Noob question 4 wheel drive

[PILOON]

I'll add one more 'must do' for 4 wheel drive.

That's going downhill as you only have rear wheel brakes and when you apply braking the rears will skip and slide.

In 4 wd you have engine compression working for you.
Your ride will get wilder if you happen to have a loaded bucket!

 

[bartjoebob]

For me, RWD useful when on hard surfaces or mowing. 4WD tears turf around tight turns mowing and I can also feel it bind when turning on hard surfaces. Also check the recommended operating RPM for your machine. If just doing somerhing quick or not too taxing, 1800-2000 RPM is probably ok. But if you are using PTO or working the machine hard or for an extended period you really should be running at recommended RPM. The RPM controls your cooling fan speed and fluid pumps, those are designed to run at that RPM to provide correct cooling.

 

[bggraham83]

Hi everyone! First time tractor owner here and I’m trying to learn as much as I can. I have a 25hp Branson and live in Florida. I’m using the tractor for mostly bucket and grapple work. My land is pretty sandy but not enough softness that I get stuck in. i do feel the tractor bog down frequently. I run my RPMs 15-1800 when working the two implements. Is this the sweet spot to run RPMs and also should I be running it in 4x4 mode all the time or stick with 2 wheel until I get stuck? Thanks for any help! Mike

I'd say just run in 4 wheel all the time. Really though, just get some wheel weights for the back maybe 100 pounds each side. weights are expensive around a dollar a pound. Something you will probably have to not buy on ebay. Wheel weights is the way people did it for the past 60 years. I got a similar 8N Fordson around 25hp and it has a bucket. Wheel weights solved our problem.

 

[William Bransford]

Keep in mind , like any machinery, it good to engage the 4 wheel to keep the parts lubricated and moving occasionally.

 

[tjus77]

Off road I am in 4 wheel drive unless I’m mowing. Brake turns are better without front wheels engaged. FEL work always in 4x4

 

[DieselBound]

If OP is mostly in SAND then stay in 4wd. (manuals usually tell you how to operate 4wd)

4wd also for when doing loader work (on pretty much flat ground!) and needing to keep the front end tracking.

For me I run in 2wd until needed. I suppose I have enough of a feel of what it is like just before getting stuck that I am able to shift into 4wd and get out of the situation. One usually goes from fimer ground to softer ground. RARELY will you not be able to back out in 4wd from whence you came: if you can't, then you don't have a good grasp of your land's characteristics.

 

[CoyPatton]

This is the second post through pages of comments 1 outright stating 4x4 gives 4 wheel braking and this post implying that error.
since braking is a mechanical function on the tractor, you can not gain front brakes by being in 4x4. It is a physical impossibility! If your tractor does a nose dive, you will not have brakes! You can stop the rear wheels/tires from spinning, but has they have no traction, you have no brakes for slowing the tractor!
Now in fairness to this discussion, being in 4x4 if you lose rear traction does allow you to have some speed control as opposed to free spinning front wheels/tires as in 2x4 mode. No brakes but speed control/driven traction. What this may allow is more reaction time to deal will a potentially dangerous situation.
If you have HST, get it to slower speed of travel with the pedal. Do not ho to the neutral setting of the pedal. Do not go to reverse as you probably will loose traction and limited control. If you have a loader, making an assumption that you do with a nose dive, drop the loader to the ground (ok it is on the ground with the nose dive, still drop it, it should reduce the nose dive, bring the rear to contact the ground and provide some brake function.
Now if you have figured it yet, you need ballast or more ballast to avoid this nose dive. While filled tires is one type of ballast, you need weight behind the rear axle to offset the weight in front of the front axle. Your mfg should provide this info in your tractor manual or your loader manual.

 

[sallyb]

Hi everyone! First time tractor owner here and I’m trying to learn as much as I can. I have a 25hp Branson and live in Florida. I’m using the tractor for mostly bucket and grapple work. My land is pretty sandy but not enough softness that I get stuck in. i do feel the tractor bog down frequently. I run my RPMs 15-1800 when working the two implements. Is this the sweet spot to run RPMs and also should I be running it in 4x4 mode all the time or stick with 2 wheel until I get stuck? Thanks for any help! Mike

My 2910i Branson back wheels in air .I was scooping mud , kept sliding and overloaded bucket. I should have used 4 wheel. I don’t use 4 wheel very much, hard River bottom land. You will find this forum very helpful. Oh, I agree with Jeff.

 

[ptsg]

This is the second post through pages of comments 1 outright stating 4x4 gives 4 wheel braking and this post implying that error.
since braking is a mechanical function on the tractor, you can not gain front brakes by being in 4x4. It is a physical impossibility! If your tractor does a nose dive, you will not have brakes! You can stop the rear wheels/tires from spinning, but has they have no traction, you have no brakes for slowing the tractor!
Now in fairness to this discussion, being in 4x4 if you lose rear traction does allow you to have some speed control as opposed to free spinning front wheels/tires as in 2x4 mode. No brakes but speed control/driven traction. What this may allow is more reaction time to deal will a potentially dangerous situation.
If you have HST, get it to slower speed of travel with the pedal. Do not ho to the neutral setting of the pedal. Do not go to reverse as you probably will loose traction and limited control. If you have a loader, making an assumption that you do with a nose dive, drop the loader to the ground (ok it is on the ground with the nose dive, still drop it, it should reduce the nose dive, bring the rear to contact the ground and provide some brake function.
Now if you have figured it yet, you need ballast or more ballast to avoid this nose dive. While filled tires is one type of ballast, you need weight behind the rear axle to offset the weight in front of the front axle. Your mfg should provide this info in your tractor manual or your loader manual.

I've seen you mention this a couple times over time on this forum and you've been corrected before, yet you keep claiming that the brakes won't apply to the front axle in 4WD.

Can you explain why you think that way?

 

[sallyb]

Sorry pictures didn’t load first time.