372D front end durability?

[msjanket]

It's now standard to say that one should not use 4WD unless absolutely necessary. Does this mean that front ends on AWD tractors are generally weakly constructed and care is, indeed, called for when considering 4WD? Or,does this mean that parts availability is so dicey that one should minimize usage to preclude damage and attempted purchases of new/used parts?

[oliver28472]

Both of my tractors have the same front end as yours. They are meant to be used as front wheel assist. In other words you put it in 4wd when you need it, then take it out when you don't. Leaving it in 4wd all the time causes unnecessary wear especially when you are turning on dry ground or pavement. My S470 Buck has been treated pretty rough but has had no failure of internal parts.

[Ilikeurtractor]

I have an Iseki TX1300F and Satoh S-373D that were both stuck in 4wd when I bought them. The Iseki 4wd lever worked, but the guy who owned it didn't realize what it was so it stayed in 4wd. The Satoh was missing the roll pin that allows the lever to engage/disengage the 4wd and was set in 4wd. It also has a loader and front cracked rims (I'm attributing that to the loader) so the front end was treated pretty bad over the years. Oddly enough, I don't hear/see any issues with either front end as far as u-joints/shafts/gears go. The Iseki had bad wheel bearings but the rest seemed good. I haven't been into the Satoh yet but it seems to work just fine. That doesn't necessarily mean it has much life left however. I guess my point is the front axles on these aren't necessarily over-delicate so I don't know if I'd worry a bunch about them. Definitely I'd take them out of 4wd if unnecessary, but apparently they can take a fair amount of abuse and keep ticking.

Also, I've heard the Satoh 4wd front ends are less-robust than some of the competing brands. I was surprised to find out that some of the Satohs (Beaver model for example) front ends use a double u-joint going to each wheel for turning. I noticed immediately that the turning radius is much tighter on the Satoh than the Iseki. This may contribute to a shorter life span to some extent. In general, it appears to be a fairly good design in my opinion.