looking for Line Hauler or HET

[BEEMAC]

So I am pretty convinced I want to buy a military tractor and possibly a trailer as well.

What I need is a truck that will go into a wet but not mucky field with 40K lbs on the trailer and NOT get stuck. Same truck needs to travel down the road 2000 mile round trip 4 times a year.

So I see the M915s are pretty much the standard tractor. M916s get into the 6*6 and the M920s are straight up animals.

What would be the best tractor for me to buy?

 

[NDT]

Welcome. The 915 fills the bill for your 2000 mile runs, but my experience with the stock 11R22.5 rubber on wet grass and a loaded trailer is that the truck will just not move with tires (all of them) spinning. You might need to upgrade to '395s'.

 

[BEEMAC]

Thanks. What are 395s?

I should add that I have been considering doing other hauling for some locals here. Some would involved heavy equipment and some would involve hauling rolls of steel for steel siding/roofing.

The truck will have to get in and out of fields frequently.

 

[Tow4]

Sounds like you need two different trucks. A 6x6 military tractor of your choice to get in and out of the field, and either a M915 or better yet, a civilian road tractor (faster and more comfortable) for the road trip.

 

[ke5eua]

A het will be useless unless you get a trailer specially made for it as the hitch is so far forward.

Your best bet would be 916 or 920 series.

395's are what the military considers super singles. It's a bigger tire with a wider footprint.

Now, hauling 40k in mucky terrain is going to pose problems no matter what you are driving. I have seen, and had to recover tanks (m1's) stuck in mucky terrain. It's more about the driver than the equipment.

I have gotten my 818 stuck twice since I got it, both my fault as I wasn't thinking properly.

No matter what you get, you have to consider tires, tire pressure, trailer tires, trailer tire pressure, ground pressure, driver error, recovery assets, and the list goes on and on.

 

[BEEMAC]

Thanks for all the input. The fields are general farm fields. Not super mucky, generally hay fields. However when I goto south Ga we are in red clay territory and that can get slimy with just a few inches of rain on it. Mostly I will not be in the red clay when its mucky out. The 395s is an interesting alternative and certainly would be better in the softer terrain. I am not terribly concerned with comfort. One of my work trucks is a 97 FSuperduty with short wheel base on it. Talk about a rough ride to Georgia and back.

What would be the advantage of hauling 2000 mile round trip in a 916 vs 920? I see the 920s have the drop axle. My lack of understanding on the military truck side (I grew up a tin bender on KC130 Hercs for USMC) I thought the 920 series is considered the HETs?

I do see the 916s and 920s have 45K winches on the back of them. Is that meant for recover, lifting removable gooseneck or whatever I find use for it?

 

[ke5eua]

The het is the 1070 beast.

I know all about the red clay, almost got a jeep stuck in that crap. Pulled out of all wheel drive and went through it in 2wd with no problem.

The 920 is the heavy line hauler, 915/916 are regularly used as line haulers.

The rear winch on the 916 & 920s are for the removable goose neck.

Rear winches on the 1070 are for loading dead vehicles on the trailer.

 

[BEEMAC]

So I looked. Yes HETs are out. I appreciate the input. I see lots of M916s and M920s with low < 20K miles on them on gov liq

 

[hklvette]

If I'm not mistaken, the 916 and 920 use fifth wheels with pins larger than 2". I'm not sure of the exact size. It sounds to me like a 916 with super singles and A/C would fit the bill.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Another thing to concider is the m916/920 are 10-15mph slower top end than a m915. If you plan a lot of long highway miles, a m915 is a better bet. I put a civilian retread with lugs like the goodyear 177 tires on her and she is ok on slick grass and a little mud. Again a lot of it is skill and knowing what the truck can and can't do.

 

[BEEMAC]

are the M915 6*6?

 

[ke5eua]

are the M915 6*6?

Nope

 

[Jeepsinker]

915-4x6, 65-70mph cruising speed
916-6x6, 55 maybe 60
920-6x6 w/drop 55-60. This is considered the medium equipment transport.
M1070 HET- 8x8, 45mph top speed, and a bunk in back to accommodate the slow travel speed.

Please note: The suspension in the 916 and 920 will remove your spine like Predator if you hit a good bump. You haven't seen a rough ride until you've ridden in a military tractor.

 

[ke5eua]

915-4x6, 65-70mph cruising speed
916-6x6, 55 maybe 60
920-6x6 w/drop 55-60. This is considered the medium equipment transport.
M1070 HET- 8x8, 45mph top speed, and a bunk in back to accommodate the slow travel speed.

Please note: The suspension in the 916 and 920 will remove your spine like Predator if you hit a good bump. You haven't seen a rough ride until you've ridden in a military tractor.

I beg to differ on the roughest ride. The pls takes the top of the chart in my book. Will rattle weapons apart.

 

[BEEMAC]

noted on the rough ride. Maybe an M818 would be better for the local off road and the M915 for long hauls.

 

[Jeepsinker]

That is a good idea. I've never been in a PLS so I didn't know that.

 

[ke5eua]

That is a good idea. I've never been in a PLS so I didn't know that.

The pls is like a bobtail x10 all the time. Oh I hated them.

Then again riding in the 818 reminds me how rough it can be on Louisiana's roads.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Makes you want to take some of our state politicians on a forced ride to show them why they need to stop pocketing the road fund doesn't it? That's how I feel every time I drive any kind of military tractor bobtail.

 

[DrillerSurplus]

In clay almost any tire gets gummed up, a set of chains would be a good investment-especially if you went with the 915

 

[Tinydragon2001]

If you're worried about speed, I'd say get a 916, swap in a set of rear axles from an OTR with more road friendly gears. Regear the front axle to match and call it a day. I'm sure you could get a decent set of rear tandems for cheap. Look into what gears you think you might want. I know Soni "M920" put 4.88 gears in his m920, and he does heavy haul with it, and still gets good road speed. Just my 2 cents.