How to Build Wooden Loading Ramps for Garden Tractors

Ramps are needed to load and unload a garden tractor on a truck or trailer. Plain wooden planks can tip and fall out of position because of the weight of the garden tractor. Wooden ramps for loading the tractor onto a truck bed or trailer are lightweight and inexpensive. They are easy to build with a kit and a few common tools. The addition of chains between the ramps helps to prevent the ramps from spreading apart during loading and unloading of the tractor.

Step 1

Align the ramp ends on the ends of the planks. Mark the location of the holes for the bolts with a pencil. Remove the ramp ends.

Step 2

Use a drill with a 3/8 inch drill bit to drill holes for the bolts at the marked locations.

Step 3

Place the ramp ends on the ends of the planks. Slide bolts through the holes in the planks and the ramp ends.

Step 4

Place washers on the bolts. Tighten them securely with a socket on both the head of the bolt and the nut.

Step 5

Measure the distance between the tires on the garden tractor.

Step 6

Place the ramps on the truck or trailer bed with the ramp ends on the lip of the truck or trailer.

Step 7

Align the ramps and space them so the space between the planks is the same measurement as the space between the tires on the garden tractor.

Step 8

Insert a screw in eye the hooks the same distance from the ends on the inside of both planks.

Step 9

Use bolt cutters to cut a length of chain to fit between the eye hooks on the ramps. Secure with the chain clips.