Need Plans for a Garden Trailer

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Hi guys, have not posted here in a while.  I finished my Welding 101 class at the tech school last Spring, and bought a used Lincoln 140 115v MIG with small cart and 60CF gas bottle.  I wanted a MM211 but budget would not allow, so figured I would start with the small unit and see where it took me.Moved from NY to KY last year for work, finally have a nice big garage and been diddling around with some small projects and getting a feel for the machine.  Someday I would like to build a utility trailer, but not now and not with this machine.Soooo....I figured a good place to start would be a utility/dump trailer for my lawn tractor.  They want close to $300 for one of these in the stores, I figured an angle iron frame with a treated 5/4 deck doards for a deck, maybe some stake pockets?  Anybody ever built one of these?  Anybody have plans or know where to get some?  All ideas welcome.I figure if this thing comes apart it'll be in my backyard and not out on the hiway LOL.
Reply:Just two threads I pulled up with a quick search. i know I've sen dozens of others. Try "ATV cart", "wagon", etc and see what else pops up.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ight=lawn+carthttp://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...ight=lawn+carthttp://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...light=atv+cart.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Unless you want to build from the ground up those little steel carts are a good, cheap place to start IF you can find them at yard sales or craigs list. I was given this one for this project.http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...udget+leaf+vac                                     MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:I built one to tow behind the riding mower. I didn't have any plans, except to build one stronger than commercially availabe ones. Most of them are made out of stamped sheet metal and can rust out in a few years. I had one of those and cratered it with too much wet sand. This one will be around for many years. The sides are removable in case I need a flat bed, and it is a dump bed. The deck material was given to me by a neighbor. It is 1/8", and was about 12" wide and a little over 12' long. I cut into 3 equal length pieces and welded them together, there were some warpage issues, but I worked that out. This little trailer has worked out real good with everything I have hauled with it. The only thing I would like to change would be the width of the tires. With a heavy load on soft ground it makes ruts but hasn't stopped the mower pulling it. I made up the sizes as I went along with the build to make best use of the material on hand. There is enough room and weight capacity to hold my welder and torch bottles if needed, with the sides on. Also cable wraps on each side. Attached Images
Reply:A few more to finish up. Hope you can use some of these ideas. There is no power dump on it but if a heavy load needs more than I can do by hand, a 2x4 between the rear handle and cable wrap provides the necessary leverage to dump it. Attached Images
Reply:As you can see the expanded metal area on the front can hold the beverage cooler and whatever else I don't want in the cargo area. It's John Deere Green hooked to a repainted Craftsman mower but I painted it to match the JD mower I have, not pictured. I did some sheet metal welding on the Craftsman later and used the remaining paint from this project to repaint it to match the trailer and the other mower. It was in need of a paint job before the welding anyway.
Reply:Pretty slick little trailer Bistineau."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:That's along the lines I was thinking, thanks for posting the pics!   Pretty fancy with the leaf springs and all, LOL!  I was thinking similar frame and using 5/4 treated decking wood for the botton and same on the sides with 2x3s to go in stake pockets so are removable like yours.
Reply:Originally Posted by BurbmanThat's along the lines I was thinking, thanks for posting the pics!   Pretty fancy with the leaf springs and all, LOL!  I was thinking similar frame and using 5/4 treated decking wood for the botton and same on the sides with 2x3s to go in stake pockets so are removable like yours.
Reply:I had a thought about taking a home heating oil tank slicing it in half laying 1 half on the ground and putting wheels and a tongue on it voila a garden trailer and made from scrap too.Miller thunderbolt 250Decastar 135ERecovering tool-o-holic ESAB OAI have been interested or involved in Electrical, Fire Alarm, Auto, Marine, Welding, Electronics ETC to name a just a few. So YES you can own too many tools.
Reply:Originally Posted by Burbman  I finished my Welding 101 class at the tech school last Spring,   Someday I would like to build a utility trailer, but not now and not with this machine.  Anybody have plans or know where to get some?  All ideas welcome.
Reply:gddpbsLast edited by sky hy ironman; 01-17-2012 at 09:44 PM.
Reply:Man that thing is the shizz...a little more than I need for garden mulch LOL.,  Thanks for helping out the newbie, I appreciate it Just ordered the strongman Nomad folding welding table from Cyberweld this week....was doing some practice welding on 3/4 black pipe last weekend, and working on the garage floor does not agree with these 52-yr old knees.....
Reply:I feel your pain, literally.  I built a table from a Delta miter saw portable stand to get off my knees.Buy a good pair knee pads for when gotta get down there.  If you can find a chair or stool to use with the table that will help your stamina.
Reply:Originally Posted by BurbmanThat's along the lines I was thinking, thanks for posting the pics!   Pretty fancy with the leaf springs and all, LOL!  I was thinking similar frame and using 5/4 treated decking wood for the botton and same on the sides with 2x3s to go in stake pockets so are removable like yours.
Reply:There is a reason the carts are only 300 bucks!They're probably super thinwall tubing that will rot out faster than you can say "I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's mate, And I'm only plucking pheasants 'cause the pheasant plucker's late. I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son, And I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant pluckers come."or more realistically,"A tutor who tooted the flute...aw, not again!"(on knee pads...I have the best chair for welding drive bases at work...It was (at some point) "borrowed" from the lunch room.  It's nice and cushy and even has a back rest, yet more importantly, it's the perfect height for welding the bases in the rotating fixture when I'm not working on other projects!  )Last edited by mb_welder; 01-20-2012 at 08:47 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by sky hy ironmanWell now this project  here is to prove what you learned and what you know. My find from the web.
Reply:Bistineau, do you have any photos of the underneath?  I get the general idea but am looking for specifics on the axle setup.  I have a couple of Harbor Freight tire/rim assemblies that take a 5/8 dia rod axle.  Most of what I have seen in the stores is the tongue runs back to the axle, the box is attached to the axle with some sheet metal so the axle is also the dump pivot.  I see you you have a different design, the tongue pivots down ahead of the axle when in dump mode....I'm curious how everything goes together underneath.
Reply:I don't have any photos of the underside yet, but I'll get some this afternoon if it's not raining when I get home. Any other shots you can think of? Tongue latch maybe?
Reply:Burbman, here's  the pix you asked for. They are kind of dark, as heavy rain and dark clouds chased me all the way home, and these are cell phone pics. If they are too dark for you, I will retake some on a sunnier day. Hope you can see enough with these. Everything looks bad rusty underneath, but thats the primer and the poor lighting. Attached ImagesLast edited by Bistineau; 01-24-2012 at 07:01 PM.
Reply:Great that helps a lot!  I am going with the basic 5/8" axle wheelbarrow type wheels without the leaf spring suspension, just a piece of round stock with a cotter pin through the end.  Also thinking about having the tailgate hinge at the top do it falls open like a dump truck does instead of dropping down.
Reply:We made this "Thing" for my Son from scrap I had.used Anchor Bolts for AxlesEd Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:Originally Posted by BurbmanGreat that helps a lot!  I am going with the basic 5/8" axle wheelbarrow type wheels without the leaf spring suspension, just a piece of round stock with a cotter pin through the end.  Also thinking about having the tailgate hinge at the top do it falls open like a dump truck does instead of dropping down.
Reply:Just thought about the post while answering a question on another post and figured I would check back in to see if you have made any progress on this project since January. Any updates to tell us about, have you started on this? Spring is here and you may be needing it soon.
Reply:Originally Posted by BistineauJust thought about the post while answering a question on another post and figured I would check back in to see if you have made any progress on this project since January. Any updates to tell us about, have you started on this? Spring is here and you may be needing it soon.slacker...