# How to back 4 wheeled wagons



## TerryJ (Oct 4, 2004)

WIth fall upon us I need to back wagons into tight spots with the tractor. What are the tricks on steering I never got the hang of this one.


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## ericjeeper (Feb 25, 2006)

a hitch on the front of a tractor.Drill a hole in a loader bucket. whatever it takes.
Otherwise just go slow, you will need to make your moves at a slow and steady pace. Yes wagons can be difficult to back.


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## james dilley (Mar 21, 2004)

How often will you need to Back these units?? If Quite A bit and every year. Try checking with A local Truck driver have Him /Her show you.. Buy them Dinner for the leasons..


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

as Ericjeeper pointed out. wagon has to have tight steering gear. use the front of the tractor to push.


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## moopups (May 12, 2002)

Since you did not state if the wagon has a steering Axel or not I will assume that its a straight 2 axel bumper pull type.

First of all get as straight in front of the parking area as you can. Now imagine a birds eye view of a center line through both items. If you want the rear of the wagon to move to the left (all references are from the drivers seat), you must first turn the steering wheel the wrong way to move the rear of the tractor to the right, but you must soon steer to the other side of the center line as you follow the wagon back. 

Now you know as much as I do and I can back a wagon, the slower you go the easier it is.

If the wagon has a steering axel you have to control the steering axel as if it was the tractor, exactly the opposite as above and with more gentleness of motion.

If you do install a ball or coupler in the front of your tractor, there will probably be a need for some kind of a see able marker so you know where the wagon tongue is located. Front buckets are hard to see through!


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

It helps if you can hitch it on the front. Otherwise, you need to practice and take it slow. No other way to do it. If you're comfortable using the brakes to help you with your steering that can help but you need practice with that too. My big bale wagon that I also use as a fertilizer/sprayer tender is 28' long, to load it with water I have to back it about 150' down a driveway with a 1500 gallon tank on it so I can't see a thing. I can usually do it in one shot without having to pull ahead to straighten it out but I've been doing it all my life.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

Get a narrow front tractor with power steering. Old John Deeres are OK if you can get the hang of using that hand clutch while looking over your shoulder. (if it's all you have you get the hang of it quick)
Steer in the direction you want the wagon to go. 

I never could put anything in with the hitch on the front of the old Ford.

Wagons suck, and no a truck driver can't help you with a _wagon_ a trailer maybe.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Short wagons or ones with long hitchs are tough, really there's no substitute for practice on this. Use the longest wagon with the shortest hitch. Front hitch points do help...... alot. Some tips. start with the hitch and tractor in line, begin your turn and almost imediately start to return your tractor and hitch inline now the wagon is turning. Use the split brake to power your way over by locking the wheel on the short turning side if you must, but you want to get back in line fast. Once the turn is started you have to stop it turning before it jack knifes the hitch, and that timing is really the tricky part practice helps. Correct sooner rather than later!! You're pushing the wagon with the wagon hitch, it might help to think ahead, and where you'll have to position the hitch to either straighten or turn either direction you want to go. If that makes sense !!


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## WANR (Jan 29, 2005)

I made a hitch on the front of my skidloader it makes backing a wagon in so much easier.


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

moopups said:


> Since you did not state if the wagon has a steering Axel or not I will assume that its a straight 2 axel bumper pull type.



That would be a trailer.

A wagon is typically front steering axle, rear axle. Like a hay rack, or gravity wagon, or barge box.

Get a tractor with really short steering & power steering. Narrow fronts are good.

You need to 'chase' after the rear wheels. They are going to lead you. You need to be watching the hitch pole as much as where the rear wheels are going, and change your direction a _lot_ sooner than you think you need to. Any time the hitch pole goes past straight, there will be major & fast changes in the direction the wagon goes. The trick is to keep that hitch pole very close to straight out, only very small angle of turning.

Even so & with practice, getting backed up 1/2 way, and having to pull forward a little bit, back up again, is a pretty good go of it....

Sloppy steering on the wagon will make it much more difficult.


I have a bale basket on my baler (a 3 wheel wagon the bales fall into) and I back that up to the barn. So with the tractor I am backing up the baler, & the bale basket. Sort of like backing up a train, but with no tracks....

As well, at one coop where I take a pair of gravity boxes, I need to back up from the scale over the dump pit. It's not real far, but real hard to get those wagons to stay in a straight line backwards.

--->Paul


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

I can back two of them hooked together, but cant describe how to do it.... Just get some practice and think your way through it.... The best thing to do is to learn with them hooked to the back of the tractor... its not that hard if you take your time and have plenty of room... You start buy backing the steer axle away from where you want the wagon to go and then alow it to follow.....get good on one and you can move up to two.... We had a farm hand once who could back three of them around, but I never mastered that trick.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Easiest way is to pull them backwards and have someone steer therm by hand. Of course if it is a tight space that probably will not work.


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

The way to back a trailer is to put your hand on the bottom of the seterinwheel and move it the it to where the back end goes. Do this in small incerments.

To back a wagon Just put your hand on top of the stering wheel and turn the wheel the way you want the back to go. Do this in small increments.

On paper this is the way you do it. Keep either one almost straight with the tractor or truck and make samall moves this will stop jacknifing the rig. Try not to back them to the right of left verry much. If you must then do it to the left so that you can keep an eye on the trailer or wagon.


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

No amount of good instructions will help very much. Practice out in an open area. The best advice you got was the front end hookup. It makes the task unbelievably simpler.


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

uncle Will in In. said:


> The best advice you got was the front end hookup. It makes the task unbelievably simpler.


 I disagree... its a waste of time to to have to stop and unhook from it and turn the tractor around to back it in when you can just learn to back it in the right way. Its also asking for trouble when you have it loaded and unhook it from the tractor.... good way to have a runaway wagon and crush yourself or somebody else.


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## derekv (Jan 31, 2007)

i have tried to learn how to since i was 10. all i can tell you make sure its not very far! i can back them up decently but im straining to think of just how i do it lol, like its been said practice then practice some more.


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

explaining how to back up a wagon is like trying to explain how to have sex. Either you can figure it out, or you cant. Explainations are to complicated


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## sugarbush (Jul 15, 2007)

Sex is easier to explain.....you place appendage A.........


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## ColumbiaSC. (Nov 25, 2005)

Old Vet said:


> The way to back a trailer is to put your hand on the bottom of the seterinwheel and move it the it to where the back end goes. Do this in small incerments.
> 
> To back a wagon Just put your hand on top of the stering wheel and turn the wheel the way you want the back to go. Do this in small increments.
> 
> On paper this is the way you do it. Keep either one almost straight with the tractor or truck and make samall moves this will stop jacknifing the rig. Try not to back them to the right of left verry much. If you must then do it to the left so that you can keep an eye on the trailer or wagon.


I read your post before I posted,, you read my mind!


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## Jim S. (Apr 22, 2004)

michiganfarmer said:


> ...trying to explain how to have sex. Either you can figure it out, or you cant.


You mean, there are *PEOPLE WHO CAN'T?*

On second thought, it's all in this thread. Know where to put your hands, make small moves, don't jack-knife...and don't crush yourself or somebody else!


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