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I don't have a tilt to try it on but wonder if trailers are balanced well enough to do this without drama? 42" on 5x8 trailer. Thx

Some of them tilt rather quickly giving you and the equipment a good jarring.

You have to be very careful.
Most tilt trailers are designed to dump rubbish at the tip, not load mowers so the angle is way too steep to drive a mower up onto without a ramp

I have a small 8' tilt in the middle trailer i used for a couple years with my mower business. Drama is an understatement. I don't care how slow you go when it tilts it goes very fast and ZTRs are more drama than tractor mowers. I installed a boat trailer winch to pull mowers up because driving them on was kinda dangerous. I still have it. You want it?

Hammermechanicman said:

I have a small 8' tilt in the middle trailer i used for a couple years with my mower business. Drama is an understatement. I don't care how slow you go when it tilts it goes very fast and ZTRs are more drama than tractor mowers. I installed a boat trailer winch to pull mowers up because driving them on was kinda dangerous. I still have it. You want it?

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No thanks. Sounds like all agree it's dramatic.

I inherited a 10 x 4 tilt trailer from one of my customers as it had become too small
It was custom built for a 2000 series Cub Cadet back in the 90's .
Because it was a MOWER trailer rather than a RUBBISH trailer it has a shock adsorber built into the end to slow down the movement
It works perfectly and drops even the heaviest mower gently as I drive on
However as I tow it behind a Mitsubishi L300 and not a 4 ton Dyna the trailer sits nose down so the loading end never gets close enough to drive anything on without ramps .
If I fit a gooseneck hitch tounge high enough for the back to come within 1" from the ground then I can no open the tailgate so scratch that idea
Now an off the shelf tilting trailer for a mower is $ 10,000
An off the shelf tilting trailer for rubbish is $ 6,000 and does not have the shockie because it is designed to be loaded when flat and tipped up suddenly when full so the contents falls out all by itself .
Thus when tipped back flat , it would be empty
So all of the cheapskates bitching about their trailer slamming up or down as just too cheap for their own good .

bertsmobile1 said:

So all of the cheapskates bitching about their trailer slamming up or down as just too cheap for their own good .

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Gotcha and thx for the detailed post. I didn't know there was a real difference as I was referring to the cheaper tilt versions. I knew I could do it but it's now clear I don't want that adventure several times a day.

The best set up I have seen & what I have always intended to do was a 3' high tailgate with 5 hinges & 2 hinge springs
The tailgate was made with expanded metal mesh over a 2" x 2" steel tube 2mm thick frame with a solid steel plate about 1' long added across the end .
Trailer tilts to about 30 deg and tailgate sits about 1/2 above the ground.
Between the front A frame for the tow ball they welded a plate with a short pillar on it onto which the air shock sits so the shock will clear the bottom edge of the trailer floor as it tilts the other end is mounted about 1/3 the height of the loading board .
Mine is similar but without the mounting pillar .
You can do a similar trick with a boat winch but in that case it won't drop while you are on it which makes it difficult to get off & of course you risk the mower rolling backwards over you as you get off
Mine is balanced such that my weight will cause the floor to drop once the mower is on but prevent it dropping if I am not there so the floor will not drop till the mower is all the way in .
I fitted a different shock that was longer ( longest made ) in the hope that the extra length would allow the floor to tilt further so it touched the ground but it was too strong and altered the balance so I had to get out of the seat then squeeze right up the front before it would drop & if the catch did not trip it would tip up again as I was getting off .
If you are going to do this full time a tilt trailer is well worth the extra $$$

My commercial customers who use standard trailers with tailgate loading ramps are forever busting their gauge wheels on the decks as they go from the floor to the ramp because all of them are too short so there is a very sharp corner ( hill ) at the hinge .

The other thing to consider is getting a trailer with a very wide axels & drop axels are even better as that lowers the floor height of the trailer.
The caveat with that is it limits the slope of driveways you can go up without bottoming the trailer.
A converted 2 or 3 horse float makes an ideal mower contractors trailer
They are covered , have a high roof with lots of space for long things above our head like pole saws & line trimmers & they come with a loading ramp suitable for ZTR's
Down side is they are heavy so need to be hauled by a truck .

If you are not terrified by spending money the "adventure caravans" also make good mower trailers with the added advantage of having a mobile lunch room up front & a dunny .
There are a lot of them that have a drop floor at the back designed to allow motorcycles to be loaded

HAHAHAHAHAAH ... Great post! 'Looking at a 5x8 no ramp tomorrow. Ramps are heavy when yer old.

I bought a nice 6x12 trailer with fold down ramp. Mounted a HF electric winch on the front. I am too old to be pushing dead mowers onto a trailer.

I have a Tractor Supply 5x8 light weight trailer with a high tailgate that is a ramp and I haul tractors all over with it with no problem. I've used it for the last 15 years and love it. It has the mesh type floor so I just put a 4x8 piece of 3/8 plywood in it and it works fine. Also had 2 pieces of angle iron welded from the tounge on a angle to the cross brace under the bed to give it more strength for hauling heavier mower etc. You can still move it around by hand if need be. Best investment for only about $800.00. I used to pull it with a 98 Saturn after I sold my pick up. Now use a Toyota Highlander.

Have a 6 1/2 by 10 foot tilt trailer and have no problems with it. Bought if for $650.00. Only Issue I have it is hard to get two mowers on it. Could use some short ramps for that. I hate the trailers with metal mesh floor and ramps as they sag over time and the welds break. Just my 2 cents worth.

hlw49 said:

Have a 6 1/2 by 10 foot tilt trailer and have no problems with it. Bought if for $650.00. Only Issue I have it is hard to get two mowers on it. Could use some short ramps for that. I hate the trailers with metal mesh floor and ramps as they sag over time and the welds break. Just my 2 cents worth.

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Tilt trailers are not good for loading equipment. Also, because the wheels are set so the trailer can tilt, they don’t pull as well as a regular trailer. I am not a tilt trailer fan. Get some decent ramps and load stuff safely and efficiently.

hlw49 said:

Have a 6 1/2 by 10 foot tilt trailer and have no problems with it. Bought if for $650.00. Only Issue I have it is hard to get two mowers on it. Could use some short ramps for that. I hate the trailers with metal mesh floor and ramps as they sag over time and the welds break. Just my 2 cents worth.

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Yes your right, the mesh sure does sag between the cross beams but that's why I put the 3/8 plywood in it so the weight is spread out evenly over the cross beams. I don't think I would try to put a skid of bricks on it though. lol. It's just a good light duty trailer,and I've got my moneys worth out of it for sure. I just keep it painted and check for cracks every now and then just to be safe.

I ended up buying a 5x8 from Tractor Supply after much research. Turns out Carry On has had some serious paint issues that several reviewers mentioned along with the saggy mesh deck. I drove out to Lowe's to check and the standard 5x8s were already rusted in the lot and the taller tailgates were laughingly flimsy. All had mesh decks. $1200.

Carry On also offers 5x8 "Next Gen" trailers with a nice powder coat finish, wood deck, and a shorter tailgate that seemed strong enough for my 500# Cub Cadet, and was no problem lifting. (I'm 81.) Turns out local TS had just received two of them with 12" wheels and the shorter gate. This model also has a lift handle on tongue and wiring is enclosed in plastic split loom and hard plastic tubes. Nice touches. $999.

Used ones, generally with no title, are asking 7-800 so a no brainer. Other good news: Spring has sprung here in coastal NC. Enough birds for a Hitchcock movie and lots of greening grass.

Tilt trailers can be handy, but loading without a ramp might be a bit tricky. I've loaded my ZRT onto a tilt trailer before. The 42" width should fit, but it depends on the trailer's angle when tilted. Take it slow and steady; if possible, get a spotter to guide you. Balancing is key – make sure the trailer isn't too tilted so you avoid drama. It might take a few tries, but once you nail it, you'll feel like a pro. Use trailers fro https://www.truckexporter.co.uk/; they're reliable. Good luck!

ZTR's can be a PIA to get onto trailers because they are a lot lower than a tractor style mower
My trailer is mesh floored, it was custom made for a 2000 series Cub
It is over 20 years old and the floor is perfect , including having the mesh welded in the right way to stop stuff sliding forward .
It was used for the Cub then modified slightly to take a Great Dane Chariot & I got it as a contra deal with a commercial customer when he got his new trailers made to take the Walkers and a lock up at the front for hand helds and push mowers that get "borrowed" by passers by when he is out of sight .
If you are going to use the tailgate as a ramp you will have to get a third hinge welded on if you want it to last more than 1 year
Off the shelf trailers usually create more problems than they are worth as they are built to be as light as possible ( which is why the floors bend )
I can not count the number of times I have been asked to repair one for my commercial customers , they are just not made to be used every day.

As for finish forget any type of paint pay the extra for Galvanizing
Having mowers driven in and out 20 times a day will scratch through the paint , water will get under it and start rusting
Also have a close look at the tailgate floor joint
If the hinge end of the tailgate sits higher than the floor then the deck will catch on it when driving off damaging both the deck & the tailgate .
IF a tiny market in the white pimple on the brown bum of the planet can have 12 different manufacturers of custom built mowing contractors trailers then surely the bastion of the free market would have over 1000 .
You have to treat trailers as what they are, a TOOL that you use to earn a living with .
You would not last long trying to use Walmart mowers to do your mowing so why use a Walmart trailer.
IT is going to MAKE you money so the more you pay for it the better and remember it is a tax deduction and for a business it should be sales tax free ( or at least reduced rate) so go for quality , durability & ease of use, even if that means taking your old trailer to the shop / factory complete wih mowers & gear then hooking up the new one and doing a "test load "
If the shop will not allow this then that speaks volumes for the quality of what they are trying to sell you .

I have two single axle lawn tractor trailers 10 ft long x 60 inches wide, one is tilt and the other has the drop tail gate.
I installed/welded Boat winches on both to load non-running tractors/mowers.
The tilt trailer is nice but you have to understand their limitations. (or you may get a surprise when you start to use such and find that you cannot load the eq and also the safety factor of the bed lowering and raising fast.)
If I'm going to load more than one lawn tractor I have to use a 2nd jack that I weld mounted to hold the bed from tilting down, strap the first one loaded at the front and may have to use the winch to load the second one.
Also if the mower tires are wet and the bed tilted to much of an angle I have to look for a low spot to load a running tractor if the tires spin or use the winch.
When going after non-running tractors I sometimes just throw a set of aluminum Folding ramps on the tilt bed trailer and use the winch.

If I'm using my expanded metal drop tailgate LAWN TRACTOR trailer I just hook up and go but I have weight limits on the drop tailgate gate.
If I need to load heavy type small tractor such as a Case 448 I have to use ramps over the drop tailgate or better yet just use my heavy eq 16 tandem axle trailer.
I also have to keep a heads up and caution by standers (or people that want to help/watch about the tilt bed dropping fast or raising up fast.