4wd tractor vs 2wd

[aczlan]

I have seen enough to not, feel I need 4wd on a tractor. If I had a loader on it,maybe. If it was properly ballasted maybe.If had experience on both, and believed the 4wd was the way to go, maybe. However 2wd tractors have proven themselves enough to me, so I don't know about needing 4wd.

If you took a pair of tractors (one 4wd and one 2wd) with the same axle weights, hp, etc without a loader on them, and had them pull progressively larger plows, the 2wd would run out of traction before the 4wd would.

Two real world experiences for you:
1. My in-laws have a 4wd Kubota L3830 (loaded rear tires, no loader) and in 2wd mode, it will spin the rear wheels pulling the 3 bottom trailer plow if the ground is at all soft.
If you shift into 4wd, it stops spinning immediately and you go a little faster in the drier areas as the rear wheels are no longer spinning.

2. Dad went from a 2wd Massey Industrial 35 (50HP perkins diesel, 6ft bucket, monster loader, loaded rears, wheelweights and chains). It weighed at least 6000# with the weights and loader. He replaced it with a Kubota L3650 (36HP, 4wd, loaded tires all the way around and a loader). It weighs around 5000#.
On dry level ground, the Massey would probbaly pull more then the Kubota, but once you get into soft ground (discing the garden, moving dirt, bushhogging down in the woods, etc), the Kubota will work much more than the Massey did.
In soft areas, the Massey had trouble getting out of its own way.

Aaron Z

 

[ShannonCole888]

I would likely have to operate both of the same tractor, in the same conditions, doing the same work, and see which one I would prefer. At present the 2wd Massey Ferguson 2605 38hp seems it would do the job. I have not altogether ruled out a 4wd, but the 2wd seems good enough to me. If you were talking about ATV's, then I would say 4wd. Tractors, for plowing, and tillage work, with pulling heavy red oaks, and firewood. The 2wd manual transmission, properly ballasted tractor seems to be the more appropriate tool for the job. If the soil is loose, soft, and muddy regularly, and 4wd makes a major improvement, then a 4wd maybe more practical, and less hassel to operate in such soil conditions. However, I have seen 2wd tractors do fairly well in the conditions I have planned on using. 4wd may, or may not be what I am looking for in a tractor for work. I will probably only use a one bottom plow, or a 2 bottom plow, depending on which may work better. I noticed a John Deere 5045d pulling a 3 bottom plow on youtube, that seemed to be having some trouble doing a good job here is the link YouTube - ‪John Deere 5045d plowing 1‬‏ there is a part 1, and part 2

 

[ShannonCole888]

Here is a video you might like YouTube - ‪Why we needed a four wheel drive tractor‬‏

 

[ShannonCole888]

This video shows that a loader can be very handy, and that 4wd doesn't always seem to work /www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWI_GKENbHA

 

[crash325]

Its a lot better to have something you don't need.
Than to need something you don't have. :laughing: :thumbsup:

 

[aczlan]

Two other reasons to have 4wd are:
Better resale value
Often easier to find a used 4wd than a 2wd

On the plowing video, the ground was very dry and the wheels were still spinning. If it was even a little wet, that tractor would have been stuck. That is exactly what our Kubota was doing when I was plowing in 2wd. When it got slightly wet I had to use 4wd.


Aaron Z

 

[SixHoeBob]

Shannon besides virtual farming on You Tube, how many hours do you have operating a tractor? Some of the guys you are debating with probably have 10-20 thousand hours of real world experience.
I have run about 30-40 different machines over the last 35 years, with a total seat time close to 25 thousand hours.
There is a lot of difference between watching a computer screen and operating a tractor.
For example; When you are plowing a field, which way are you looking?
Forward or Backwards?
Same question for mowing, raking, and baling hay

How much money do you have in your checking account? A person with money would have bought a tractor by now.

Anyone replying here could also give us a guess as to number of different
tractors/machines and total seat time.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Here is a video you might like YouTube - ‪Why we needed a four wheel drive tractor‬‏

Thats what horses and water do to ground. Extremely poor choice of tires on that tractor.
larry

 

[SPYDERLK]

Two real world experiences for you:
1. My in-laws have a 4wd Kubota L3830 (loaded rear tires, no loader) and in 2wd mode, it will spin the rear wheels pulling the 3 bottom trailer plow if the ground is at all soft.
If you shift into 4wd, it stops spinning immediately and you go a little faster in the drier areas as the rear wheels are no longer spinning.
2. Dad went from a 2wd Massey Industrial 35 (50HP perkins diesel, 6ft bucket, monster loader, loaded rears, wheelweights and chains). It weighed at least 6000# with the weights and loader. He replaced it with a Kubota L3650 (36HP, 4wd, loaded tires all the way around and a loader). It weighs around 5000#.
On dry level ground, the Massey would probbaly pull more then the Kubota, but once you get into soft ground (discing the garden, moving dirt, bushhogging down in the woods, etc), the Kubota will work much more than the Massey did.
In soft areas, the Massey had trouble getting out of its own way.

Aaron Z

A major thing here is you push the fronts in 2wd. If they are leaving 6" deep tracks in softsoil/plowedground this is a hard push. The OP also talks about pulling logs. This usually entails crossing over a log on occasion. Pushing the fronts over even a fairly small log is quite difficult. However, if the fronts are pulling they climb right over. Same idea why a 4wd uses less HP and fuel crossing a soft field than a 2wd in the same circumstance.
larry

 

[bindian]

Have you considered the 25 series from Mahindra? Like the 3825, 4025, or 4525? These are all 2WD tractors that pack a LOT of punch!... I used to own a '97 Mahindra 485 DI. I love my Massey Ferguson, but wish I'd NEVER sold the Mahindra.

They are very tough and reliable tractors. If I was to go buy a new Mahindra tomorrow, it would probably be the 4525.

Regardless, Massey Ferguson and Mahindra are all I'd buy. Period.

If you are committed to buying new and 2WD, check out the 25 series from Mahindra.
Farm tractors for Ag Farmers, Hobby Farmers - Sub Compact, Compact & Full Size 2WD & 4WD Utility Tractors
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Ad in today's local paper...........new Mahindra 4025.......2WD, 41 horsepower with loader.................Cash Price.....$14,500
J5 Tractors / Welcome !
hugs, Brandi

 

[ShannonCole888]

No I don't have the money to afford a tractor right now, but I don't want to pay on the thing for 6 years either, along with several other things. I would prefer to make a good down payment of about $3,000.00 on a $12,000.00 tractor, and try paying it off asap, then buy more of the implements I need. Having only one thing I owe money on at a time works best for me, but not always.Running up credit can make you a slave to your needs. I have good credit, I don't want to run that in the ground. I don't know a person can take enough advice, and experienced imput, but depending on what you are really looking for, everyone's experienced advice won't be put to use. It won't be applicable. I agree in that video of the horse farmer, he may have done better with ag tires. He also said, that he was recommended to get 2wd by several of this friends. A larger tractor that was only 2wd, with ag tires, properly ballasted may have severed him better that the 4wd. When you add 4wd, you change the ballast properties of a lot of tractors original design. Ballasting a 4wd tractor is important for it to work to it's tractor potential. Ag tires would have helped him quite a bit I believe.

 

[ShannonCole888]

I meant served him better.

 

[ShannonCole888]

Not every experienced tractor operator had good advice. Take not of that.

 

[ShannonCole888]

Not every tractor operator has good advice, take not of that . sometimes my typing suffers.

 

[ShannonCole888]

Take note of this... shew there

 

[tungularafishcamp]

So Shannon back to the 2x4 wheel drive thing. Do you have a friend or neighbor that has a 4x drive that you can help for a day or two in different conditions? You could just cycle the 4x off and on and see if it makes a difference for you. I know it does for me but then I am only in the snow when I am not in the mud and sand. I would have been stuck several times today hauling heavy loader loads if not for the 4x and that is with 4 big rear tires pushing and a backhoe holding a log for ballast.
Rick

 

[earljr59]

you should take notice of all the 4 wheel drive backhoes working in your area.If you have farmers in your area,look at their tractors as well.This will prove the firm belief in 4 wheel drive over 2wheel drive.Here in southern Illinois our farmers and construction companies/operators have used them for so long we could not imagine not having 4wd on any of our equipment.On most construction jobs here they require/request 4wd backhoes. In my 35 years as a heavy equipment operator I have never heard one person say they regretted having 4wd, operator or farmer. NEVER.

 

[ShannonCole888]

I live in Southern West Virginia. I live real close to the Hatfield and McCoy Trails. I have done quite a bit off roading, on ATV's, UTV's, pickup trucks, jeeps, etc.. Anyways, 4wd is real profitable in these conditions, and differential lock, etc.. I used to do contracting construction, Operated a 4wd John Deere Backhoe.I believe it was the J model. 4wd probably helped with the backhoe, but it has a more evenly ballanced weight between the front, and rear axles. So, the 4wd drive advantage works better on a backhoe than on a lot of tractors. Most tractors, as I understand it, especially the heavy rear, light front end designs, can be improperly ballasted just by the addition of the weight of the 4wd front axle , and front wheels. Taking weight off the rear, as the tractor was designed for. I have noticed that this takes a particular % of the weight off of the rear, transfering it to the front. Given the much larger tire size of the rear, vs the front on most tractors. Front wheel assist, is not 4wd of equal tire sizes like with a truck, or atv. Notice how a pickup truck's rear end can easily spin, even in 4wd, but doesn't obtain much traction, and propel the vehicle forward very efficiently. Backhoes have additional weight added to their front's in a lot of newer Backhoes. Apparently weight was needed to better balance the machine so that it would be more effective in it's 4wd design, with the frontend loader. A lot of standard tractor designs, with light front ends, with light front end axles in 2wd models, I believe were designed to be more efficient in 2wd versions vs 4wd versions, because of the weight transfer towards being over the rear axle. I believe this is why tractors tended to raise up in the front, and would need weights added to prevent this in certain applications. Eventually they incorporated the ROPS. As you might see in a photo of a tractor that has flipped back, because of the design of a tractor, wherein they started putting the ROPs because of tractor rollovers,and that how the weight of the machine rolls front over rear, on the axis of the rear axle, and rear tires. Two large rear ag tires is all I understand is needed, so long as the front of the tractor is light enough, and has just enough weight on it to steer, and not raise up too much. The 2 large rear tires is all the pulling wheel power that is needed to obtain traction, and plow, unless the tractor isn't designed this way. Newer tractors are becoming more, and more like two rear ends, instead of a rear, and a front end. I believe there is a good reason why it is called front wheel assist instead of 4 Wheel Drive..

 

[ShannonCole888]

I also understand that in the design of a tractor, the rear tires are the drive wheels. I believe also that if 4 wheels are to work of real benefit in pulling, they have to evenly distribute the weight of the machine,and have equal power running to them,equal gearing, and equal tire sizes. If you take a tractor with large rear tires, and small front tires, and the tractor has front wheel assist, the tractor has to be properly ballasted, or it won't be a tractor. Because, the main drive wheels, the rears, won't be taking the % of the weight, and the balance of the weight of the tractor will be placing too much on the small front wheels, and the full effects of the tractor won't be put to as effective of use. I am not saying front wheel assist doesn't help, but if it does work, it has to be properly ballasted, or balanced, because you might get 4 wheels pulling, but won't have a good pull tractor, if it isn't ballasted properly. I'm looking for a good pull tractor, and front wheel assist takes some work to get it ballasted properly, so that it will pull good. It might get a little better traction in muddy conditions, but in most normal conditions, it probably won't be pulling as well as a properly ballaseted 2wd. I like watching plow days, and watching antique tractors plow, that are only 2 wd, with wheel weights pull 2,3,4,5,7 furrow plows, with only 2 drive wheels pulling.