2WD vs 4WD Food plot and slopes

[sirrobinhood]

Thanks for all the replies...Would a 30HP 4wd tractor pull a 5-6 foot disc and or 5-6 ft tiller?
Also I have a 3pt corn/bean planter 3 Row planter. Would a tractor of this size pickup this planter (AC model 74)

 

[EddieWalker]

Both have their advantages. 2wd is cheaper for the same HP, 4wd has more traction but will add to the cost for the same HP.

I have both and I can tell you that if it's wet out, or has been wet out, or their is an spot that is wet, the 2wd tractor will get stuck. If you have the time to deal with getting unstuck, and you don't have a limited amount of time to do what you want because it's too wet out to do anything, then getting a 2wd tractor makes sense. There are many days that I just can't use mine, and many days that I shouldn't have, but did and spent the day getting it unstuck. Nothing ruins a day like getting your tractor stuck, then trying to figure out how to get it out.

My 4wd tractor goes through just about anything. I take it out in the rain, and I use it to pull cars out of the mud who wonder off of my roads, or sometimes parked on the dirt when it was dry, but then needs to move but can't because it's too muddy. I can mow or bush hog just about any time after a rain, but usually wait for it to dry out enough not to cause ruts. The 4wd is 35hp and less then half the power of the bigger tractor. Power has nothing to do with traction.

If this is something that you plan on having for many years, it might be a good idea to consider waiting another year to save up more money for what you really want.

Having both, I will never buy another 2wd drive tractor again.

Eddie

 

[nybirdman]

Thanks for all the replies...Would a 30HP 4wd tractor pull a 5-6 foot disc and or 5-6 ft tiller?
Also I have a 3pt corn/bean planter 3 Row planter. Would a tractor of this size pickup this planter (AC model 74)

I had a L3130 Kubota(31HP) 4WD with the 723 loader.This did all I wanted,two bottom plow,small disc roto-tiller,6ft.snow plow.It isn't just the HP,tractor weight has a lot to with it also.Four wheel drive is like adding ten HP.I traded up for a cab but still use the same implements.

 

[bucktaker]

I am going to disagree with the 2 wheel drive getting stuck all the time I cleaned my barn lot many years with my mf 35/with FEL and I never got stuck in mud/manure almost up to the frame. I ran loaded R1 tires and if I started spinning I would just lighten the load. My L5740 4wd with r4's doesnt have near the traction my old MF.
To the OP
You can go old iron and do everything you have described with a 2wd Massey Fergusen or Ford tractor .plenty around with FEL for 4-6k You will be hard pressed to find a modern compact 4wd with loader that will work as hard or do as much for your budget. just my thoughts

 

[tessiers]

If you need 4x4 to bush hog, disc, plant or most anything else you ain't doing it right. I run 2 wheel drive tractors all the time and if you need the 4x4 you are ruining something. I can't remember the last time I got a 2 wheel drive stuck, get the 4x4 stuck all the time, mostly pull it out with a 2 wheel. I have a massey 135 diesel (45hp), I paid $3000 for no loader. 2 things to remember with 2 wheel drive tractors, ballast, and brains. The rears are where the work should be done 2 or 4 wheel, that takes ballast. I have several thousand dollars in front seals and final drives to prove that. Time needed to get 2 wheel un-stuck is offset by time spent fixing 1/2 acre of ruts made by 4x4. Key here would be stop going deeper when you start sinking. Stop, and back out, its not rocket science, or as they say at NASA, come on guys this isn't drywall. As for hp for the disc, way too many variables, disc diameter, pitch, 1 gang or 2, sandy soil or clay. I don't think you are gonna run a 5 to 6' tiller seriously with 30 hp. I feel underpowered with a 5' behind our 45hp, of course thats an old heavy tiller tilling hard ground. I think you would be fine pulling the planter as long as you could pick it up.

Just my 2 cents, probabbly worth a penny.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

2x

I agree if 2WD will not do these tasks neither will a smaller 4WD. In most of the applications that I see 4WD trucks and tractors are wants and not needs.

People flip out to learn our Blazer and Escalade are only 2WD. The Escalade even has the tow package with hooks and all.

 

[super55]

Thanks for all the replies...Would a 30HP 4wd tractor pull a 5-6 foot disc and or 5-6 ft tiller?
Also I have a 3pt corn/bean planter 3 Row planter. Would a tractor of this size pickup this planter (AC model 74)

I'll add my two cents on this since the majority of the use of my tractors is for food plotting and the exact same size implements that you are looking at. I have a 2wd oliver super 55 (35 hp gas) and a kubota L2500 4wd 27hp deisel with bucket that I use for my food plotting and both work great and each has there advantages.

Oliver +'s: 1. extremely short turning radius can set rows with my corn planter way easier 2. Width/height, since it was created as an ag tractor it is much better suited for spraying/cultivating crops set at a 30" row 3. The gear selection just seems better suited for plotting than my kubota.

Kubota +'s: 1. With it being deisel, 4wd, and with ag tires the little tractor can pull. I run a 6 1/2 foot disc with 400# additional weight on the back of it to help it cut and it has zero issues at all. The oliver just doesn't have the torque curve that the kubota has.

That being said the oliver handles the seed drill, planter, cultipacker, flail mower, tiller, sprayer and spreader and the kubota gets the grunt work with the disc or plow. If I only had one choice I would still take the Kubota but the one I love to be on is the oliver. If tractors could smile I know the old oli would be grinning ear to ear when I get it out in the fields.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks for all the replies...Would a 30HP 4wd tractor pull a 5-6 foot disc and or 5-6 ft tiller?
Also I have a 3pt corn/bean planter 3 Row planter. Would a tractor of this size pickup this planter (AC model 74)

In my experience a five ft tiller would be a good choice for a 30hp tractor, you should be able to run fast without lugging the motor in most cases. The tiller if it is the popular forward tine rotation type will push the tractor forward if not held back, so pulling it is not an issue.

I use to use a several 6' 3PH disks behind the old 30 to 40 hp tractors which were alot heavier than the modern 4x4 compacts. Today I use a 5' Howard and a 6' Deere tiller and find that for most jobs I get better results than the old disks. I think once you get into larger heavier tractors with heavy disks they work great, especially behind a chisel plow or turning plow. So for a light weight 4x4 compact with higher horsepower to weight ratio the pto driven tiller would be my choice.

 

[Gary Fowler]

For all you are doing, sounds like a 40 HP 2 WD tractor will work fine. You wont have the traction of the 4WD when using the FEL but put plenty of rear ballast and it should handle a fair size load.
I think the first thing I would do with it is build a ramp down that 30 degree slope you mentioned. Just start at the top and start pushing in some dirt and digging down. Dig down from the top and fill in toward the bottom with the spoils. It shouldnt take long to cut it down if you dont have below grade rocks or granite ledges.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thanks for all the replies...Would a 30HP 4wd tractor pull a 5-6 foot disc and or 5-6 ft tiller?
Also I have a 3pt corn/bean planter 3 Row planter. Would a tractor of this size pickup this planter (AC model 74)

I've never used a tiller, so I can't reply to that.

I have found that the trick with a disk and small tractors is that you have to keep going over the soild many, many times. At first, with hard packed, never before worked ground, it takes awhile to break throught the crust. Once you do, then it goes pretty good. Then after that first time, each year, it goes real easy and you will wish you had a bigger disk.

I have a 5 foot disk on a 35hp 4wd tractor. It was $300 for the disk, so I'm not going to be able to beat that deal, and since I only use it twice a year, it's not worth buying what I really want. If I didn't alreayd have this disk, I would be looking at an 8 foot disk with a box frame. That's what I really want!!

Eddie