I have a part-time landscaping job -- or hobby. I needed a dump trailer to tow behind an ATV (all terrain vehicle). I did a bit of research. I went to Northern Tool (no offense to them). I looked up details on the heavier models they offered that would not end up leaving ruts in the yard. I read comments by users, and I was generally impressed with their trailers. So, for $650, plus $150 shipping, I bought a dual-axle, heavy-duty trailer.
After putting it together, I figured I better try it out before taking it to a job site. Well, it didn't take too long -- like two minutes -- to figure out that this trailer (a Polar Trailer), while being generally well built, was not going to do the job of a dump trailer. It would not and could not dump anything such as dirt or rock. Problem is, the design allowed the bed to tip but not enough to unload anything.
I was disappointed. I was also a little desperate, since I had a job to do. So I purchased some metal and extended the wheel mounting section up 18 inches. I modified the tongue to correspond, added a couple of braces, and it performed like a champ. Later on, after looking at more trailers, I found that virtually all of them -- for garden tractors and ATVs -- are designed just as poorly as mine was.
Perhaps there is a reason for this. Maybe there are safety regulations that prevent a functional design. Needless to say, I was a bit put off. My review for the product was rejected for being too offensive, so I toned it down some. But now at least there's one review on the site that's less than enthusiastic.
This entry was submitted by Michael Koch and edited by Rob Spiegel
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Well, you just experienced the normal process of fixing a bad design to fit your application. However you may never be able to bring it to life as a viable product because some clerk feels that longer base is too dangerous or some other stupid reason.
There are thousands of modifications to products that never see the light of day due to poor regulations.
I can just hear the executive conversation when reviewing the original dump cart designs. They probably realized that there was potential for the dump cart to tilt far enough to possibly contact the ground and create a pinch point. The simple solution is to drop the functionality of the dump portion of the trailer and just have trailer but keep the dump trailer price tag.
Sometimes engineers can make some suggestions and review the regulations to improve them. It is certainly helpful to have regulations to improve safety but they should not impede functionality or deny innovations. All regulations should have specific rules regarding amendments and a review process. Effective regulations that promote safetya nd adherence to standards benefit everyone.
On the other hand, as some of the political discussions show, regulations can have a very debilitating influence on the industries being regulated to the point of strangulation.
I find it very interesting that everyone on the design news site has jumped on the speculation that the dump trailer design was crippled by tight regulations. If I was going to speculate why a product went to market with less then perfect performance the first thing that I would think of is that is is cheaper to produce. I have seen a lot more incidents of designs being watered down to lower cost then any other reason.
Perhaps it is a design error. Dump trailors need to tilt at least 45-50 degrees.
There seems to be some element of incompetence in the design world today. Management hires the mechanical engineering graduate with the best grades and at a bargain price. But, can he change the tire on his car?
Companies would rather have an army of inexperienced engineers than a few competent engineers that know what they are doing. And the low productivity and chaos that comes with it...
I have 'non-kink' garden hose that kinks more than regular hose - did someone think to test this product at different water pressures and temperatures? I bought a special bottle designed to hold water and attach to my bike - its sole purpose - to hold liquid.
I have applied for jobs at a few different companies. At one I was passed over twice before being hired. The previous 2 were 'great guys', but they didn't have the technical ability, and didn't learn the technical side. So the company finally had to hire a 'tech' to do the job. At another company I was asked to look at an applicant's resume. My conclusion was he didn't have any relevant education or experience for the job. H.R. ignored me and was anxious to hire him because 'you don't know how cheaply he will work'. In my opinion it is false economy to hire an unqualified applicant at low wages because the qualified applicant is too expensive. Many times I seem to be in the minority.
I wonder whether the designers of these things might have been concerned (there might sell be safety regulations or guidelines about center of gravity, etc.) with the possibility of the trailer tipping over sideways if it were raised too high?
The assertion that the trailer did not lift high enough to dump the load shows that it ws made for a different type of load, such as marbes or golf balls. Really, many of the dump trailers are sold to toy buyers and just being able to tilt up is all that they really need. The challenge is indeed cost, since it often costs more to do a job right than to do it "sort of right" The higher tip angle would require more force or a longer cylinder, or a different arrangement and a higher-capacity pump, which costs more. So it is likely that designing for minimum build cost is what assured poor performance.
My dump trailer works great!! Has for over 10 years. No mods and it's a fairly large trailer too. I can put enough sand in it that my lawn tractor can't pull it. With this said, by increasing the height of the trailer is it not a safety hazard with the center of gravity higher from the ground. I bought my trailer for commercial mowing purposes and mowed some what I call dozer slopes with it. While I don't tow a trailer on these, I could see someone doing it and losing control of the tractor. I imagine an ATV trailer would be smaller due to greater chances of seeing rough terrain.
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