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Types Of Agricultural Trailers

Farmers rely heavily on different types of agricultural trailers daily – from moving livestock and hauling grain to transporting heavy machinery. For many, being able to hook up a trailer to their trusty tractor is the only way they can go about the day-to-day farming tasks.

As money gets squeezed more and more by inflation and increasing rules and regulations, farming operations need to continue to grow and evolve to counter this. Having the right trailer for the right job becomes crucial for maintaining productivity and efficiency.

We have listed 18 types of trailers and researched in more detail the most common ones UK farmers use to make life easier.

General Purpose Trailers

  • Flatbed trailers
  • Drop-side trailers
  • Bale trailers
  • Tipper trailers

Bulk Transport Trailers

  • Grain trailers
  • Silage trailers
  • Root crop trailers
  • Dump trailers

Livestock Trailers

  • Cattle trailers
  • Sheep trailers
  • Multi-purpose livestock trailers
  • Horse trailers (primarily for equestrian use)

Specialist Trailers

  • Low-loader trailers (for machinery transport)
  • Tanker trailers (for liquid transport)
  • Muck spreader trailers
  • Forestry trailers
  • Combine Harvester trailers
  • Hook lift trailers

Agri Trailers For Sale

We looked at the most popular agri trailers on sale or at auction on the Mascus website (mascus.co.uk) to uncover what farmers are currently buying to improve their productivity.

Bale Trailers

Bale trailer on farm

We’ve all seen large cylindrical or rectangular bales of hay in countryside fields. A bale trailer is a specialised farm trailer designed to move these massive bales. Think of it as a heavy-duty flatbed trailer with added safety features to keep the bales secure during transport.

We’re sure you’ve seen the trailers stacked high with bales on UK roads and wondered how they don’t fall off as you nervously pass by.

When you think that each of these bales can weigh anywhere from 250 to 500 kilos, the trailers must be built strong enough to move them and keep them secure.

Bale trailers tend to be low to the ground to make loading/unloading easier and have long, wide decks to fit as many bales as possible. Depending on the model, this can be between 8 to 24 large round bales.

Some trailers include mechanical rails or posts to keep the bales in place. The trailers that don’t have these features, for example, the ones where the bales are stacked on top of each other, have special tie-down points to secure the load with straps.

Also, when you factor in UK weather, which is temperamental, to say the least, it means bale trailers are crucial for farmers. When we’ve got a rare dry spell, and farmers need to get hay harvested, they need to move hundreds of bales quickly to a dry place before the next rainfall.

Here are some models and prices for used bale trailers at the time of writing:

  • Marshall BC32 – £12,950 ex vat
  • JPM 19 T – £8,950 ex vat
  • Marshall BC32 Tandem – £19,950 ex vat
  • AW-Trailers 12T – £14,950 ex vat

Cattle Trailers

sheep and livestock trailer

A cattle trailer is a mobile livestock pen on wheels – designed to move cattle safely and humanely across roads and farmland. The construction of a cattle trailer needs to be robust; that’s why they are made from strong aluminium or steel with reinforced sides that can withstand the weight of animals. You will also notice that the corners are rounded to prevent any injuries during transport.

The floor has special non-slip surfaces to keep cattle steady during transport. Proper ventilation allows fresh air in and smells out for the sake of the cattle. Trailers designed to transport animals for longer journeys often have feed and watering systems built in.

These trailers also include a drainage system for waste management and emergency escape hatches for safety. Loading and unloading are made easier with either fold-down ramps or hydraulic lifting floors, depending on the trailer model.

The internal height of the trailer has been calculated to allow different types of cattle to stand naturally. They also often have adjustable partitions (called gates) to enable animals to be separated when transporting different kinds of livestock.

Cattle trailers are used for various purposes throughout the year. Some days, they may be used to transport cattle to market, while other times, they move stock between fields or take animals to the vet. During show season, the trailers become home for prized cattle as they are transported to and from agricultural shows across the UK.

Popular models at the time of writing include:

  • Bateson 12ft Cattle – £2,450 ex vat
  • Graham Edwards 14ft TRI – 6,950 ex vat
  • Ifor Williams TA5G – £4,600 ex vat

Grain Trailers

Grain and silage agriculture trailer

Grain trailers are, in simple terms, large mobile storage containers on wheels that farmers use to transport harvested grain from their fields to storage facilities (sheds) or processing plants. Think of it as a big dump truck with specially designed features to make grain unloading easier.

Most agri grain trailers have smooth sloped walls that stop the grain from sticking to the sides. They can come in two different styles. One type will have a “V” shape bottom incorporating large openings (hoppers). When it’s time to unload, the trailer’s hoppers open up, and gravity does most of the work, letting the grain flow down and out. The other type is more like a traditional tipper, where a rear door can be opened, and then a hydraulic ram lifts the body to tip the grain out of the back.

The trailers vary in size; popular load capacities range between 14 – 26 tonnes, so they are built to be strong and often have twin axles with multi-leaf suspension.

Depending on the working environment, some farmers choose to have rollover PVC covers attached to protect the grain from wet weather. Other options include steering axles, working platforms with ladders and uprated brakes.

Popular models on the Mascus website include:

  • Fraser 14T Grain – £6,500 ex vat
  • Marshall QM11 Grain – £8,950 ex vat
  • Broughan 20T Grain – £24,950 ex vat

Dump Trailers

Dumper trailer with tractor

Dumper trailers are probably the most used and abused trailers in a farmer’s lineup. Used to transport everything from soil and rubble, harvested root crops (potatoes etc), manure, cut hay to general waste.

Their construction follows a tried and tested design: Strong steel construction with reinforced sides, a tailgate that can swing or split open (often remotely operated from a tractor cab), and a hydraulic tipping system powered by the tractor.

These trailers incorporate twin heavy-duty axles (in most cases) fitted with commercial or agricultural tyres. The trailer load capacities range anywhere from 5 to 20 tonnes. Depending on the intended use, some will have small vertical sides to which removable side extensions can be fitted to accommodate bigger loads. In contrast, others will have high sides by design.

Most newer dump trailers can be unloaded quickly from the tractor cab and handle many different materials. Their design makes them easy to clean out when transporting different materials and can be used in both on- and off-road conditions.

Finding a farm without a dumper trailer sitting somewhere in the corner ready for use will be hard. That’s why they are one of the most sold agricultural trailers available for sale on Mascus; models include:

  • Bailey 10 Tonne Contract Dump Trailer – £8,950 ex vat
  • JPM Black 14 Tonne Multi-purpose Dump Trailer – £13,500 ex vat
  • Broughan 16T Dump Trailer – £20,000 ex vat
  • Herbst 12T Dump Trailer – £11,750 ex vat

Tanker Trailers

Slurry tanker trailer

Often undervalued in the farming world, tanker trailers towed by tractors are essential equipment. They come in several different styles, each built and suited for a particular task.

Certain tankers will include baffles to minimise liquid surge and to make them more stable when in motion. Extra construction strength is achieved using a ribbed design without adding too much extra weight.

Slurry Tankers

These are probably the most commonly used on UK farms. Designed to collect, transport and spread liquid manure (slurry). They usually have a vacuum-operated system so that they can be easily filled from slurry pits. Depending on their size, they can range from 500 to 4,000 gallon capacities.

Most will include a PTO pump attached to the tractor to “pump out” the slurry through the spreading equipment fitted to the rear of the tanker.

Water Bowser

These are essentially mobile water tanks used to transport clean water to livestock watering stations in fields. With special spraying bars and pumps fitted, they can also be used for crop irrigation during dry spells. Typical capacities range from 500 to 2,000 gallons.

Fuel Bowser

Like water bowsers, these tend to be smaller and are simply mobile fuel stations for filling up farm machinery. Due to stricter safety regulations, they will be specially constructed to meet higher standards associated with fuel transportation.

Many fuel tanks will include a pump for dispensing the fuel via a fuel nozzle and have a meter so the farmer can determine how many litres are available/used.

Liquid Fertiliser Tankers

These tankers are used to transport fertilisers or pesticides to fields for spraying. They are made from corrosive-resistant materials to stop them from deteriorating. 

Modern-day versions of these types of tankers include precision application equipment with computer-controlled systems to accurately dispense expensive fertilisers or pesticides – saving farmers money in the long run.

Trailer Financing

As you can see from the examples we have listed above, the upfront cost of second-hand trailers – whether it’s a versatile dump trailer, a grain trailer, or a specialised livestock trailer, is not cheap!

For most operators, these might seem daunting, but there are finance options available that can make these vital pieces of equipment more accessible.

And that is where Evangate Financial Services can help.

Our team will search over 150 approved lenders to find those who offer seasonal payment schedules that align with farm income patterns – which is beneficial for managing your cash flow.

While many mainstream lenders (banks or trailer manufacturers) will push you down one route favouring them, we will look at multiple finance options, including HP, leasing, business loans, and asset refinancing. Our goal is to get the best rates and terms for you.

So, if you want to finance a new trailer for your farm (or forestry operation), simply fill out the form or pick up the phone. And if you need a new or used tractor, we can finance that, too.

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