I have always had 2wd tractors. I was loaned a 4wd once when my 5005 was in for warranty work. I loved it for pulling. But as far as loader work, get the bigger tractor. You will need the horses and hydraulics. With a loader, I would suggest the first addon being a lot wider front wheel/tire combo. 1st winter I had my 5005, I yanked the 7.5x16 wheels off the front and put on a set of 10.00x16 from an old JD 4320 we had. The bolt pattern was the same and they really helped in wet conditions with a bale of hay on each end. By the way, I am up here in East Texas so I probably see a little more of the wet stuff than you do. But it does cut down on rutting in the pasture with the wider tire. Only time I wanted 4wd was when I was pulling a 6 1/2' offset disc.