Four wheel drive??

[Farmerjohn]

I'm about to buy a Kubota 6800m and am leaning toward a four-wheel drive. What I'd like to know is if anybody sees disadvantages to the 4 wheel drive as opposed to the two wheel: safety? other? thanks very much!

 

[Buck]

Farmerjohn,

I don't have a farm but I do use my tractor for many chores. The only disadvantage that I have found for my FWD is that when tightly turning, the front wheels can scar the lawn.

Next, let me tell you I don't know why one would not have FWD. I have gotten stuck many times without being in FWD, only to be resucued after turning on FWD.

Buck

 

[jims5acr]

I would not buy a tractor without 4wd. If my tractor even thinks about getting stuck into 4wd it goes and out I come. I can't even count how many time I would have been stuck with just a 2wd tractor. I would rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it.
Have A great weekend.
Jim

 

[JerryG]

Farmerjohn,
FWD is the only way to go. I can’t count the number of times that I would have been stuck on the farm without it. With a 2wd in non-solid ground you will always the thought in the back of your mind about getting stuck. Many times I have had both axles dragging in the mud, if it were 2wd, I would have been stuck. Another thing, If the ground or grass is slick and you have a load or a big hog on, the front wheels will help bring the tractor around, where the 2wd would just slid them. I farm and use my tractor EVERY day and every farmer that I know that has ever bought a 4WD would never go back to 2WD again.

 

[JimME]

Farmerjohn,

I came very close to getting the M6800SD. It also has a locking front differential which gives you even more traction than those of us without a locking front diff.. The M6800SD is a fantastic tractor in every regard.

 

[TonyC]

I gotta join in for empahsis. If you buy this tractor as 2WD you will kick yourself a hundred times over and wait for the day when you can do it all over again and get the 4WD. Buy the 4WD...if you can't afford it, wait and save!!!!

 

[cisco]

4-wheel drive (FWD) is handy, particularly with a front end loader (FEL) heavily filled with whatever. I've FWD, but only use it when the FEL is into a dirt pile big time, and my rear wheels are "light" as a consequence, or when it's real muddy. FWD will tear up a wet lawn if you make a tight turn, but so will locking one rear wheel (boy, that make the tractor "turn on a dime", but sure will tear up the ground under the locked up wheel). The Kubotas, and most other tractors, let you stomp down (right foot on Kubota; dumb location as it is a real hassle if you are using the foot throttle) on a lever that locks up both rear wheels - such will get you out of most heavy mud and the like (I trust you are considering R-1 or R-4 tires, with "turf tires" forget about difficult traction situations, FWD or not). That said, I've managed, as most nut case tractor drivers, gotten into situations when locking the rear differential and FWD didn't quite suffice, and I needed the FEL to help me inch (literally) out of the muck. The option was walking over to a neighbor and asking for help (not a macho thing to do). So, FWD if you're doing more than mowing a pasture.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Kubota M6800 4wd Utility Tractor
68 Engine Horsepower 4 cyl. diesel - 62 PTO HP
Single remote valve, Ind. PTO
Rear work light, Foldable ROPS
Syncro-Shuttle (Lo-Rev)
One Only @ $21,000.00
TractorSmart.com 423-928-0261 email sales@tractorsmart.com
Modern Equipment Co., Inc. 3003 West Market St., Johnson City, TN 37604

__________________________

Only disadvantage of MFWD is cost of about $3500. more than 2WD... but spread out over the life of the tractor is minuscule...only mere pennies a day.

I agree with Jerry... you'll never go back to 2WD after you have MFWD.

With MFWD engaged you also increase your tractor pulling power another 15-20%... it's almost like getting a larger diesel engine installed with more grunt HP... extremely effective with most ground engaging equipment like rear blades, discs, plows, boxblades, etc.

 

[frank_f15]

farmerjohn: go 4wd!!!! with 2 wd once u get the weight off rear end u are in trouble, i would never consider a 2wd again.

 

[Youare]

I have a 2WD Ford and a FWD Kubota. FWD makes life so much less stressful. I always worried where I was driving into with 2WD, didn't know if I could back out again.

FWD is like a pocket on a shirt you can just do so much more with it. It's not how did I do with out it but, why.

 

[Kelvin]

Re: Four wheel drive?? - Safer...

I'll address the safety issue since no one else has.

The 4wd, if used, is much safer than 2wd. If you have any hilly terrain, the 4wd is the only way to get 4-wheel braking. Several people, including myself, have "wild ride" confessions on this board where the wild ride occurred as a result of starting down a hill and accidentally leaving the tractor in 2wd. These type incidents are much more likely with a loaded FEL.

Kelvin

 

[Farmerjohn]

Many thanks to all the kind people who have answered my question about 4WD! This decision has been giving me many sleepless nights, but now I feel much better informed. Thanks again! John (AKA Farmerjohn)

 

[JRP]

Disadvantages:

Cost is higher.- $3500

More parts - very expensive parts. There are two gears on each front side, one is $750, the other is $250. Plus differential parts. If you added FWD in the future the parts would cost you $20,000. I hope that I'll never need parts. I decided that 20 years from now, if it fails, that I could remove the drive gears and run it as a 2WD. Sort of like stripping the AC out of an old car after it is no longer cost effective to repair.

You can't change the size of the front tires. Tire sizing, as well as tire pressure, is more critical.

The front differential lock has a cable like a bicycle brake cable that is pretty vunerable the way it hangs down. The one tye wrap strap is not enough guard, so someday I'll build one.

I have an M6800SD FWD and am pleased with the tractor. It has turned out to be much more tractor than I need, but I'm glad I got a big one and I'm glad to have FWD.

The question for you is - Are you getting the hydraulic shuttle or the standard shuttle? This is an important decision. I tried the hydraulic shuttle and knew instantly that I didn't want to buy until I drove one with the standard clutch. It was very difficult to inch with the hydraulic shuttle/hydraulic clutch. Almost scarry. Imagine an electriclly operated clutch. Push the button - disengage, release the button - engage. Now think about trying to control the release. The hydraulic clutch might as well been an electric switch mounted to a pedal and was hard to control. I decided to save $2000 and get the manual clutch. Great decision.

Let me know what you get.

If you want to save $3000 and not get FWD, go ahead and save $7500 and get an M4900 2wd. I would not get an M6800 without FWD.

The $21,000 price in an earlier post is a great price. Keep in mind that Kubota has a new loader for the M6800 that is better than LA1002. I think it is LA1162.