Hayride Safety?

I bought a haywagon for my 8N last month for hauling wood and other debris around. I am having friends from Germany and all over for a barn party in May and I thought a hayride with the 8N would be fun. We are in NW Sauk County, Wisconsin where it is quite hilly. I planned a scenic route through nearby Juneau County gravel roads, but with steep inclines both up and down. (I am getting slowly to the question part) The haywagon is not huge, I think around 14 feet, but I am a little worried about loading the wagon full of people and having the combined weight pushing the little 8N down the hill and out of control. I do plan on loading up the wagon with firewood and taking a test-drive first, but does anyone have an idea how many people I could safely load (with a few bales of hay) on hilly gravel county roads without making the local papers as a casualty??

I am sure someone here would have experience with this. PS. I am fixing the brakes and wheel seals first. :-)

Thanks.

Never press the clutch in and shift out of gear on a steep grade.. You'll have a hard time getting back in gear and will only have brakes to slow you down, instead of the engine and tranny to help.

Your 8n will pull plenty of trailer, hay and people.

I pulled a 16' car hauler, 12 bales of square hay, and about 10 adults and a couple kids. i built a 2x4 frame with rails around the trailer for 'safety'. I used a surplus 12v car battery and a spar blinker assembly and some jumper wire to wire the trailer lights up to flash, and I added a SMV plaque to it. I also used a small 150w inverter to power a couple strings of xmas lights strung around the trailer. My tractors (2) 35w 6v lamps ( still 6v.. that's why the 12v car battery on the trailer. ) provided plenty of driving light.

We did this at christmass and did some carolling. Those little 12v neon 8w bulbs work good to be able to read from song books.

Had I been worried about it, it wouldn't have been hard to righ up an old headlamp switch from the battery to the electroninc brakes on the trailer to use as an 'emergency' brake in case the tractor brakes weren't sufficient.

I'd load test the tractor on a hill with dead weight.. and if it passes.. don't worry about it. If the tranny pops outta gear.. keep a bungy strap on it from the seat spring.. lotsa farmers did that.

If you don't have a swinging drawbar.. make or buy a set of stays to keep your 3pt drawbar DOWN while towing.

Above all else...Be safe.. but have fun and make some great memories.

Soundguy