I've never towed anything. Right now I mow several lawns and use a push mower for my two apartment buildings and my Mom's house. It would make my life a lot easier if I could use my Zero Turn on a couple of them. Not that they are that big but one of them takes me about an hour to mow and after working all day I dread getting out and pushing it around. The guy I buy all my lawn equipment from says that a 6X10 trailer will be plenty big for my 50" deck zero turn, a push mower and a couple weed whackers, etc. It's unlikely I will ever tow anything else with it. I don't have a side by side, 4 wheeler, etc.

A couple years of mowing myself compared to hiring somebody to do it would probably repay me the price of the trailer.

I have read that a trailer that is too short is just as bad as one that is too long because you can't see the trailer in your mirrors. Is a 10 foot long trailer a length I can easily see in my F150 supercrew, non-tow mirrors?

 

A small trailer like that is fairly difficult to backup.

Do you have the trailer backup assist? In my opinion small trailers is where it really shines. After a few minutes of practice my wife who can't back a trailer for anything was putting the small utility trailer in a parking spot. I use it with that trailer too even though I don't really care for it with my TT.

 

Nope. No trailer back up assist.

 

It should still be doable if you practice and take your time. If you are not sure rent a similar sized U-Haul or other trailer and practice in a parking lot, find someone to watch to be sure you don't jack knife or hit anything.

 

Would a slightly longer trailer (like 12 feet) be easier? I'm going to have to store it outside anyway and I've got plenty of land so that's not really a worry.

 

In general the farther the trailer wheels are from the back wheels the easier it is to back up.
The closer the trailer wheels the more difficult it becomes.

Just practice backing up.

 

Thanks. I'm going to see if I have any friends with a trailer who can give me a basic lesson on actually towing one of them. I get so wrapped up in finding exactly the right perfect thing, I sometimes forget to just get out there and try it.

 

This.

Length of the trailer deck isn't the issue, it's length between the trailer axle and tongue. I've got a Utilitymate 4.5 x 7.5 that gives plenty of warning while backing because of the long tongue bar:



Trailers that have gates at both ends will have long tongues. I slap a set of ramps on the gates to get my ZT on and off, since it doesn't have a ramp gate.

4.5 x 7.5 works fine for my 46" mower, but would be tight loading a 50", and not enough room left for a push mower. Not a gas powered one, that is (I use a reel mower). To comfortably load a 50" ZT you're going to want a 5' wide deck. To fit a push mower, 9' length.

For the trimmers, I highly recommend this.

 

I like those trimmer racks.

A landscaper told me a joke once: "You know why landscaper's trailers carry so many trimmers in racks? It's because if we carry all of them we might get one to start!'

 

Here's a good video about backing technique. The guy uses a large travel trailer, but the concept is the same. You just have to go slowly and avoid making quick or large adjustments. After watching the video a few times I was able to stop backing trailers into the middle of my front yard! Also, if you get a trailer that has a ramp gate, it'll fold up and stand tall enough that you'll be able to see it, at least when you're not backing in a straight line.