Fetching, carrying and depositing large loads quickly and safely is vital to any agricultural operation, whether you run a modest fruit farm or thousands of acres of crop fields. From hay bales to harvested crops, silage and manure, the loads you'll need to carry are many and varied, and many farmers invest in tipper trailers to make transporting large loads a considerably simpler prospect.

However, if you choose to purchase a tipper trailer, you'll need to decide what kind of tipper is best for your needs. Conventional end tippers that deposit their loads behind the trailer are perennially popular, but side tippers that deposit their loads to the side of your trailer and tow vehicle are becoming increasingly common. These unique tipper trailers have a number of advantages that make them particularly useful for use on farms.

Improved stability

During unloading procedures, a conventional end tipper trailer has to raise its cargo hold high in the air to completely unload the hold, especially when dealing with moist, clumping loads such as silage and manure. This can compromise the trailer's stability, increasing the risk of toppling and putting the trailer operator at risk of serious injury. As you can imagine, this instability is exacerbated by the rough ground and unpaved roads found on most farms.

Side tipper trailers, on the other hand, do not have to raise their holds nearly as high to deposit their loads, and are far more stable and balanced during unloading procedures as a result. Stability can be increased further by choosing a side tipper trailer with a so-called 'live bottom' -- these trailers have an unloading hatch located in the side or bottom of the trailer, allowing loads to be deposited efficiently even when the trailer is not fully tilted.

Controlled unloading

Choosing a side tipper trailer with a live bottom has another big advantage -- it allows loads to be deposited at an even rate instead of all at once, even while the trailer is moving. This functionality has a number of potential uses on a farm, ranging from evenly depositing manure on a freshly-plowed field to laying aggregate for a new lane you plan to construct between fields.

Excellent for use in cul-de-sacs

Since so much land space on a farm is given over to growing crops or grazing for livestock, finding a place to turn a tow vehicle and attached trailer around can be challenging, especially in narrow areas such as the lanes between fields or livestock enclosures. Using a conventional end tipper in these areas can leave you blocked in by large masses of heavy material. Side tippers are much more suitable for depositing loads in these areas, allowing the trailer and tow vehicle to reverse the way it came without obstruction.

For more information on side tippers for sale, contact a local business.