2WD HP vs MFWD HP

[Duffster]

Last year I saw a local farmer pull into a wetter than optimum field to disc it. He was on a Kubota M6800 MFWD. He barely got started and the rear end started down. He raised the disc unit, then machine came to standstill and started spinning. He proceeded to engage 4WD, it was moving again and he lowered the discs, continued working. Without 4WD, he was stuck - no matter the HP. A heavier machine may have been stuck worse or kept moving, hard to say. Good Luck in your decision making !

What would be the point of discing in those conditions anyway?

 

[crusty 1]

What would be the point of discing in those conditions anyway?

+1 I don,t know what you,d get done in wet fields with a disk other than waste time and fuel

 

[om21braz]

+1 I don,t know what you,d get done in wet fields with a disk other than waste time and fuel

Sorry, let me add some detail - a little wet overall, and found a too wet spot before he got started good. Ground turned over good everywhere else. In short, at times 4WD is more important than hp.

 

[TripleR]

Sorry, let me add some detail - a little wet overall, and found a too wet spot before he got started good. Ground turned over good everywhere else. In short, at times 4WD is more important than hp.

Fairly common in some places, we always had some muddy spots when I was farming. Timing did not always allow us to wait until the entire field was dry.

 

[LBrown59]

I know that everyone recommends a MFWD when using a loader. This is obviously because with a load in the bucket the load gets transferred off the rear wheels and onto the front and if you have 2WD this is no good. Also most tractors will break traction before they run out of HP so 4WD is better than two.

My question is how would you equate the two.
For example would a 55 HP 2WD outperform a 45 HP 4WD?
If you were trying to compare two tractors one 2WD and one 4WD how much more HP would the 2WD need to be equal to the 4WD? I know there are a lot of variables and under certain situations like in mud a 4WD will always be better but in general how would you compare them?

You got it backward
the 4wd will out perform the 2wd.

 

[LBrown59]

You could have 10 times the horsepower, but if the rear wheels are 1/4 inch off the ground, or spinning in deep mud what good is it?

More power doesnt equal more traction.

Why is it so hard for so many to grasp this fact? ~~~ :confused2: ~~~

 

[LBrown59]

Hi. Don,t forget that a 95 hp will be hard on fuel compare to a 45 HP....and also think that braking with a 4 wd when you have a full load bucket is a lot more efficent because you brake on 4 wheels..:thumbsup:.. Yes tractors only have brake on the rear wheels but when you have less traction on your rear wheels (on 2 wd) because of your bucket load, that also mean less braking...but with a 4 wd braking is on front wheel also ( via the driving shaft).. good luck on your decision. Roger

Yep 4wd is safer on hills that 2wd.

 

[Duffster]

You got it backward
the 4wd will out perform the 2wd.

Not necesarily, it all depends on what you are doing and the conditions.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I started off with a 45 HP two wheel drive tractor. I now have a 4 wheel drive 28 HP tractor. The 28 HP tractor gets used for 95% of the task at my place for the simple fact it will just out work the 2 wheel drive tractor with nearly twice the HP. And yes, I have rear weights and the tires filled with calcium on the 2 wheel drive unit. The only thing it does better is bush hog with more PTO power.

Chris

 

[wolc123]

Folks with well drained soil have a tough time understanding what us mucky, bottomland farmers got to deal with. Since I have had 4wd power, my spring planting gets done an average of (1) month earlier as I no longer have to wait for all the mud holes to dry completely. I also dont need to hold my largest 2wd tractor in reserve to pull #2, 2wd out when it gets stuck. I simply leave the bucket on the big 4wd and use that to pull myself out. In 5 years since having 4wd I have not been stuck (so much for the just getting stuck deeper). I averaged 3-4 times a season with only 2wd tractors. So the answer to the question: what was he doing discing mud, is that he probably was working to get his crops in in time to produce a decent harvest.