Just how good is 4 wheel drive

[thoner7]

I really want to buy this beast. I love these old tractors. But I know I really should have 4x4 at my place.
Tractor- MF 3165 Industrial - farm & garden - by owner - sale

 

[paulfun9]

Yes this happens to me on my steepest hill. My wheels loose traction and I slide down basically every time. No load in bucket just mowing.

I want to make sure it's safer in 4x4?? I was thinking that maybe, it's like driving in snow, where if you slam on your brakes, your front tires grab better than the rears and your rear end wants to swing around sideways.

Does that not happen?

Yes that can and does happen! It痴 not from the brakes however when it does it痴 from the wirght being off center and the rear can come around. Going forward down hill with the incorrect counter wieght on the rear and thinking your safe because you have it in four wheel drive just means your overloading your front axel and it痴 not making you any safer.

The proper way to decend the hill is to turn around and back down! Four wheel drive is not a cure for the incorrect wieght on the rear it痴 just a way to do things incorrectly and get away with it till he front axel breaks from overloading. Many think they blow out parts on the front axel due to having a loader up there but the reality is they have used the loader with incorrect counter wieght one too many times putting undue stress on it.

 

[Texasmark]

I'll tell you how good. I sold my JD 4230C 2wd, with front end weights at 100 hp and bought the 6530C 4wd, with the loader as the front end weight, downsizing since semi retiring from farming. I can run the same implements with the 6530 in 4wd as used with the JD, just as fast on a lot less fuel.

 

[CobyRupert]

What is a 4230C?
C is for cookie, err...cab?

 

[GeneV]

Today I plowed for the first time with my tractor, was able to also plow down my side drive which is a 1 story decline (walkout basement) and make it back up. Previously, I tried doing that one time with the plow mounted on my 2wd gt with locking differential...never made it back up. So how good is 4wd? For me, it's difference between getting back up the driveway or not.

 

[Industrial Toys]

To me, 4wd is like two people walking. No problem. Now 2wd is like one person carrying the other person.

 

[dadster4]

I took mine out of 4 wheel drive one time, just to see what 2 wheel drive was like, other than that 10 minutes it stays in 4 wheel. The only level spot on 32 acres is where I park the tractor so I can check fluid levels.

 

[GeneV]

To me, 4wd is like two people walking. No problem. Now 2wd is like one person carrying the other person.

It's like 2 people carrying a couch, except 1 of them ain't carrying shyte.

 

[bironacad]

ice and snow it's the only way to go

 

[tmcj]

In 2wd, my tractor will break traction long before running out of power to perform the task at hand. In 4wd, it will typically bog the engine down before breaking traction. Unless I am mowing the lawn or traveling up the road, I take advantage of the 4wd and it's additional capability for my machine.