When to use four wheel drive?

[wolc123]

Doesn't that have a Yanmar engine in it?

Nope.

 

[dragoneggs]

I'm SELDOM in 4WD. I would guess it depends upon where you are and the terrain. My 80 acres is pretty flat with a few valleys here & there. There are places I will not go - even in 4WD. I can get to some of the difficult places with my ATV but it's a REAL heart pounder. There are cliffs on my property that would take a skilled climber to navigate. The cliffs are completely vertical and I stay away from them with all forms of vehicles. A pictures of parts of my property. See that red dots in the little "valleys" in the cliffs on the far side. Not even on the ATV. I tried it once and "WE" almost rolled down into the lake. The cliffs on both sides of the lake - stay the heck away from the tops of them. The dirt will slide off the bedrock and you will be in the lake in a heartbeat. The lake is 80 feet deep.

You can say - "Well, it's obvious you shouldn't have vehicles up on those cliff tops". Not to some. I've had IDIOTS drive their pickups right up to the cliff edge on this side of the lake. Makes me so dam mad. If that vehicle fell into the lake there would be oil contamination forever. Bodies float and could be fished out.

View attachment 683529View attachment 683530.

I've seen that terrain and I wouldn't get close either. In my case, I am seldom NOT in 4WD. Only when I get up on my paved driveway to I shift out of it and I shift back in as soon as off road. A couple of out of control rides down the hill convinced me I don't want to remember too late.

 

[bearthebruce]

I'm with ya dragon eggs. We have no flat land... The only place we put things in 2 wheel drive is when we are on the concrete around the barn and garage. 4WD has saved me a couple times when the rookie operator did something dumb! The brakes do not hold when on our hills. I like the feel of the geared tranny and 4WD.

 

[BackRoad]

That's some beautiful property Mr. Oosik.

An 80 foot deep lake on personal property is somewhat unique and quite special.

 

[aczlan]

The brakes do not hold when on our hills. I like the feel of the geared tranny and 4WD.

It was interesting the other day to be clearing snow in a ~10,000 tractor and be sliding backwards down a slight slope with the brakes locked...

Aaron Z

 

[LouNY]

It was interesting the other day to be clearing snow in a ~10,000 tractor and be sliding backwards down a slight slope with the brakes locked...

Aaron Z

No chains, that will happen.
Doesn't matter what your on I've 20,000+ pounds decide to do it's own thing,
and I watched a neighbor with a big articulate on duals that couldn't even get out of his own way.
Wet snow that packs into ice doesn't respect anything but chains.

 

[CobyRupert]

It was interesting the other day to be clearing snow in a ~10,000 tractor and be sliding backwards down a slight slope with the brakes locked...

Aaron Z

The coefficient of friction is greater for static conditions than kinetic.
That’s a way of saying: A tire that isn’t skidding (static) has more grip than a skidding (kinetic) tire. Pump your brakes. The principle of ABS.
Of course, sometimes on ice, both coefficients are so low, it might not matter very much.

(Now I know someone will say ABS stopping power is worse on ice than skidding. This is often true because it’s not braking more than it is; it can’t brake as sensitively without skidding then releasing.)

 

[dragoneggs]

It was interesting the other day to be clearing snow in a ~10,000 tractor and be sliding backwards down a slight slope with the brakes locked...

Aaron Z

Around my place, if I start sliding in my tractor, the last thing I would call it is 'interesting'! :laughing:

 

[Egon]

It’ usually best to engage four wheel drive before it is required.

 

[Jstpssng]

It’ usually best to engage four wheel drive before it is required.

When talking about pickups, that rule also applies to deactivating the traction control. Don't ask me how I know that! :shocked: