You can tell this is mainly a compact tactor forum because so many folks mention that 4wd uses more fuel. That is true only when operating on hard ground. When operating on soft ground, 4wd will save you fuel. This is the main reason you will rarely see a large 2wd tractor performing any tillage operations these days. The days when fuel could be wasted pushing a "dead" axle are long gone. Fuel savings of 20-30% are the norm comparing equal weight/power 4wd to 2wd. The best way to get a feel for how much more fuel is used in 2wd compared to 4wd is to hook a 4wd tractor up to a disc and get out on some tilled up ground. Get yourself a portable GPS and note the engine rpms required to make a given ground speed pulling that disc when 4wd is engaged and disengaged. You will note that a higher gear and lower rpm is required in 4wd (or just less rpms with a hydro). Fuel consumption is directly related to engine rpm, while work done relates only to ground speed. That said, I use 4wd whenever it saves me fuel, which is just about all the time on my mucky bottomland farm. Sometimes, when it gets good and dry in the summer, I do use 2wd for bushhogging, and I always use it on the road. I never worry about getting stuck deeper when in 4wd, and I love getting the spring planting done a lot earlier since getting a 4wd tractor. I am through 6 seasons with it now, and have yet to get it stuck bad enough that I couldnt pull myself out with the loader. I used that "get out of mud free" card a couple times this spring in which we received more rain by a big margin than any other year in recorded history. Since this is mainly a CUT forum and not many are used for tillage, I would recommend to simply let conditions decide whether or not to engage the 4wd: Soft ground, mud, snow, front loader use - 4wd, Dry lawns, pavement - 2wd. I do not think leaving it in 2wd unless you get stuck is a good idea since you will be giving away the momentum that may have carried you thru had you started out in 4wd, and by then, it may be too late for the 4wd to get you out.