Comparison 4wd or 2wd Tractor??

[nwngunner]

My oliver i get stuck all the time in the mud. The snow wasnt so bad, i had good chains for it. My 806 is a much heavier tractor and even with junk tires that were almost completely gone it would do better in the mud then the oliver. It all came down to weight, how ever when i got that 806 stuck it was STUCK. Couple times my buddy and to come to the rescue with my dodge and 18,000 pounds worth of winch pulling power.

If your going to be doing any loader work at all, get hst. It is so much easier to make those little movements needed in loader work. With a gear tractor your going to be fighting your clutch all day, and imo is a pain in the arse. For a field tractor gear is fine. Like the other poster above said seriously look at a bobcat. I just recently got a t250 and i have done more work with it in a day then my tractor could even think about doing.

 

[shibaura_4043]

I've got three 2wd tractors and don't need 4wd. I use mine for making hay, shredding and dirt work in North East Texas. The larger 2wd tractors are hard to get stuck for what I'm doing.

thats kinda what i was thinking but I may pull the trigger on 4wd, this reminds me of buying my first new truck... I thought because 4wd was a bit more I could do without it to save the money, regretted that decision for 4 years until I finally decided to get my 4x4 dually! btw I live in north Texas too, where abouts are you??

 

[mlauk]

thats kinda what i was thinking but I may pull the trigger on 4wd, this reminds me of buying my first new truck... I thought because 4wd was a bit more I could do without it to save the money, regretted that decision for 4 years until I finally decided to get my 4x4 dually! btw I live in north Texas too, where abouts are you??

I got the 4wd on the truck and I couldn't do without it. The good thing about the 4wd tractor is it would easier to sell the tractor down the road since everyone wants 4wd and a loader. You might pay more now, but you'll get it back if you ever sell it.

I've slopped around a lot of mud putting out hay, but haven't gotten stuck yet. I have gotten stuck before doing other stuff, but used the front end loader or pulled with the other tractor to get out. The 2 bigger tractors don't even have a locking rear end.

I'm in the Commerce area, how about yourself?

 

[Soundguy]

easier to sell the tractor down the road

SELL???? hey buddy this is a family friendly discussion forum.. no curse words allowed here

soundguy

 

[mlauk]

SELL???? hey buddy this is a family friendly discussion forum.. no curse words allowed here

soundguy

Ha ha, sorry about that, yes just keep adding to the collection.

 

[Groo]

I don't think a 2wd tractor would be so bad, as long as you have something else with a FEL and 4x4. If you are only getting 1 piece of equipment, I'd definitely make it a 4x4.

 

[DT86]

I think a 4wd tractor rides smoother in the field due to the larger tires. That's worth a lot to me. Growing up about 1 in 10 new tractors on the lots were 4wd, now that seems to be the other way around.

 

[Creekpaddler]

My JD 5225 4WD with 56 hp is just below the range you mentioned. But I've also owned a 2WD IH 45-hp 2400A. One of the few things I miss about the IH is the smaller turning radius - about 2 feet smaller. It was noticeable when I started mowing with the 5225, but I adapted to it. For you, I'd consider which jobs you want your tractor to do. For using a FEL, 4WD is much more efficient than 2WD, especially on uphill slopes. And 4WD can get you out of trouble that 2WD can't, like in soft- or wet ground conditions. For mowing/bush-hogging on flat-to-gentle terrain, 2WD works fine. And the smaller turning radius can be a blessing. 4WD can get you up steep slopes while mowing, especially if the grass is wet. I've never regretted upgrading to 4WD.

If you decide on 2WD, get one with a locking differential. Some tractors don't have that, but IMHO, it is a necessity.

 

[Groo]

depending on how they do the front axle, the tires won't be bigger in a 4x4 and neither would the turning radius. As a matter of fact, the turning radius can be tighter in a 4x4 because the front end pulls it around.

 

[Lohman446]

A couple years ago I decided I "needed" a tractor. I had in mind exactly what I wanted to. Four wheel drive, FEL, ROPS, live PTO,..... you get the idea.

Then I went and priced them. Then I went and found an old Ford 3400 that I could afford to buy and had FEL and ROPS (needed because of the amount of hills and my inexperience).

Yes four wheel drive would be nice to have (for that matter so would a live PTO). I live on fourty acres that was never considered to be "farmable" (while half of it) because of the clay, springs here and there, and gullies carved out by the creek. There are places that are always wet.

I have never been stuck to the point that I could not push it out with the FEL. Are there things that a nice new 4WD tractor would do better? Sure, a lot of them. However I will lose $00 on this if I sell it and I could afford to buy it. If money was not an object I would have gone down to the JD dealer and purchased exactly what I wanted and yes it would have been 4WD. Most things are a compromise. The only thing it is not doing as well as I would like is digging a pond but that is really a job for an excavator anyways.