i just joined the forum. I need to move a NI 330 three row corn picker about 215 miles. I am debating between hauling and towing. Hauling means taking the snouts, husking bed, tongue, and elevator off And then lifting on the trailer probably a few hours of work then five hours of driving. I have a ton and 1/2 dually with a 25' and 5' gooseneck so I should have enough trailer and enough truck either way.
towing means taking something 14' wide down three different state highways. I have access to borrow a couple extra wheels and tires in case I get a flat while towing.
does anyone have experience with long distance wide equipment movement?
the most I have done is a six row 494 JD cornplanter but that was only about 50 miles of familiar roads.
thants in advance for any tips, suggestions, etc
Buckeye Joe G
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Given enough willpower, horsepower, or firepower anything is possible.
Put it on the trailer if you can. You'll be able to drive faster and go on the 4 lane interstates. If you tow it you'll have to take unfamiliar back roads at a slower pace. Probably take you a hell of a lot longer at that. Even the best maps don't tell you ALL the details. Consider the time lost if you came to a narrow bridge you couldn't cross and had to find an alternate route or if you got in a pickle going thru the narrow streets of some small town.
-- Edited by Bartlettfarms1854 on Wednesday 15th of March 2017 12:43:01 PM
-- Edited by Bartlettfarms1854 on Wednesday 15th of March 2017 12:44:25 PM
I towed each of 3 NI324/327 corn pickers about 75 miles one way after I bought them at sales. The first one was miserable for two reasons. First, the tongue pins were worn and loose, which made it wobble back and forth. Second, I tried to tow it with a half ton pickup. Between the two issues, I was seasick when I got it home. Used a 1-ton dually to haul the second and third pickers. Both pickers had a lot less wear on the tongue pins, which, combined with the additional stability of the heavy dually, made for a MUCH smoother ride. (Our 4th NI324/327 was delivered by the previous owner, who wanted "dad's" picker to escape the scrappers.) Even with the heavy dually, we still didn't go much over 45mph, though. If your roads and towns are like ours in Iowa, 215 miles would make for about a 6-hour drive. Doable, but I don't know if I would call it fun. You mentioned spare tires, which is good. If you try to tow it, definitely use your 1-1/2 ton dually. Also, remember to take a grease gun for the hubs, in case they are dry. I usually stopped every so often to see if the hubs were hot, but never had a problem.
