Moving boat with riding mower?

**scout-j-m** · 06-09-2014, 01:31 PM

This may be in the wrong forum but I didn't know where exactly would be best to ask it.

Anyways, I finally got an onboard charger installed and now can somewhat justify parking my boat under my carport. I would have actually parked it there all along but it is near impossible to get the trailer in and out given the position of it in relation to some trees and the house.

I've contemplated getting a front receiver hitch on my truck for this purpose but it is expensive and I'm not sure I could still easily move the trailer in and out. Also, for a little more than the cost of a truck receiver hitch, I could probably repair my old 250cc atv which has not been running the past year.

My other option floating around in my mind is using my riding mower. It is a John Deere D110, I believe with a 18hp single cylinder motor. It's 3 years old this spring. I know it probably has the power/torque as I have used it to drag some heavy, high friction stuff. However, the tongue weight and stopping has me worried. I don't want to do anything to damage it, especially the hydrstatic transmission. Then again if it is capable, I'd like to utilize it for this purpose.

To give more insight into my situation, the boat is a 17' Spectrum Dominator (essentially your typical 17' Basstracker) with a 70hp motor. It is not a very wide beamed or bottomed boat. I would guess it and the trailer together weigh around 1300 lbs max. The driveway around the carport is level in the direction parallel to the parking bays but perpendicular to them is is small incline. Backing in isn't an issue as I can get the boat aligned in the level parallel direction with my truck allowing a mower to finish the job easily. However, Pulling the boat out will be more difficult as I will need to position the tongue uphill or down hill allowing me to be able to attach my truck.

I'm looking for any and all opinions on the matter and for those who feel the mower will work, can you suggest any specific receiver hitch or ball mount attachments? TIA

**Barnacle Bill** · 06-09-2014, 01:38 PM

I use to have a 19 ft Larson I/O I moved around with an old mower a lot smaller than 18 hp. You shouldn't have any problem at all. I forget how I rigged up the hitch but it was very simple. I also use to have that same boat you have and its a lot lighter than that old I/O I had.

**scout-j-m** · 06-09-2014, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by Barnacle Bill

I use to have a 19 ft Larson I/O I moved around with an old mower a lot smaller than 18 hp. You shouldn't have any problem at all. I forget how I rigged up the hitch but it was very simple. I also use to have that same boat you have and its a lot lighter than that old I/O I had.

Thanks for the reply Bill. I am definitely going to give it a try at least once to see how it handles it. In the meantime, I'm going to order one of these hitch attachments and see how it performs. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER It has good reviews and is cheap enough that if I don't like it, it's not a big loss and I can give it to a friend or keep it for other uses.

**zrdc28** · 06-09-2014, 04:57 PM

I have a 13 hp john deer mower that has been used for that since 1999 when I got it. I just have a regular ball like you use on a vehicle on the back.
The frame in front was easy to extend with some angle iron and 4 bolts with a cross piece of angle for another ball. If you don't have the automatic
transmission it will be no problem pulling that boat.

**Barnacle Bill** · 06-09-2014, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by zrdc28

I have a 13 hp john deer mower that has been used for that since 1999 when I got it. I just have a regular ball like you use on a vehicle on the back.
The frame in front was easy to extend with some angle iron and 4 bolts with a cross piece of angle for another ball. If you don't have the automatic
transmission it will be no problem pulling that boat.

I've got a JD mower with a ball on it for some garden equipment. I hooked it to the boat once and didn't like the way that auto transmission acted at all. I don't think the transmission would have lasted very long had I continued to use it.

**scout-j-m** · 06-10-2014, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Barnacle Bill

I've got a JD mower with a ball on it for some garden equipment. I hooked it to the boat once and didn't like the way that auto transmission acted at all. I don't think the transmission would have lasted very long had I continued to use it.

Yeah, my mower is a hydrostatic which may end up being an issue.

**Barnacle Bill** · 06-10-2014, 01:42 PM

There are a lot of old mowers with bad mowing decks out there sitting in back yards. Just a matter of finding one. My neighbor has one.

**Shines Mullet Shak** · 06-12-2014, 09:56 PM

I had a Sears 16hp hydro and moved around a 18' offshore with a 115 four stroke. I only pulled it in and out of back yard but no problem.

**Cray** · 06-13-2014, 07:51 AM

I vote you fix the ATV and don't tear up your mower. Like someone else said, a old mower with no deck and not hydrostatic will work. Used to have a old sears with low/high tranny and pulled logs with it. But you might spend as much on that as fixing ATV and you already have the ATV.

**Jeffb243** · 06-13-2014, 10:23 AM

I have a John Deere riding mower and as infrequent and as short of a duration as it would be used I don't see a problem in the long term as far as the transmission goes. My concern when I have pulled trailers around the yard with my John Deere is the flimsy metal that has the hole for the ball to go in. I am very concerned that that would be a point of failure if hauling a heavy load. Maybe the design is different on more recent or older designs, but mine is literally a flimsy 1/8" metal bent at a 90 degree angle. It seems a little light to be handling heavy trailers...

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