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How to tow a trailer with a ride on mower

Updated: October 2026

The bracket is missing, the pin is only half through, or the bed is piled higher than the sides. This is how to tow a trailer with a ride on mower on your own ground: the hitch for this machine, a pin that stays in, a load inside the handbook figure, and a dump on level ground. The six carts we compared are on the [lawn tractor trailer comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/lawn-tractor-trailer). Products Compared used those listings, Husqvarna tow lines and the Health and Safety Executive's note on jack-knifing. We did not hitch them. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The bracket is missing, the pin is only half through, or the bed is piled higher than the sides.

Our top picks

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME mesh trolley

Best overall

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME mesh trolley
9.2/10about £129.99
View offer
Yard Commander Yard Commander poly dump cart

Rank 2

Yard Commander Yard Commander poly dump cart
6.3/10about £208.99
View offer
Pisumsativum Pisumsativum 15 cu ft dump cart

Alternative

Pisumsativum Pisumsativum 15 cu ft dump cart
6.0/10about £351.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Fit the hitch that belongs to this mower
  2. 2.Pin, clip and first roll
  3. 3.Load, tyres and the dump
  4. 4.Slopes, and when to stop

Fit the hitch that belongs to this mower

Look at the back of the ride-on. If there is no bracket, a universal hitch line is not a substitute. A Stiga kit for 92–122 cm rear-collect machines is about £112 and excludes 4WD models in the 102 cm and 122 cm classes. Fit the kit the parts list names, and stop if your machine is in the exclusion. None of the six listings names a Stiga, Mountfield, Honda or John Deere. Handbook kilograms sit on the ride on mower trailer buying guide. One Husqvarna manual says not to tow on slopes or rough ground at all. If your book says that, this page does not overrule it.

Pin, clip and first roll

Push the pin all the way through and fit the clip so it cannot walk out. On the VIVOHOME, reviews say the handle lock pin and the side clips fall out when the cart is towed. One UK reviewer added a second nut. Check those pins before the first loaded trip. Start empty, with a slow straight pull on level grass, then a wide turn. AL-KO and Sherpa publish about 5 mph, roughly 8 km/h, for their own trailers. That is not a limit for every cart. If the front wheels rise, unload and get a dealer.
VIVOHOME VIVOHOME mesh trolley

Testsieger

VIVOHOME VIVOHOME mesh trolley
9.2/10about £129.99
View offer

Load, tyres and the dump

Put the weight low and between the wheels, inside the handbook figure, not the cart's printed claim. A 410 kg or 1,000 lb figure can be several times a 100–200 kg domestic limit. The mesh trolley needs a board if anything would fall through. The VIVOHOME listing says its tyres are not fully inflated for transport. Use the pressure on the trailer tyre. One yellow steel cart arrived flat in a United States review. Dump on level ground, with your feet clear of the bed. A VEVOR UK page outside this set says a tilt latch can release if it is not locked. If a Pisumsativum latch will not lock, do not load it.

Slopes, and when to stop

The Health and Safety Executive says a loaded trailer can jack-knife a tractor and that you should descend the gentlest line straight down. That page is for farm vehicles. On a lawn, take the loaded cart straight down the shallowest route. If your manual forbids slopes, stay on the flat. Children are not a load. Stop and call a dealer when there is no tow figure, the front wheels lift, the brakes will not hold, or the kit arrived bent. A public road is outside this procedure. Read the ride-on mower trailer on the road page before you move.

Common questions

How do I hitch it?
Line the trailer tongue up with the mower's bracket, push the pin fully through both holes, and fit the clip. Pull empty in a straight line and make one wide turn before you load. A universal claim on the cart is not a hitch kit.
What if there is no bracket on the mower?
Buy the hitch kit listed for your brand and cutting width, and read the exclusions. The Stiga 92–122 cm example at about £112 leaves out certain 4WD machines. Budget about £45–£112 from UK parts shops, then match the pin. Do not drill a home-made bracket.
Where should the load sit?
Low, between the wheels, and inside the handbook tow weight for your mower. Keep branches below the sides. On a mesh floor, add a board for anything small. Husqvarna examples for named models run from 100 kg to 200 kg at 10 degrees, and your book may differ.
How do I tip without standing in the way?
Park on level ground, keep people clear of the tailgate, release the latch the listing describes, and let the bed tip away from you. Lock the latch again before the next load. If the latch opens by itself or will not lock, stop using the tipper until it is repaired.
Why did it jack-knife on the slope?
A loaded trailer can push the mower sideways when you turn or when grip goes on a hill. The HSE describes that jack-knife on farm tractors and tells drivers to descend the gentlest line straight down. The same geometry applies on a lawn. Unload, or stay on the flat if your handbook forbids slopes.
What tyre pressure do I use?
Use the figure on the trailer's tyre sidewall or in the trailer paperwork. Do not copy the mower's tyre pressure. The VIVOHOME listing says its tyres are not fully inflated for transport, so check them before the first loaded pull. A cart that arrived flat needs air and a look for a puncture.

Related pages

Best lawn tractor trailer

Lawn tractor trailer

Ride on mower trailer buying guide: handbook first

Ride on mower trailer on the public road in the UK

Steel or poly garden trailer: for wet soil or logs

Sources

Sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are from the amazon.co.uk listings saved for that digest.

  1. GOV.UK, Agricultural vehicle licences and fuel (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Vehicles exempt from vehicle tax (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, Tow a trailer with a car: safety checks (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. legislation.gov.uk, Construction and Use Regulations 1986, regulation 87 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005: Great Britain (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. HSE, Overturns of tractors and other farm vehicles (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Husqvarna UK, R 112C support (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. legislation.gov.uk, Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)