|
|
N/E Iowa | Was looking at a different trailer (7X24) or (7X20) and was leaning towards the Featherlite, or Alumline trailer here in Iowa. Does anyone know which one might be the better of the two? I don't want this to turn into a"Ford vs Chevy" typr of argument so I'm open to any idea's. I would really like to get a Wilson Cattle trailer but.................. They are $2,800.00 more for the same options on the featherlite!
Any info would be fantastic! |
|
| |
|
Saronville NE | If your that close in price to the wilson, buy the wilson, they are riveted and will hold up better than the welded alum trailers. Plus look at all the wilson semi trailers on the road, they are better for a reason. I have seen alot of featherlites in my area in the welding shop, they dont hold up as well IMO.
But I dont have one either, still running steel, but when we do buy a new trailer it will be a wilson alum. Good luck |
|
| |
|
Northeast Iowa | We've had two Alum-Line livestock trailers over the years. The first one was a 7' x 21' in 1991 that didn't survive a 100 mph summer breeze one July. The second one replaced it in 1994 and is 7' x 23'. At the time, I don't think Alum-Line made any trailers in even lengths, perhaps to get around a patent that Featherlite had. So we went with a 21' to start with and then moved to a 23' later. That may be different now. The other thing that steered us toward an Alum-Line at the time was that we couldn't actually buy a Featherlite nearby, even though they are made right here in Cresco! The nearest dealer at that time was maybe 40 or 50 miles away. That has now changed and I can buy one in Cresco, but my 15-year-old Alum-Line still works quite well.
We've been very happy with our Alum-Line trailers features and durability. The list of options and/or designs is only limited by your imagination. We had them put the side access door on the driver's side of our first trailer in 1991, which they had never done before. We also had them split it horizontally into two doors so we could get in from outside, latch the bottom one and then swing the top one shut again while unloading livestock. I found that to be especially useful when snagging cow-calf pairs in cold weather so that I'd have an easy escape route out the front if the cow had serious objections to her calf being moved. We also had side flaps hinged so that we could easily open or close them during spring and fall when one day would be too hot to have them bolted on, but the next day would be too cold to leave them off. That may not be as big a concern with cattle as it was when we raised hogs, but it makes it a fairly waterproof environment in short order to haul or store seed corn compared to a Wilson.
The floor material has always been a breeze to clean. It has small grooves in it that run side to side, which means the easiest way to clean it is to scrape from one side of the trailer to the other instead of from the front of the trailer to the back door. The salesman at the time we got our first trailer told us to always bed it with sawdust instead of straw, because it would be much easier to clean and traction would be better. I still agree with his advice today.
Right off hand, I think the only repairs we've done over the years have been as a result of operator error and not product problems. Things like backing into chutes and catching rear door handles, forgetting to UNhook the chain to the door when securing it open to load and unload livestock, breaking the ice off of it after parking it under an eave trough in the winter and getting too close to a brake light with the big hammer used for the job and all kinds of other "WHAT was I thinking?" things like that.
Having said all of that, we also have two Featherlite steel flatbed trailers and I can't really complain abut them either. It may come down to how many extras you want on your trailer and how soon either company can get it to you for a given price.
Jeff
|
|
| |
|
N/E Iowa | I said at first that the price difference between the featherlite and the wilson was $2,800.00. i was wrong it was $3,200.00. Not much difference, but it all adds up. I do agree the Wilson makes one heck of a trailer! I myself just sold my 1995 7X20 Kiefer (steel) trailer. It was a great trailer but it was just time to update! And I can't see one reason to go any thing other then Aluminum..... I don't use the cattle trailer all that much, I might use it twice in one week and the not use it for a month. We run a 30 cow/ calf operation, and then haul and move our good friends 20 cow calf operation. So A new trailer "should" last me a LONG time!! Thanks for the replys
Does anyone know if the Alum line trailers are cheaper price wise than the featherlite trailers? |
|
| |
|
Denhoff,ND right in the center of the State | Spend the extra and go for the Wilson, you will be alot happier in the long run, and thats why you are considering a alluminum trailer I would asume, I have a Wilson and love it.Neighbors have a featherlite and they are constantly taking it in for welding, the Wilsons are riveted and take the flexing of driving in pastures and so forth. The floors in a featherlite only have traction when a animal is standing crossways and lengthways are slick. |
|
| |
|
North Mo. | WE have had a Hillsburo Alum since 1994. I really don't understand this cracking issue of welds ours hasn't, the roof sheets have come undone but I think that is due to the metal cracking from a tornado almost sucking it out of the shed. Would I buy another Hillsburo maybe. Like I said ours is a 94 and the sliding gates are JUNK. At times people get over confident in a product like only buy New Holland Hay equip. JD tractors Angus bulls and the list goes on. Ben |
|
| |
|
Savage, Montana | sorry to add another option to you. but another very good trailer is Duralite. made in watertown SD. my father had a 35' trailer that he got rid of when he sold his cows. I strongly encourage you to look at their website and look at all the pictures and read all the text.
http://www.duralitetrailers.com/ |
|
| |
|
| I got two Featherlites a 93' 7x18 and a 07' 7x24. I like them both. The older one has been beaten off road, on road you name it! The only welding has been on the back end gate. the problems I had with the 93' was solved in the 07' with putting the western package on it. I also put dual cam locks on the rear door so their is no hinges, and it will open either right hand or left hand. I bet if you bid any of the trailers, spec. by spec., I'm betting the prices should be a lot closer to each other.
If I ever buy another trailer I will look at all brands, just for the fact Featherlite, dumped my dealer (he was a one of their top dealers for over 25 years). I will not support jerks like that again! There is a lot of good trailers out there. I even like the Titan steel trailers. But for what I do, aluminum works the best. I pull one at least 1-2 days a week most of the time. the only down fall of punch side trailers is if you need to rope a cow and drag her in a trailer, the rope will cut the punchsides.
The one thing I would do is make them bid 14 ply tires, Michelin XPS and 7,000 lb. axles on anything up to 24' long Those Michelin tires are the only ones I can get to hold up in the lava rock, two track roads, and hiway miles. I don't like the roll up doors, because they wear out faster( rollers&track).
 (025.jpg)
 (026.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 025.jpg (41KB - 605 downloads)
026.jpg (33KB - 659 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
| Ive had my Wilson over a year now. Its worth every dollar I spent on it.. I think these guys no how to build trailers. They have been doing it for decades. |
|
| |
|
deep SW On. | --seem to be the best and in that order--3200 divided by 16 years is $200 a yr. and a 20 yr. old wilson is still worth 1/2 of new...eby now wilson dealer told me the above 3 have axles mounted "properly" and problem with featherlite,unless you get a roll up door you can't get it open if animals or other "stuff' is in the way or frozen..slider doors need to be on the out side..the alum... you are looking at might be great,I don't know..doesn't timpte build one also under some other name?? |
|
| |
|
NW Iowa | Well put ahay68979, took the words right outta my mouth! |
|
| |
|
| The only thing about having to heavy of axles is if you do a lot of unloaded miles, they will bounce too much in a aluminum trailer. It's a lot better to go loaded all the time. I've never had problems with 7,000 lbs. axles. The biggest trailer I have is 7'x24' in a livestock trailer. As for slider doors, I've never had a problem with them, I've allways been able to open them. it's not to say a cow won't lean on them, but a hotshot always gets them off it. I would rather have the slider on the inside, in the event it ever broke off, it's in the inside, and load will not come out. And trust me if you keep anything long enough, it will break if you use it.
I think most all trailers are good, it's mainly the price, and your personal preference the day you purchase it. I would have to say we are rough on trailers out west here, a lot rougher than 80% of the people in the market for a trailer. The whole key is maintenance, and use it but not abuse it( at least try not too). The first and only requirement for me is torsion axles, the only way to go. |
|
| |
|
MN | I would check out a 4-Star trailer- every bit as good as a Wilson- they are made in Oklahoma City- their top dealer is Arena Trailer Sales in Cannon Falls, MN- they have at least 200 various trailers on the lot- they usually stock 20 and 24' trailers. If you make it up there you can check out some $50K plus horse trailers in their indoor showroom- top notch operation they will take care of you. |
|
| |
|
Southern Saskatchewan | Sorry but another vote for the Wilson. Hate to say spend the $ but. The slider door on the inside is the worst design I have seen. How many slider doors have fallen off-anyone? I would take my chances rather than the constant issue of someones butt against the door. |
|
| |
|
| To each is own, I have seen slider doors on featherlites, Wilsons, Charmac, Sooner, Barrett, Marriot, Ebby's all break. Over a period of time they ALL Break! I'm telling you having the slider on the inside is no problem. 99% of the time you only use the slider to load, and you use big door to unload. At least on a ground load rig. As for the roll up doors, I've seen a lot of them have the rollers fall out, just plain wear in the door track from vibration.
The Wilson is a good trailer, and belive me I've seen them wear just as much as a Featherlite. The downfall of all trailers in the back endgate. The biggest reason about not having a endgate on the outside of the trailer is, I've loaded at a lot of chutes, that once you have loaded, the cattle have put enough weight on trailer to make it roll back into the chute, and you can't get door to slide back shut. I've had better luck with slider on the inside to fit more chutes without readjustment. Nothing worse than getting backed up and your slider won't open, you have to get back into truck to make a gap for slider on outside work. Then you run the risk of getting a baby calf's leg down between bumper and chute. |
|
| |
|
| I think a lot off problem with trailers is people overload them. Im been guilty off this myself. Thats puts a lot off pressure on doors an sides. I have hauled for others at times an people have a tendency to overload you. If just having 2 or 3 animals less it can make a world off difference for the animals an the trailers. The other day I was helping a friend load some calves from anothers trailer on to his. I was kind off upset because the other guys sliding door was so wedged it wouldnt move. And I looked at his trailer the other day an it was still the same way. Man if your door is like this what good is the trailer if you cant open or shut it real quick. I would have that thing fixed pronto if it was mine. I have had this happen an removed the door an got her fixed. |
|
| |
|
| I bought a wilson trailer last year and it is great trailer so far, looked at Eby and decided on the wilson because there is no posts on the inside , so it makes it easier to clean. No comment on the Feathelite, the name says it all! |
|
| |
|
ND | i agree with Russ 100%
|
|
| |
|
SE South Dakota | I'd vote for Wilson also have a 7 x24 with roll up door, really like the roll up door over a sliding one. The gates inside are strong and alway work. My neighbor also has a 7 x 24 Cherokee but its narrower than mine, so they don't apparently don't measure them the same. |
|
| |
|
Denhoff,ND right in the center of the State | That inside slider would be a pain in the A$$, would be frozen up with **** every time here in the winter. Rollup is much better, not to many big rigs with sliders, theres a reason why.My 50ft Wilson pot has nearly million miles and rails were just replaced this summer, still using same panels with new rollers and pins, I bought my Wilson used and it has a outside slider, works really well, but if I were to buy new it would be a rollup. Terry |
|
| |
|
deep SW On. | --punched sides easy too clean than eby--otherwise-eby =great |
|
| |
Cattle trailer Question
