4 wheel drive usage

[cowbridge]

I'm having fun breaking in my new 2610. My work to this point has been all loader work... moving and spreading dirt, and grapple work around the woods.

I've been using my 4 wheel drive almost the entire time so far. Which brings me to my question

When should 4 wheel drive be used? And when is it typically not needed? Will using 4 wheel drive often or for extended times be a problem for this machine?

Thanks

 

[flusher]

When using the FEL in 4WD to scoop material into the bucket, be sure that all wheels are able to spin freely when forward motion stops. Otherwise you risk damage to the transfer case. Typical situation: scooping material that's resting on a concrete surface.

And I assume you realize that your FEL is for scooping, not digging. You don't want to risk bending the FEL arms digging in compacted soil.

Good luck

 

[oosik]

What flusher said. In my case - I don't even use 4WD when plowing snow, with my rear blade, on my mile long gravel driveway UNLESS the big 'ol tractor starts slipping and/or crabbing. I have a fairly deep valley on the driveway - I will use 4WD while going thru the valley. Its slippery on the downslope into the valley and the same coming up out.

I will use 4WD if moving large amounts of material, with the rear blade, when doing summer maintenance on the driveway AND the rear wheels are slipping.

I don't think I've ever used 4WD when using the bucket on the FEL or now the grapple which is on the FEL. I just don't have loosey-goosey areas where I go and need to scoop or grapple anything. All my scooping and/or grappling is on hard dry ground.

Bottom line - I'd rather spin a rear tire than hear something go - "PING" or "crack". If the going gets tough - I can always reach down and put it in 4WD.

 

[DK35vince]

For me, if my loader is on the tractor, the tractor stays in 4 WD.
If working on hills it stays in 4 WD.
If my loader is off I use 4 WD only when needed. (I remove the loader often through the summer for mowing)

 

[Deere Dude]

If it cant get it done in in 2wd use 4wd. On the activities you mentioned, 4wd shouldn't be a problem.
I assume you have the required weights on the rear end to help take pressure off the front drive train when torquing it.

FELs don't dig well, but that is what many are used for without bad thing happening. Everyone needs holes dug once in a while.

For sure have it in 4wn when on grades with the bucket full, otherwise you will go flying down the hill with no brakes.

When in 4wd, nice lawns will get tore up faster if you have aggressive tires. Don't run 4wd on long stretches of blacktop ore tires will wear out faster than normal.

Just my take on it.

 

[CobyRupert]

If it cant get it done in in 2wd use 4wd. On the activities you mentioned, 4wd shouldn't be a problem.
I assume you have the required weights on the rear end to help take pressure off the front drive train when torquing it.

FELs don't dig well, but that is what many are used for without bad thing happening. Everyone needs holes dug once in a while.

For sure have it in 4wn when on grades with the bucket full, otherwise you will go flying down the hill with no brakes.

When in 4wd, nice lawns will get tore up faster if you have aggressive tires. Don't run 4wd on long stretches of blacktop ore tires will wear out faster than normal.Just my take on it.

:thumbsup: Well, you'll have brakes, but with little weight on the rear tires because of the load in the FEL, and because the angle of the hill transfers even more of tractor's weight to front tires, you'll have no rear wheel traction to stop and rear tires will just skid as you fly down hill. 4wd links the front tires to the rear tire's brakes.

 

[oosik]

I laugh now, but at the time it scared the crap outta me. Doing repair work on my gravel driveway. Got a pretty good sized valley right about in the center. Taking a full bucket of gravel down the driveway - into the valley. Holly smokes - half way down and I'm, more or less, balancing between the load in the bucket and the front tires. I was very fortunate - made it safely to the bottom with no "woops". Subsequent loads went into the valley with the tractor in 4WD and the rear blade on for counter weight. I was new to tractoring and fortunately Mother Nature was smiling on me that day.

That initial bucket of gravel was only about a foot above the ground but it sure created a near accident.

 

[Agvg]

Always in 4WD when going downhill if you don't have automatic 4WD engagement when you brake or have front brakes.

 

[Egon]

When you need traction use four wheel drive.
If your going downhill keep a hand on the FEL joystick. If you have to stop just shove it ahead. The bucket works very good for stopping.

 

[Code54]

Never have taken the tractors out of 4 WD in 1000’s of hrs except on the road or concrete. Never had any problems or issues with the machines