FEL on 2WD L2800 and L4300?

[jinman]

I would not put a FEL on a lightweight 2wd compact. I don't think you'll ever get full use of it. You'll find that even with rear ballast, your rear wheels will lose traction when backing up a slope. For example, if you go downslope to a pile of dirt to load the FEL, you'll get it good and full. If there is loose dirt on the slope, when you back up or attempt it, your front load will cancel out the rear ballast really quickly and weight will shift to the front wheels. Your rears will probably lose traction. So I think you'll never be happy with the performance of the loader on that tractor. I'd suggest looking for a 4wd tractor with a loader. For the $5k or more price for adding a loader, you could surely find a 4wd tractor with loader and trade one of yours. You might even do that with less than the money you'll spend on a new loader. Remember also, if you put a new loader on and older tractor, the older tractor will always determine age and how the tractor is valued.

I would not put a FEL on a 2wd tractor of less than 7k-8k lb and then I'd want some really good ballast. You will get some jobs done on the smaller tractor and it will make some things convenient, but I just don't think you'll ever get 100% value for your investment.

 

[doxford jim]

I hvae to agree on the idea of perhaps buying another tractor, 4x4 with a FEL.
I had a MF65 two wheel drive tractor with a FEL on it. The rear wheels were ballasted and there was a 55gal drum on the back most times, filled with rock. I was able to do what I needed to do most times - a 4x4 tractor would have been much better. I think I only paid $3,000 for it and sold it later ( to buy my Jinma 554 4x4 tractor) for $4,000 so I didn't do too bad.
I gues that once you have used a 4x4 tractor you will probably never go back to a 2x4.
Thx