2WD or 4WD??

[mstewart44]

Getting ready to order the 2007 5103 (before model change) but have read a lot of posts on this board about 4wd. I'm sure no one here who has a 4wd is disappointed in the performance of their tractor. But, if you have 4WD, do you find you actually NEED it? For those of you with 2wd, do you find you wish you had it? There is a substantial price difference and I'm not sure I will be able to justify it but the property I have has sloped terrain and it would probably come in useful. Like all message boards, I look for info when reviewing posts and look forward to the feedback on this thread. Thanks!!

 

[CWP37]

If you've read posts on this subject, you've probably seen me rant about 2WD. Here's my opinion.

If you get a 5x03 2WD, get the WIDEST back tires available. Don't even ask the price, get 'em.

If you're doing more than mowing, get 4WD.

I'm currently selling my 5103 to get a 5203 4WD. It's cheaper to get it right the first time.

 

[Z-Michigan]

I have a 5105 with MFWD - pretty comparable. 4wd is useful for tillage; I use it a lot for plowing, and occasionally for disking. It is useful for loader work, but not essential if you have enough rear ballast. Main questions are whether you're going to be operating on level or hilly ground, and if you will be trying to operate in mud or deep sand. Farmers have done fine with 2wd for a long time.

 

[mstewart44]

Yeah, Chip I've read many of your recent posts and have thought about trying to contact you to discuss it further. I posted a thread "To Load or not to Load"
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/jd-buying-pricing/107452-load-not-load-fel-question.html
and described my property. Mainly I'll be mowing roads on a 160 acre hunting tract that is 150 acres of trees and 10 +/- acres of food plots. I have about 2 or 3 miles of roads and fire breaks. I have a hilly terrain and have fire breaks that go around young planted pines. I could see 4WD coming in handy but I also have a man with a 4525 4WD who I can hire for $55 an hour to mow fire breaks and save the $$ a 4WD would cost me. I live two hours from the property and don't make it down there often. My family suggests keeping "the tractor man" on call, save the $$ on the tractor investment, and just drive down and enjoy the property without all the extra work. My feeling is riding that tractor IS ENJOYING the property in itself!!

Just looking for feedback about the 2wd vs. 4wd debate and hope I don't with buyers remorse.

 

[RollingsFarms]

i have only farmed with a 2wd tractor. my tractor is 75% used for discing fire breaks throughout the woods and the other 25% is bush hogging. ive never stuck my tractor while discing but it has tried to sink itself many times. i've always been able to get the job done with a 2wd but i am STRONGLY considering a 4wd with my next tractor purchase. the 5103 is a heavy tractor and the weight of it should help greatly with discing as weight is the real secret to discing.

 

[Taylork]

While I know I would appreciate 4wd (particularly yesterday after *almost* getting stuck), the cost should be considered.

I purposefully went witht the 5103 instead of the 990 4wd due to its "full size" (I Know, it is small in relation to the larger tractors) but for my 30 acres it is more than sufficient due to the extra capacity in hauling, etc, and frankly the price which when I got it was by far the best deal around (early summer 2007).

As Chip said, if you have a large enough tire you should be better off. I unfortunately was not aware of this minor tidbit of information when I got my tractor and got the "standard issue" tire (more narrow). That said, the 5103 (50 hp version) has done everything I wanted it to do and more. I just have been a lot more careful when it is wet. But, the true test for me comes in a few weeks when and if I do some plowing.

Good luck, and in any event the 510x series is great!

 

[unreconstructed]

I grew up on a farm in West Texas back in the 50s and 60s and my Dad had no 4WD on anything other than our two cow horses. We got by but 4WD certainly would have come in handy.

I bot a 5203 and have done a lot of loader work. Have the back tires filled but think I need to add some more ballast. Looses traction before it powers down. I am tempted with the new 4WD model, but am pushing 60 and am wanting to retire early, so I need to quit spending money in such large hunks. I think I will stay with the 5203 I have (have a little 2320 also) and make it work. I figure, maybe incorrectly, that the MFWD is something else to break.


If I had it to do over again, I would strongly consider the 4WD on the 5203 or maybe even the 5303 or 5403. I think as it is, I just stay out of the mud--its the slick stuff on my hill country place that gives me fits. Guess its the same at LLano where Chip is. The deep sand in West Texas also gives me problems if I put too much of a load on the 03-- it will spin the tires until I bury up to the axle. So gotta watch that.

So...the 4WD gives you more operational options, cost more money, and is one more source of potential mechanical problems. You will run into circumstances you wish you had 4WD, no doubt. Just depends if those circumstances come along often enough to merit buying the 4WD. Its a tough decision.

I do really like the tractor, 2WD and all.


Best of luck.

 

[CWP37]

I pretty much agree with unreconstructed on principle. With a few exceptions.

If you get 2WD, make sure to upgrade to the widest tires available.

If you don't live on the property, it almost always makes more financial sense to rent or subcontract tractor work. But then you don't have the joy of owning a tractor. I really enjoy "working" on the tractor with my boy as the sun comes up.

My experience has been that you just never know exactly when you will want or need 4WD. Get stuck once and you'll curse not spending the extra money. At least I did.

2WD is fine 99% of the time. For me, it's worth the extra money for that 1%. If you ever have to call a neighbor to help pull your new tractor from the mud, I think you'll agree.

 

[Soundguy]

On flat land that you mostly mow.. 2wd is fine. if you do loader work and or your 'sloped' land.. I'd get the 4wd. I had a 4wd NC CUT.. and with my land.. never used the 4wd but once.. and got stuck in a mud bog anyway.. but that was a special case.. a tank would have got stuck too..

Hilly land? be safe.. get 4wd and have front brakes.. ( coupled driveline to rear brakes ).. As there is nothing so invigorating than driving down hill in a 2wd tractor and have somthing unweight your rear.. like an improperly hitched trailer.. or a heavy load in the loader.. etc.. It becomes laike a iron roler coaster.. except it doesn't always stop when you want to exit the ride..

( and this from a guy that only owns 2wd tractors.. and didn't get a fel until only a couple years ago.. {wink} )


Soundguy

 

[Oleozz]

The things I use four wd for are plowing, discing, snow removal, and loader work. I normally don't use it for mowing, planting corn, spraying, or running the spike tooth harrow. If I was going to buy a bigger utility tractor I most likely would only buy a 2 wd.

 

[mstewart44]

What size tire would you guys recommend for the 2wd 5103 to help not get bogged down and not have to pay for the 4WD?? Don't know if I can swing the extra $$ for the 4WD and the financing incentives are for the 03 series only (0% for 60 months). Payment would probably be too high.

 

[unreconstructed]

This has nothing to do with the 2wd/4wd deal, but I gotta tell you Chip (you will think I am nuts) I live in Midland, haul the 5203 75 miles north to Dawson county to take care of some pasture that lies in my cotton land (I rent the cotton acreage out) and haul the thing down to Menard county--about 200 miles to work on that place--moving rock/grubbing pear/pulling up old fence line/shredding/you name it. Your comment about enjoying the tractor is right on--and it sure beats using a shovel and wheel barrow.

I bet I have moved a good 75 yards of prickly pear with the 5203 and oversize bucket--that would be a killer the way I started out with the wheel barrow.

 

[RobJ]

If I was going to buy a bigger utility tractor I most likely would only buy a 2 wd.

Wow this is a great comment. Smaller lighter tractors need it more that heavier ones.

Only gotten my 2wd stuck twice. Same thing happened, going through a ditch and the BB got hung up on the up side of the ditch. Couldn't raise the 3pt enough. Second was about the same thing but mud caused the BH to get stuck on the hill. Both cases I don't think 4wd would have helped much, maybe yes on the first case, the fronts were on the pavement. Both were easy to recover. I wouldn't mind 4wd because of the power steering.

 

[RollTideRam]

To me 4wd is like insurance. It is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. How much more does it cost? How many years do you plan to use the tractor? Figure it that way and see what it cost. JC

 

[Greyfields]

If you don't get 4WD you will forever regret it. Always sticking there in the back of your mind will be the thought "I would have been able to get out of this jam if I'd gotten 4WD". If you're dropping that much money on a tractor, I'd say the 4WD is the only serious option.

 

[texasjohn]

On acreage with lots of variety, you ask your tractor to do all sorts of jobs. In my opinion, the more different kinds of tasks a tractor does, the more likely you are to benefit from 4WD. I all depends on how often you want to NOT attempt a task, or require extra thought and effort, or seek assistance because you do not have 4WD. Nobody on this thread has mentioned significant negatives to 4wd, only how to get around not having it. Whenever I put my tractor in 2wd, it isn't 30 minutes before I'm spinning tires doing something and wondering why... then remember and put it back in 4wd and get back to doing real work.

To me, a tractor comes in 4 functional parts
engine/transmission
3ph
FEL
4WD

I consider all parts to be mandatory for the kinds of work people do on smaller acreage typical to TBN members because of the vast diversity of tasks that the tractor is tasked with. Leave any one of these off, and it becomes an unpleasant struggle, if not unsafe, to get things done.. I know... I've owned 2 2wd tractors, no FEL before I understood the usefulness of everything working in four part harmony.

 

[unreconstructed]

And its like CWP37 said, if its what you want, then get it.

 

[CWP37]

All that said, 0% for 60 months is a GREAT deal on an old model 5103. If you get the wider rear tires (I think 16.9") you might be very happy and have a lot of money left over for implements.

Of course, you might end up like me and have a lot of cool implements and be looking for a 4WD 9 months from now.

 

[Grrrr]

We have used 2wd's on the farm for years and we have pretty slopy land. But we have recently started to get 4wd's and they are taking us places we have never been before and should probably never go again

I think that getting 4wd is probably worth it especially if you have any sort of hills as it will help to keep you one the hill.

If it was just mowing on flat land I would go for 2wd because of less tire damage and much tighter turning radius.

 

[Bob_Young]

I guess it depends upon your circumstances, mstewart. Getting unstuck after getting stuck is going to take time, help and another vehicle/tractor. If you've got the time for this, someone to help and another tractor handy then 2WD may be viable. After a few episodes, getting stuck won't be an issue anyway because you'll have learned what you can get away with and what you can't.

But what WILL continue to be an issue is the "work-arounds" you adopt to avoid getting stuck. Taking the long way to a remote field, avoiding a slippery slope, circumventing a soft spot, putting lots of weight on the rears. These all take their toll in terms of time, fuel and/or lost opportunity. If you can afford to do these things over the long term, 2WD should be fine.

But most don't have that luxury. Time is short and, even if we're retired gentlemen farmers, we can find ourselves under the gun due to approaching bad weather, gathering darkness, or the need to be somewhere else. MFWD is on your side when you just need to "Git 'er done".

It's true, 2WD was adequate for farming for decades. It was all the farmers had. But for the acreage, there was more help on farms then and more tractors; help wasn't far away. Now, with huge acreages worked by relatively few people, MFWD can often be a necessity. Help may be a mile or more away.

When new equipment appears on neighboring farms these days, it's seldom 2WD. These are folks that know both 2WD and 4WD, the value of a $, and what's needed to stay productive. When we work by ourselves on our own plot of land it really isn't that much different.
FWIW
Bob