Why 4 Wheel Drive

[JasG]

NOTE: I do not do any tilling or haying, so I would think 2wd is ok for those applications since most of my farming buddies use 2wd for that sort of stuff, they just have bigger tractors.

You have never done it, but make the statment 2wd is OK. If you just want OK then 2wd is OK for everything. I have a friend I help with tillage and hay, tillage you just can't compair, it's night and day. 2wd is still at a disadvantage in hay. In hilly areas when going up and down, or even across a slope unless you weight the tractor down it's not hard to get pushed around when baling. This is really true going down hill, the weight is over the front end and off the rear. We have 2 - 100 hp tractors we use, the 4wd is set up much lighter. The 2wd has both tires filled and cast weight. The 4wd has none on the rear, going up the hills the 2wd due to this weight we have to drop the ground speed to pull the hill. Even mowing, now we can mow as soon as the rain stops and not tear up our fields. Where the 2wd we needed to wait a day or we would be leaving marks in the hay lot. The 2wd mowing up hill you will see from the lug marks the tires are slipping. Since we got the 4wd the 2wd just does tedding, raking and hauling wagons when we are putting up hay.
Most farmers around here now are buying 4wd in every size. The advantages are just too great. 30 years ago or so 4wd was an after thought add on unit's that were poorly designed. Today the 4wd is designed into the machines at the start. To get the same pull from a 2wd my experience has been you need to add about 20% more Hp and a lot of weight.

 

[jimmyj]

I only made that statement based on what my farmer freinds have told me. I seem to stand corrected.

No worries.

 

[Duffster]

We farm and don't have any 4WD drive tractors and can certainly assure you that 4WD isn't required.

It may be handy at times but isn't required.

 

[WilliamBos]

I would never buy a CUT or utility tractor without 4wd. However, if I farmed I would want both. You will never beat the turning radius of a 2wd, for cutting/baling hay, the 2wd turning radius shines, and planting too. They both still have their place.

 

[shane]

We farm and don't have any 4WD drive tractors and can certainly assure you that 4WD isn't required.

It may be handy at times but isn't required.

Let's discuss handy versus required:

Heat in a car is not required but handy.

Locks on the doors of your house are handy, but not required.

I could build houses with hammer and nails and leave the nailguns at home, but they sure are handy. Even to the point that if I want to be competitive, they are required.

A person could farm with mules as a tractor is not required, but they tractor sure is handy, especially to stay competitive And, I would imagine that a farmer wanting to stay competitive with his neighbor will eventually be required to go four wheel drive.

My neighbors farm about 1400 acres. They've been farming that land since the 1800's. They started with mules. They have 6 or 7 big 2WD IH's. The last several years they have been buying newer tractors, each 4WD. I think they're on to something.

 

[mark2610d]

If you are buying a compact tractor 4wd is a must or you will NEVER take advantage of the rated hp if you are doing any kind of ground engagement attachments, (i.e. plow, disc, box blade etc..).

You can get by with 2wd for mowing, light grader blade work and some light loader work.

The problem with the compact tractor is they are light weight tractors and thus they don't get good traction like a big ag tractor would, so 4wd is a must to get FULL potintial from your compact tractor.

Some might say "just add weight" but that to me is like putting concrete blocks in your truck of you car come winter time, moreover you may get better traction but still, "its not going to be as good a 4wd".

 

[Duffster]

Let's discuss handy versus required:

Heat in a car is not required but handy.

Locks on the doors of your house are handy, but not required.

I could build houses with hammer and nails and leave the nailguns at home, but they sure are handy. Even to the point that if I want to be competitive, they are required.

A person could farm with mules as a tractor is not required, but they tractor sure is handy, especially to stay competitive And, I would imagine that a farmer wanting to stay competitive with his neighbor will eventually be required to go four wheel drive.

My neighbors farm about 1400 acres. They've been farming that land since the 1800's. They started with mules. They have 6 or 7 big 2WD IH's. The last several years they have been buying newer tractors, each 4WD. I think they're on to something.

Whats your point?

Lot of farmers around here have figured out that 4WD doesn't pencil out and have gone back to 2wd.

Besides most around here have a fair amount of road time with there tractors in which 4WD drive is just a waste of rubber.

4WD in a CUT is probably more advantagous than in a 100 hp farm tractor.

 

[WilliamBos]

4WD in a CUT is probably more advantageous than in a 100 hp farm tractor.

Factor in mud and snow, and it may not be such a waste.

 

[Duffster]

Factor in mud and snow, and it may not be such a waste.

Did I say 4WD is a "waste"?

We don't farm in the mud and we are done before it snows.

 

[JasG]

I didn't say it was required or that every tractor needs to be, but it does pay for it's self. We figure the 4wd paid for it's self in about 3 years. This we figure due to being able to get on everything faster. Earlier in the spring to us with a short growing season equals a greater yield in the fall. We have a few fields with wet holes that we had to wait for them to dry out to till, now we don't and tilling them helps them dry out faster yet. As I said being able to mow a day earlier without damaging the ground as much. The larger wide tires float over the ground much better. We have the largest tires we can on the 2wd and it still isn't as smooth disking, draging etc. Less wear on the tires, less spinning is going to equal less wear. Our 2wd when we used that as our primary tillage tractor, the rear tires were always getting cuts and chunks from plowing. Our 4wd does get some but no where near as many or as deep.
As far a turning, yes a 2wd is better, but for bailing I never turn more than our 4wd can anyway. The newer models aren't like the old IH, Case or Ford county that took 1/2 a state to turn around. It's hard on our mower and bailer drive line and wagon gear turning short, so that has never been and issue. With our mower our tractor will turn sharp enough to hit the drawbar with the rear tire if you turn sharp.
The farmers around here are all going to 4wd across the board except for a light duty tractor for raking and tedding and some are even getting them 4wd. At the local dealers I don't see to many tractors over 65 - 70 hp that aren't anymore.
Also larger framed tractors 160 Hp and larger come standard 4wd drive now. I don't care what HP you talk about, 4wd will put the power to the ground so much better it will pay out in the long run.