# trailer hydraulic brakes



## shamrockkidno2 (May 16, 2017)

I'm thinking about buying a cattle trailer that has hydraulic brakes on it. I haven't saw the trailer yet. Can anyone enlighten me on what you would have to do with your tow rig to have brakes.Thanks


----------



## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

If it is the serge type setup, where the tong on the trailer moves and applies the breaks when the tow truck slows... I don't care for them, you half to get out and lock the serge out to back up is just one thing about them.. If it's new enough they may have made improvements to the system ...


----------



## swall01 (Jun 10, 2018)

ive seen electric over hydraulic and it requires standard electric brake controller. never seen straight hydraulic.


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

swall01 said:


> ive seen electric over hydraulic and it requires standard electric brake controller. never seen straight hydraulic.


Yes electric over hyd is ok.. Had hyd. surge breaks on my first cattle ,,no good,, the guy that got that idea never hauled cattle


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Don't know about the serge type, but the electric over hydraulics :wub:, is what I say. Never want an electric only or serge only again. Biggest negative with electric/hydraulics $$ IMHO.

Larry


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

r82230 said:


> Don't know about the serge type, but the electric over hydraulics :wub:, is what I say. Never want an electric only or serge only again. Biggest negative with electric/hydraulics $$ IMHO.
> 
> Larry


I've overloaded my standard electric brakes more times than I'd like and they've always worked great and never been replaced.
Wonder if it's the brand of brakes? Mine are Dexter. No problems. Stops even heaviest loads easily.


----------



## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

My dexter electrics have not been so great, honestly all electric brakes are piss poor in the salt belt. The wiring and hardware all don’t stay working long. I think they might have worked for a year once. Currently they randomly work or don’t, sometimes it says short but also says open, next trip they likely will work fine. Have checked every inch of harness so must be a magnet fault.


----------



## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

JD3430 said:


> I've overloaded my standard electric brakes more times than I'd like and they've always worked great and never been replaced.
> Wonder if it's the brand of brakes? Mine are Dexter. No problems. Stops even heaviest loads easily.


I suspect it depends on the size of the axle that the brakes are on, and the adequacy of the wiring. Most of the electric brake trailers I've pulled had pretty anemic performance. Some worse than others. My own little 20' GN will stop like crazy but it has the same brakes as a 7,000 lb axle--only on a 5200 lb axle.

We used to have a GN grain trailer with 2 pot hydraulic brakes run by an actuator. That bugger could stop, if the controller wasn't on the fritz. I was in deep crap if the trailer brakes didn't work as my gross weight was often from 30-33,000 lbs. A regular controller in the pickup ran the E/H unit on the trailer.


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Gearclash said:


> I suspect it depends on the size of the axle that the brakes are on, and the adequacy of the wiring. Most of the electric brake trailers I've pulled had pretty anemic performance. Some worse than others. My own little 20' GN will stop like crazy but it has the same brakes as a 7,000 lb axle--only on a 5200 lb axle.
> 
> We used to have a GN grain trailer with 2 pot hydraulic brakes run by an actuator. That bugger could stop, if the controller wasn't on the fritz. I was in deep crap if the trailer brakes didn't work as my gross weight was often from 30-33,000 lbs. A regular controller in the pickup ran the E/H unit on the trailer.


Another reason I can "get away" with basic good quality electric brakes is probably because we have small, albeit steep hills here. Not a lot of opportunity for brakes to over heat. I bet I'd have at least some issues on long downhill mountain passes.
I always test mine after I load. Get going about 20 and squeeze the Ford brake controller and man she stops a 11-12 ton load of hay easily and 100% of the time without the truck brakes.
The other thing that's nice is both my trucks have transmissions that downshift and somewhat of an exhaust brake. 
I never run loads of hay in salt/ice/snow either and I park trailer on dry pavement or under a shelter. 
There's a light rust haze starting on the frame underneath so I'd assume I'll have an issue soon. I kind of like that we have annual state inspection on trailers. Puts another set of eyes on the brakes and suspension. 
I must be lucky.
It's a 30' Big Tex and it's been an excellent trailer.
Heard great things about E/H brakes, but it also adds cost and more complexity. Might go that route on next trailer, which will be a 35' with deck on the neck.


----------



## cjsr8595 (Jul 7, 2014)

I've run surge brakes for years on my boats, they work great for that purpose. I'm not sure how they would be in the snow as i usually don't tow the boat in the snow. All brakes suck in the snow in my opinion. I will caveat the statement above, in my opinion having used both surge and electric, I believe electric is a better choice for trailers that do not get repeatedly submerged.


----------



## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

One thought with surge brakes, if the tow vehicle is on ice or mud so it slides the trailer is content to push you along.


----------



## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

Surge brakes work decently well on solid loads, but overall I'd prefer the more well known and popular brakes. I have electrics on our new trailer, on 10k axles and they're great, but they're also new and just broken in so I expect that!

I've never run the electric over hydraulic, but did own a 5 ton 6x6 military dump truck a while ago and it had air over hydraulic and that worked well and it was a way around the needed air brake endorsement for heavy trucks. I happened to have my CDL A with all the endorsements at the time, but the way-around allowed the average driver to drive the truck empty, legally.


----------

