Dump Trailer Hoist or Piston Style

What is the best dump trailer hoist / piston style?

There are a few major advantages that a dump trailer with a scissor lift has over a dual piston setup;

1. With the front-mounted scissor hoist (as found in Hawkeye Dump Trailers) The load is actually picked up vertically as the hinge pivots the dump body, allowing the hoist to actually pick up the weight.  A dual cylinder setup (where the piston is mounted to the front of the trailer frame and the middle of the dump body) the cylinders actually push the dump body backwards putting stress on the hinges before it has no choice but to go up and lift the load in the dump body. 

2. Uneven loads in a dual piston trailer can cause the independent lift cylinders to work at different speeds, creating twisting and “jack rabbiting” between the two pistons and the dump body.  A Scissor will lift the entire dump bed at the same rate regardless of how the weight is distributed within the body. 

3. Because the shorter scissor hoist is able to be mounted at the front of the dump body and still lift the trailer body to the same dumping angle, it allows loads that are very front heavy to still be lifted and dumped.  A dual piston trailer has much longer hydraulic pistons to reach an acceptable dump angle, and must be mounted to the middle of the dump body.  If the majority of weight is loaded at the very front of the dump body, there is a chance that the dual piston setup will not have the strength to lift the load.  You can better understand this concept by visualizing a loaded wheelbarrow; lifting at the end of the handles would be much easier than lifting from the base of the handle where it attaches to the wheelbarrow.

4. Scissors include only piston and therefore have fewer wipers and seals to maintain, saving money in maintenance costs. 

5. All Hawkeye trailers include a power up AND down hydraulic system.  Other dump trailers use a “gravity” down system, which means the weight of the load controls how fast the dump body comes back down to the frame.  Aside from being a safety issue (loaded trailers come down VERY fast), the gravity down option doesn’t give as much control over the quantity of material being dumped, whereas a power down trailer will operate in both directions at a steady and controlled speed.