4 wheel drive all the time? or just when needed

[Fxfymn413]

When I first started driving one of the instructions my Dad passed on was to use 2wd until you really needed 4wd because if you keep it in 4wd and then get stuck you are probably not getting out, but if you are in 2wd the application of 4wd might get you moving.

I kept my 3010 in 4wd constantly and as a result I reefed a front wheel bearing; a known weakness in that machine. The dealer said to use 4wd only when needed to avoid doing the same thing again.

In my 3410 and the current 4060 I never had any issues with the front axle and I only use 4wd as needed.

Keeping it in 4wd while moving a heavy load with the FEL does not make the brakes work since the real problem is you have lifted the rear wheels enough to cause them to lose traction. No traction = no brakes. What 4wd does do is allow the engine to slow you down since the front wheels are getting traction. The real response should be to lower the FEL slowly until the rear wheels regain traction and then either lighten the load or add ballast.

 

[rosey]

760 hours on my ‘02 Kubota BX Sub Compact. Have always used 4WD only when needed…..

 

[OlyPenAaron]

I won't add anything real intelligent here except to note that I learned the (almost) hard way about running a full FEL (wet gravel) down a sloped, paved driveway in 2WD. I was shocked that the brakes did almost nothing to slow me down and I was scared as hell. Luckily my driveway has a long, flat-ish tail out to a gravel road and I was able to regain control. I'd be lying if I said at one point in that fishtailing toboggan run I didn't consider jumping. That reads really clunky. I thought about bailing out to be sure....

 

[Hoho223]

I have a bobcat 2025 (kioti) with 55 hours so far; got it this spring. I really only need to engage the front axle when moving dirt or slogging through muddy trails. All my mowing and manure spreading are easily done in 2wd. Any reason to use the front axle every once and a while? I don't really notice a difference either way; power or steering etc.

I have a 2012 CT 120. It’s never been out of 4 wheel

 

[ericm979]

With steep slopes, loose dirt, and needing to cross significant pavement often, I shift back and forth from 2wd to 4wd a lot. Maybe my next tractor will have a button to push instead of a lever that's often reluctant to go out of 4wd. Backing up 3' or so usually loosens it up but sometimes I have to raise the front tires off the ground with the loader.

 

[bearthebruce]

The real response should be to lower the FEL slowly until the rear wheels regain traction and then either lighten the load or add ballast.

Do set up a video and let us see you do that with forks and a machine out front while you are in a uncontrolled slide. I'd be interested in learning how one has the presence of mind to slowly lower the FEL. The slide was over in what 30 seconds?

With the forks curled as much as possible to keep the machine on them, with the forks just barely off the ground, my fear was the fork frame would catch something and pin wheel me. If I had the bucket on, I would have been far more inclined to try your idea.

You suggest apply slowly.. how many experiencing this for the first time would have the skill to do it slowly while trying to keep the machine from heading into a tree? Trying to keep the machine over the crown of the driveway and not headed into a side ditch?

The first mistake was no ballast on the back. The second mistake was not putting the machine in 4WD where the engine and the brakes can work to slow it down and to keep in control. I've traveled that hill hundreds of times. This was the first time I forgot to check the 4wd.

I admit to the stupidity of those mistakes because I rushed to do something.

I won't add anything real intelligent here except to note that I learned the (almost) hard way about running a full FEL (wet gravel) down a sloped, paved driveway in 2WD. I was shocked that the brakes did almost nothing to slow me down and I was scared as hell. Luckily my driveway has a long, flat-ish tail out to a gravel road and I was able to regain control. I'd be lying if I said at one point in that fishtailing toboggan run I didn't consider jumping. That reads really clunky. I thought about bailing out to be sure....

Sounds like more than one of us has had to learn the hard way. I too considered bailing but then I figured I might reach that tailing off level space and get it safely back under control. So I stayed.

I appreciate your story. I understand that desire to jump!

 

[MHarryE]

Nearly everyone on here has CUT or SCUT but larger tractors used for tractive effort, 4wd makes a major difference. Last week again verified out of curiosity. Pulled into a field to disk - 2WD for roading. Glanced at tractor speed - 5.2 mph. Looked at GPS speed on my field monitor - 3.7 mph. Switched front wheels on, tractor kind of rose up and took off with GPS and tractor speed matching. Of course there was slippage but my tractor speedometer reads lower than actual speed.

Wider turn radius in 4wd is not true for many Kubota's. Their bevel gear drive allows such a sharp turn angle I rarely use turning brakes. Completely different for my M7 with planetary front wheels and the turn radius of a semi. My M135GX, however, coupled its bevel gear front wheels with an overdrive turn. When engaged, turning the front wheels beyond a certain steer angle sped up the front wheels for a super short turn. Great for turning at end rows.

My M7 (and M135GX) automatically engage the front wheels for braking when both brake pedals are depressed at the same time (locked together). In addition, my M7 automatically kicks out front wheel drive when you reach a certain road speed (I think 12 km/hr) in case you forget to switch it off manually when you pull onto a road.

I do not remember reading here about many operators having driveline problems from keeping 4wd on too much, but I don't follow many of the brand specific forums. Are there some who have had a lot of power train problems from overuse of 4WD? Until I got my CTL, my L6060 was in 4wd most of the time. Now that the CTL is used for most loader work, my L6060 rarely has the front wheels driven.

 

[k0ua]

When I first started driving one of the instructions my Dad passed on was to use 2wd until you really needed 4wd because if you keep it in 4wd and then get stuck you are probably not getting out, but if you are in 2wd the application of 4wd might get you moving.

I kept my 3010 in 4wd constantly and as a result I reefed a front wheel bearing; a known weakness in that machine. The dealer said to use 4wd only when needed to avoid doing the same thing again.

In my 3410 and the current 4060 I never had any issues with the front axle and I only use 4wd as needed.

Keeping it in 4wd while moving a heavy load with the FEL does not make the brakes work since the real problem is you have lifted the rear wheels enough to cause them to lose traction. No traction = no brakes. What 4wd does do is allow the engine to slow you down since the front wheels are getting traction. The real response should be to lower the FEL slowly until the rear wheels regain traction and then either lighten the load or add ballast.

If you press on your brakes, even with the rear wheels off of the ground the front wheels will stop the tractor. I don't know why this is such a hard concept to understand.

 

[Doughknob]

If you press on your brakes, even with the rear wheels off of the ground the front wheels will stop the tractor. I don't know why this is such a hard concept to understand.

I can see y. When in 4wd, are the front and rear axles actually locked together? On some all wheel drive cars they are Not. So maybe being in 4wd just hooks the front axle to the engine and not directly to the rear axle.

It is easy to see a question? If the front and rear axles are locked, that means there is no differential between them. Really? Could be, but easy to see such confusion?

Even if the brakes were not connected when in 4wd, being in 4wd would still help slow one down downhill because of engine braking.

 

[jyoutz]

I never use my tractor on pavement, and it’s always in 4wd. Been that way for 20 years.