The Friends of Ferguson Heritage Ltd. - Brakes on Vintage Tractors and Trailers
Road vehicles Construction and Use regulations 1986
Regulation 18- Maintenance and Efficiency of Brakes.
Every part of every braking system and the means of operation thereof fitted to vehicle shall be maintained in good and efficient working order and be properly adjusted. Regulation 85- Trailers Drawn by Agricultural Motor Vehicles.
1) No person shall use or cause or permit to be used, on a road, a wheeled agricultural motor vehicle drawing one or more wheeled trailers if the weight of the drawing vehicle is less than a quarter of the weight of the trailer or trailers, unless the brakes fitted to each trailer in compliance with regulation 15 or 16 are operated directly by the service braking system fitted to the motor vehicle.
This means a tractor ( 1000kg ) can tow a trailer with a gross weight 4 times that of the tractor (3999kg) without the trailer brakes having to be operated directly by the braking system of the tractor i.e. Ferguson TE20 and Ferguson 3 ton trailer, but trailer brakes must still comply with reg 15 or 16
2) No person shall use, or cause or permit, to be used, on a road any motor vehicle drawing a agricultural trailer of which (a) more than 35% of the weight is borne by the drawing vehicle; or (b) the gross weight exceeds 14230 Kg, unless it is fitted with brakes as mentioned in paragraph 1
Ferguson TE20 and Ferguson 3 ton trailer appears to comply with 2a
Regulation 15- Braking Systems of Certain Vehicles First Used On or After 01.04.83
This regulation does not apply to-
a) an agricultural trailer or agricultural trailed appliance that is not, in either case, drawn at a speed exceeding 20 mph;
d) an agricultural motor vehicle unless it is first used after 1 June 1986 and is driven at more than 20 mph:
e) a vehicle which has a maximum speed not exceeding 25 Km/h (15.5 mph)
Irrespective of how fast your tractor can travel, as long as you remain below 20 mph this regulation does not apply.
HOWEVER Agricultural vehicles travelling in excess of 20 mph must be fitted with a service brake applied progressively by the tractor service braking system and a fail safe secondary braking system with a certain required braking efficiency.
All tractors and trailers exceeding 30 mph on public roads must be fitted with 2 line air operated brakes which achieve a service brake efficiency of 45% and a fail safe secondary brake efficiency of 25%
Regulation 16- Braking Systems of Vehicles to Which Regulation 15 Does Not Apply
This regulation does not apply to
3(ba) a trailer which has a maximum total design weight that does not exceed 750kg; (bb) a trailer which is:-
(1) an agricultural trailer trailer manufactured before 1st July 1947 (2) being drawn by a motor tractor or an agricultural motor vehicle at a speed not exceeding 10mph and (3) has a laden weight not exceeding 4070 kg and (4)is the only trailer drawn.
Trailers manufactured on or after 1st April 1938 and being either a track laying vehicle, an agricultural trailer or a vehicle manufactured before 1st January 1968 ( except agricultural trailers ) must comply with the following: Schedule 3
3) The vehicle must be equipped with an efficient braking system.
10) The brakes of a trailer shall come into operation automatically on its overrun, in the case of a track laying trailer by a vehicle having steerable wheels the front or a wheeled trailer, the driver of, or some other person on, the drawing vehicle, or on the trailer shall be able to apply the brake on the trailer.
14) The brakes of the vehicle shall apply in the case of a wheeled vehicle to at least 2 wheels the vehicle has no more than 4 wheels and to at least half the wheels if the vehicle more than 4 wheels; and in the case of a track laying vehicle to all the tracks.
17) the parking brake shall be capable of being set so as effectively to prevent two at least of the wheels from revolving when the trailer is not being drawn
The brakes fitted to Ferguson 3 ton trailers which can be operated by the tractor driver from the tractor seat appear to comply with this regulation.
