Moving boat around with lawn tractor

[Cory]

Has anyone been successful in moving a 242 around with a lawn tractor?

I'm curious if that is even a possibility, I'm guessing the boat would be way to heavy.

 

[Mainah]

Given that the boat on the trailer weighs about 10 times more than the lawn tractor I think that is a bad accident waiting to happen but someone here built a small RC contraption that moved his boat soooo. More than anything be careful of the tongue weight and make sure you can stop. I do bet a large ATV could do it.

 

[Scuba_ref]

I'm pretty sure the tongue weight is way too much for a normal lawn tractor to handle. It might flip the tractor - I can pick up the front of my Cub Cadet XT2 but I can't pick up the tongue of my boat!

 

[haknslash]

Gonna be like

 

[CDENsomnia]

I move mine in and out of the garage using the 3 point hitch. Its incredibly useful and very stable given that its not a lot of tongue weight. I have a John Deere 1026R so clearly not your regular lawn tractor...but rather one on steroids.

 

[Julian]

If you try this....record it....just in case it goes wrong.....the money youd make on Youtube might cover medical expenses! LOL

 

[Dough]

Buddy's dad growing up moved a 25' Baja in and out of garage with a murry walmart special. It's do able. He did have to weld a brace on the back to attach a ball to.

 

[Bruce]

@CDENsomnia has a 3 point hitch so I bet he has something bigger than a lawn mower.

I owned a 4,000 pound Kubota B21 which is their smallest industrial backhoe. I used it to move the tractor without issue a few times but would not have done so on my hilly driveway.

I have debated adding a ball to my Kubota G1800 (16 HP diesel) lawn mower for moving the boat on near level ground but if the boat were to stop cooperating there is no way that the 750 pound lawn mower would stop it.

 

[Betik]

If you are not planing on doing this on a daily basis, you can borrow my parkit360.

 

[Cory]

I'm just thinking ahead, we may start keeping the boat on a vacant lot, that might be difficult to get my truck into as well, I don't actually anticipate using a lawn mower to do it.

 

[Betik]

If it is a 60x110 with a 10 feet alley you should be okay.
I used my truck to get our 240 in and out of our backyard (25x60). We have a 27 feet rolling gate and a 10 feet alley. I got a parkit360, so I can put in the side of the garage ( 90 degree turn).

Out of curiosity, if you are planing on living the boat on vacant lot, arent you worried about the sun ?

 

[maboat]

I've seen comments about tongue weight and brakes, which are valid concerns but possibly manageable in limited circumstances. HOWEVER....

I believe the bigger show-stopper is the TRANSMISSION. Most lawn tractors have 1 of two types. Either a V-belt/idler-pulley system which relies on friction of the v-belt, OR a Hydrastatic transmission that uses a fluid coupling. It's unlikely that ether would withstand the torque level needed to move a 6,000-lb object. I suspect the transmission/clutch is just going to slip and you wont move anything. IF it did move at all, it wouldn't go very far before breaking something in the transmission.

 

[eticket]

I've tried moving my 212X around my driveway with my Polaris 550 Sportsman, way too much tongue weight...bottomed out the suspension. I would not recommend it!

 

[YamahaForMe]

My father used to move his 21 ft Bayliner cabin cruiser around the drive way with a standard Sears lawn/garden tractor. I don't recall there being any issues; watched him do it many times. The driveway was flat. Based on his success, I decided to use my (slightly larger) lawn/garden tractor to move my (quite a bit smaller) 18ft Bayliner open bow out of my garage. Unfortunately, my driveway was not level. As the tractor started down the slope, the tongue lifted the rear wheels of the tractor off the ground. Oops, no more brakes. Luckily, the garage wall stopped my boat from pushing me all of the way down the driveway and into the street. This lesson only cost me a small scratch on my new boat and a pair of underwear.

Steve

 

[Bruce]

@YamahaForMe, don't feel bad. I once watched a diesel mechanic neighbor bring a small backhoe home from work. He parked his truck on an uphill slope in the culdesac then proceeded to back the tractor off of the trailer. Before the tractors wheels hit the ground the trucks rear tires came off of the ground. Truck, trailer backhoe and neighbor all rolled across the culdesac, over the curb, over the mailboxes and over a wooden fence that brought it to rest inches before hitting a house.

 

[zipper]

I move mine in and out of the garage using the 3 point hitch. Its incredibly useful and very stable given that its not a lot of tongue weight. I have a John Deere 1026R so clearly not your regular lawn tractor...but rather one on steroids.

Most "lawn tractors" mowers do not have 3 pt. hitches, you clearly have something a little bigger. I would not use my Polaris 800 ranger xp for that job, too heavy of a load. My Kubota m4900 farm tractor does not even know the boat is back there. Its more about stopping that starting. And they look good together, both orange.

 

[flyingnugget]

Where I come from this is what we call a " Hey Y'all...Watch this!" moment and its usually very entertaining. There are tears, laughter and a "Dang" comment somewhere afterwards.

Now grab a beer and enjoy.

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

This is my new tractor that I bought recently, decided to get my grading business in full swing and upgraded to a larger enclosed cab tractor. I think I can move just about any boat with this tractor.

 

[bumpy]

For easier maneuverability, it might be worth considering a front mounted receiver for your tow vehicle. It makes moving through obstacles (like huge oak trees!) very easy. The lot we store our boat on would be unusable without it.

 

[jcyamaharider]

I would not use my Polaris 800 ranger xp for that job, too heavy of a load.

Why not? I use mine all the time and it works great. Still have trailer brakes and I just use the lock out pin to back up. I even have to back up a grade. Now my rhino is nowhere near stock motor wise but I don't think it would have an issue either way.