Tractor for Moving Boats around Yard

Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
We are starting to have a discussion about buying a small tractor to move boats on trailers around.

All I know about tractors is my riding lawnmower and it's 21hp is not big enough.

Any advice?
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
How big are the boats you want to move? Are they on gravel or asphalt?

A small lawn tractor with a trailer ball should be able to move most boats that are dry sailed.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
With the right gearing, you could move them with a bicycle... the 21 hp tractor is more than enough. You just need a sturdy enough frame both in front and back of the tractor to hold a 2” ball.
I use a hand-crank / drill powered Trailer valet. It moves my 28 ft Telstar and my 16 ft Bayliner around my driveway and my warehouse. I would not want to go too far, but it is effective.
 
Jun 2, 2004
3,390
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
Our storage area is a combination of sand and old asphalt.
We want to move boats and trailers up to around 3,000# or so.
I should have mentioned launching and recovering the boats on the boat ramp as well.
 
Feb 6, 1998
11,665
Canadian Sailcraft 36T Casco Bay, ME
Up at our camp I use an ATV to move trailers around all the time. This even includes a massive fully enclosed car hauling trailer. I just use 4-low and it works pretty darn well. I don't see why a small tractor could not do the same.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Our storage area is a combination of sand and old asphalt.
We want to move boats and trailers up to around 3,000# or so.
I should have mentioned launching and recovering the boats on the boat ramp as well.
I don't think a tractor would have difficulty moving a 3000# trailer around the old asphalt or hard packed sand. Up and down a ramp might be a challenge especially if it is sand.

An ATV might be a better choice, because of the 4 wheel drive and larger tires. Some ATVs have a small bed in the back to carry gear.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Launching / retrieving? Now you are talking tractor or Bobcat.
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
The problem is, you need something with some weight. My zero turn used to pull my old boat around the grass fine. My current boat is 3000 lbs on the trailer, and the lawn mower won't move it. I just spins the wheels. Don't get a big lawn tractor. Get a real tractor, maybe something like those mini 4WD tractors. Make sure it has independent left and right brakes for enhanced steering and traction control.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Hey if your are going to go, why not go Big...

D9 CAT.
3B7B4F95-2712-4AB9-A581-F08A48A66F28.jpeg

It is the tool of Champions... You can outfit with multiple tools. You’ll have the power to lift just about EVERYTHING!...
All in a single package. Out here we use them to lift trees and toss them about like toothpicks. A boat would be child’s play for one.
 
Mar 29, 2017
576
Hunter 30t 9805 littlecreek
Tractors are expensive a old 4wd truck like an old s10 or Toyota could be had for $1000 and do all that and run to store
 
Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
Vell Buddie, Naw your tawkin' my lankwitch! (It's very difficult to type with a PA Dutch accent!)

As an old PA farmer, let me expound on tractors. Old, serviceable, running tractors can be found on Craig's what-ever-you-call-it. You could probably move and launch any trailerable sailboat that was brought to the grounds using a regular towing vehicle like a car or pickup truck. 4 wheel drive tractor would be more expensive. A full sized Farmall, Allis Chalmers, Ford, or Massey Ferguson would do the job. Gas or diesel powered. Gas powered would be less problem if you ran it out of fuel (diesel tractors are more difficult to bleed than the reliable yanmars, universals, Perkins or others) or if you wanted to use it in cold weather. A dependable full sized pickup like a Chevy or F 150 would be nice too. If a truck, then definitely 4 X 4. Driver could remain out of the weather too.
 
Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
This is what a local boat dealer uses and kinda what we were thinking of.

That tractor would do well on the flat, but I would be concerned about launching and retrieving a boat and trailer with it. Weight on the tongue might also lift the front of the short wheelbase tractor. Of course a loader or suitcase weights would counter any weight on the tongue. Front weight would also add to the weight the tractor needs to move. We have seen trucks and tractors that have a trailer ball mounted on the front of the tractor/truck or in the bucket if one is on the machine. The bucket mount allows the driver to hook and lift the trailer tongue more easily.
 
Nov 26, 2012
1,653
Hunter 34 Berkeley
A nice little 4 wheeler would do it even for the ramp. Does not really take that much horsepower.
 
Apr 16, 2013
5
Hunter 290 Annapolis
I agree with the majority of the people responding, any small tractor will do. (even a lawn tractor) 4WD is probably not necessary. Most of the weight is over the rear wheels when you attach a load. However, you probably want a tractor with a 3-point hitch so you can easily hook up and manipulate hitch height while you are launching.