Why to avoid purchasing a utility trailer at a big box retailer like Lowes, Home Depot, Northern Tool, or Tractor Supply.

When it comes to buying a utility trailer, the convenience of picking one up at your local Big Box store such as Home Depot, Lowe's, Northern Tool, or Tractor Supply should be looked at very carefully, and consider the quality of the utility versus convenience. Mass merchant retailers have thousands of SKUs or items for sale at their stores.  They are a place of convenience, but not specialized in any given category; like the specialty trailer business, or your local trailer dealer. Try and get specific answers from them about the product in general, and then utility trailers; good luck.

The trailer business is a specialized business where your local dealer www.centraltrailerok.com can help you tremendously in understanding the difference in quality of the utility trailer you are about to purchase. A decent utility trailer ranges from $1950.00 for a 5’x8’ single axle trailer,  to $3850 for an 83”X16’ tandem axle trailer.  Pricing and hauling capacity goes up from there for gooseneck trailers, dump trailers, and enclosed cargo trailers. 

Two thousand dollars “$2000.00” on a 5x8 trailer is a good amount of money to invest on a utility trailer, and you want to get the best bang for your buck. There is a huge difference in the quality of the trailer sold at your local dealers, versus those of big box retailers. The trailers sold at big box retailers are typically made of inexpensive steel angle iron, low quality expanded metal, and bolted together with u-bolts, and nuts. By comparison, a traditional utility trailer will be made with heavy duty angle iron, pipe top steel tubing, thick expanded metal, heavy duty welds, and usually equipped with a Dexter 3500 lb single axle or two Dexter 3500 lb axles.  Most mass market trailers use Chinese manufactured axles, and some come with 10” wheel tires combinations instead of 15” wheel tire combos.  Some of the big box trailers come disassembled in a box from China. By comparison, a true utility trailer would have heavy axles, be properly mounted, or welded with heavy fasteners, and shipped to the local dealer fully assembled. Some could be welded to the actual frame of the trailer to securely mount the axles. There is a noticeable difference in quality.

Mass market utility trailers, and dealer trailers are very similar in pricing, but definitely not quality.  Most customers end up buying a utility trailer at a big box retailer because they are already in the store buying appliances, or a lawn more. It is a knee jerk, or impulse purchase. Convenience is spot on, but the actual trailer quality is not even comparable to specialized dealer sales.  You would be well served to visit your local trailer dealer and check the product being sold and benchmark it against the Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Lowes, or Northern Tool trailer.  You can clearly see the difference in the two trailer offerings.

Central Trailer Sales offers a wide variety of small and large utility trailers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  We are just outside of Tulsa on highway 51.  Our utility trailers are available in sizes from 6’X8’ in length all the way up to 77”X16’ which could actually be used as a combination utility trailer - car hauler if equipped with 5200 lb axles. 

Trailers can be manufactured to include rear ramp gates, folding ramp gates, or slide-in ramps in the case of a combo utility trailer. Most importantly a quality built trailer that will hold up to the job and last you for many years to come.   These types of trailers are not available at big box retailers. Central Trailer can help you to configure the best utility trailer for your specific application.

Utility trailers can be outfitted with stake pockets, D-rings for tie down locations, led lighting, folding gates, pull out ramps, braking systems, expanded sides from 12” all the way up to 48” for landscaping https://www.centraltrailerok.com/all-inventory/utility-trailers.  As previously mentioned, utility trailers can be configured with single and tandem axles depending on your load capacity requirements. 

Using a utility trailer is an amazing tool.  Whether you are carrying wood, a motorcycle, or a lawn mower the utility trailer will provide you with an incredibly easy manner to transport your items without killing your back, or destroying your vehicle interior.  Most importantly your load will be safe and secure in transport.  Additionally you will become extremely popular with your family and friends that will constantly ask you to borrow your new utility trailer for their projects too.