Thoughts on full time 4WD?

[Diggin It]

My property is mostly hilly/steep. If I start downhill and forget 4WD, I could have an "uncontrolled descent."

Don't ask me how I know about those already.

 

[/pine]

Methinks TBN needs a special graveyard for beaten dead horse (topic) threads...maybe even with a curse for those that resurrect them

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I am of the opinion that the SCUTS and probably the smaller CUTS are engineered and constructed to run in 4WD. As one said they are useless w/o it. I have 1500 rough Hrs on my BX; run 98% of the time in 4WD, and have no evidence of any problem. I have never had the hydraulic leaks others complain about. In fact I have had no major problems, only the little irritating crap like broken interlock switches and implement related pins, never even a loose bolt.

Ron

 

[dragoneggs]

SCUT owner here... and beating a dead horse. Sloped terrain. 4WD on always unless on my driveway. Learned my lesson.

 

[ruffdog]

I have a 4x2 Deere x744 and my dad has a 4x4 x749. His 4x4 is a automatic type that only engages when there is slippage and has no lever to lock it in.

 

[buickanddeere]

I've heard it's bad, maybe very bad to be in 4WD all the time. But that also seems to mean even when driving straight and level. I rarely do that. My property is almost all sloped to some extent. My movements are almost always positioning to do some digging, carrying dirt in the FEL, pulling a trailer or similar up or downhill, or mowing hills. All is at slow speeds. I find I have to be in Low and 4WD to do much of that at all.

Where am I in the risk of damage from using full time 4WD? If I mow the more level areas, I can go to 2WD with no problem. And I rarely if ever go on the road where I would be in High range and 2WD..

Who was the technical expert who told you all of this ?

 

[oosik]

Read your owners manual. Do as you wish. I could not care less. This dead horse is really beginning to stink.

 

[gladehound]

I know of multiple CUTs that were put into 4wd (MFWD) the day they were bought, logged thousands of hours and were never taken out of 4wd. Not one of them has had an issue with the 4wd. I stay in 2wd until 4wd is needed. Then I typically forget I'm in 4wd and drive it around that way the rest of the day. As long as you're not making sharp turns on a high traction surface with the front and rear loaded, I doubt you'll hurt anything by being in 4wd.

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

This thread is definitely starting to stink. In fact, the whole forum is. Why is everyone so grouchy and argumentative these days?

 

[k0ua]

My property is mostly hilly/steep. If I start downhill and forget 4WD, I could have an "uncontrolled descent." Even if 4WD causes excessive wear (and I've seen little or no evidence of that in a modern tractor) it's better than death, or even a rollover, which I don't care to experience. So mine is in 4WD 100% of the time, as I never go on pavement.

4WD also gives you a lot more traction and therefore power. You start spinning a wheel and you've got ruts to fix. Those big farming tractors may not need it, but our SCUTS definitely do IMO.

This has been my experience with CUT tractors where I live in hilly Branson, Mo. It pretty much stays in 4WD most all of the time. Only out when on the lawn and making turns, and even then not if I have a load in the bucket. A 2wd CUT or SCUT tractor here would be useless. It would run away to the bottom of the first hill, and that would be where it would stay. I even leave it in 4wd when I am loaded going down some of our steep hills on our road or it will slip the rear tires and run away. I have done it many times.