Does 4WD Make That Much Difference

[Uncle Hulka]

Here's a review to help you decide.

2015 Mahindra 2540 Shuttle Review

and here's an overall story on the updated 2500 series

Mahindra Updates 2500 Series Tractors | Tractor News

 

[BigTee]

Thanks very much to everyone for sharing your knowledge. I'm going to go back to the dealer and take a hard look at the 2540. It is a lot more tractor for the money.

 

[Uncle Hulka]

Whatever you decide, good for you for considering ALL your options! I know I'm glad I kept researching even after I had decided that the 1538 was the perfect model for me.

Keep us posted!

 

[Navasot]

Thanks very much to everyone for sharing your knowledge. I'm going to go back to the dealer and take a hard look at the 2540. It is a lot more tractor for the money.

Meh tractors just gota fit you.. 2540 isn't ideal for me and what I look for... if I was between the two id like the 1538 but looking at the 40hp size the 4540 is even more tractor for the money...

Id say which ever fits you best go with it.. they both are great models

 

[Garycw]

4wd makes ALL the difference when you start spinning wheels in 2wd.

 

[arrow]

BIL owns a horse farm in Paris KY. I go there during haying season to help out. He has a 5000 series JD purchased for 14K 10 years ago. This is a 2wd tractor that I have never had to be disgruntled that it was 2wd. Usage is much like you have described (bush hogging, hay cutting,pasture tending). He did get it stuck once about 5 years ago when he ventured into a very wet section of pasture to bring in a hay roll for some beef as spring broke. Not certain that 4wd would have prevented this but he was pulled out by a neighbor with another 2wd 5085 (or whatever their numbers are). As someone suggested, size of tractor, climate area and usage of the tractor correlate to success or not with a traditional 2wd drive train.

 

[gladehound]

Keep most the weight on the rears through proper ballasting and a 4wd has little advantage over 2wd. Some task make it impossible to keep the weight on the rears - like heavy front end loader work. So for some uses, 4wd truly is the way to go. But if you have no loader and are doing everything with the rear of the tractor, get the biggest 2wd you can get for the money you want to spend, fill the rears and add wheel weights if you can as well. Keep an implement or weight on the 3pt if it's hilly make sure the heavy end of the tractor is pointed up hill going up and down. It's amazing how much 2wd gear tractor you can get for the price of a smaller 4wd hydro and the 2wd makes sense in some circumstances.

All our family tractors that did not have loaders were 2WD and never had traction problems as long as the tires were good. They were great for mowing, brush hogging, plowing fields, disking etc but NOT snow plowing. We had one 2WD with a loader which was worthless with weight in the bucket. All the others with loaders were 4WD.

 

[npalen]

We had an 8N Ford back in the fifties with a Dearborn 3PH mounted loader. I'm sure it sounds a little unhandy having to look back all the time but it was a little workhorse for cleaning manure out of sheds etc. The whole idea was having the loader weight on the rear tires and also made it very easy to steer. Didn't know there was going to be such a thing as 4-wheel drive (FWA) back in those days.
Having said that, I'm sure happy to have FWA on my Kubota B9200 HSTD. It sure puts the weight of the FEL to work. There are times also that the locking differential comes in handy.

 

[kdm0811]

In my opinion, it should not be legal to sell a 2WD tractor equipped with a FEL.

 

[arrow]

In my opinion, it should not be legal to sell a 2WD tractor equipped with a FEL.

Why is that?