeff 151]

Got the flatbed on this weekend. Pulls nicely. Stake sides will need to wait until . . . .uggh, whenever.  Right now it is sitting in the garage with a dining table on top of it. . . my wife is using it as a platform to refinish the table.

 

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by IthacaJeff

[Pullstart 62,532]

So cool!  With 3 front axles, does it pivot or tip?  Did you limit the movement side to side somehow?

 

also, I’m guessing the rear tie rods are welded or bolted solid so the rear tires don’t steer?

[squonk 40,885]

I was going to do the same thing only 2 axle. Nice job! 

 

Simple solution to backing it into a spot. Mount a hitch to the front of the tractor and back the trailer in by driving the tractor forward. You see where you are going and can piviot the hitch where you want it. 

[Stormin 9,981]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

 Mount a hitch to the front of the tractor and back the trailer in by driving the tractor forward. You see where you are going and can pivot the hitch where you want it. 

 

As the Meercat said. SIMPLES!

[IthacaJeff 151]

A bit more info on the rear axles. They are fixed from steering using short fixed tie rods (see 2nd pic). I tried other methods, like connecting the steering arms all together, but there was too much slop. The axles also do not pivot, only the front steering axle pivots. The non-pivoting rear axles prevents the deck load from pitching side to side. Being able to pivot but with no real suspension there is too much floppiness.The pivot restraint was made by adding blocks under the existing axle bump stop pads.

Edited August 18, 2021 by IthacaJeff