2wd Always?

[patrick_g]

Have we made 4 pages yet?

My counter says 6.

Oh, by the way... I am in agreement about staying in 4x4 unless having a reason to switch out rather than staying in 2wd until needing 4wd. My comment that caught your attention was intended to say the radius when not doing anything but going in circles was not the most important. For all I know different tractors may open up or close down their turn radius in the drive in circles with no load test, I really don't know and except for idle curiosity I don't think it is an important issue.

I find that in reduced traction situations my tractor always turns better with less front wheel plowing when in 4x4 and ditto with a load on back like a box blade or disk or...

Pat

 

[N80]

And isn't this the 21st century?

Yes, that was my point, you know, making a funny....the technology has been with us since the 20th century....oh well, the humor is lost in translation.

BTW, you should operate your 4wd lever from time to time to make sure it works and all. Call it PM.

Nah, if it gets stuck, I want it stuck in 4wd.....

 

[N80]

I think you heard it from Spyderlnk.

And many times before too!

But I will repectfully ask that you prove it by showing me in the manual. Then I will gladly have some blackened crow with some honey mustard for lunch and dinner.

Well, I wouldn't even bet a crow that I'm right. And the L4400 manual is rather 'thin' on egineering specs. Not a whole lot of data of that sort. But I will consult the service manual. However, I imagine we will hear from other reliable sources too. I've always heard that 4wd cuts are slightly over driven. But you know how those sub-urban legends go. Anyway, if it is true....what type of wine do you want with your crow?

 

[RobJ]

Well, I wouldn't even bet a crow that I'm right. And the L4400 manual is rather 'thin' on egineering specs. Not a whole lot of data of that sort. But I will consult the service manual. However, I imagine we will hear from other reliable sources too. I've always heard that 4wd cuts are slightly over driven. But you know how those sub-urban legends go. Anyway, if it is true....what type of wine do you want with your crow?

I'm thinking a bold red, maybe a Cabernet. Nah, crow probably have to go with the rot gutt...Bordeaux.

The usual suspects can gladly chime in but I'm gonna have to something better than a "what he said". Which may be impossible because as you mentioned it's probably not in a manual, or at least one we can buy(does this make it a safe bet???).

And if good for a tractor, how about a car? They turn to, wet roads. I know the 21th century (hehe) AWD cars are pretty sophisticated, but, no, talk about your tire wear. OK bad example with the new AWD cars and computers. Remember we are talking about a gear driven/linked tractor.

 

[Charlesaf3]

I'm another "keep it in 4wd" guy.

At the risk of stating the obvious, I think it depends a lot on your land. On my hills and sandy dirt, I'd rather the wear on my drivetrain than on my rear-end puckerage. Tried going around in 2wd and the difference was noticeable - not in a good way. That JD manual that says take it out of 4wd on hills makes NO sense in my experience.

I do often find that I turn tighter in 4wd too, as the front wheels pull the nose around rather than plowing ahead. In any case, I'm usually in the woods, and I find the b3030 turns really tight - don't even usually use the brakes and I go through tight spots. Usually what's on the back is the biggest determiner of turning radius.

As an aside, with 4wd on, and r4s, I've never caused a problem with my lawn, despite what I was expecting. Not one rut yet while mowing. Ok, not one rut caused by the wheels... turns out there are other ways of causing ruts with a tractor, don't ask me how I know!

 

[N80]

And if good for a tractor, how about a car?

Pavement.

 

[daTeacha]

Okay, so here I am just getting on board after the thread has begun to really "take off", so to speak. Sorry, I was tractorin' a lot lately.

Anyways, my b7100 was permanently locked in 4wd when I bought it. I used it for several years and sold it for more than I paid for it, still locked in 4wd, to a dealer on trade for my DX29. I have no experimental or anecdotal evidence regarding turning radius from that machine.

The DX will sometimes turn sharper in 2wd and sometimes in 4wd, depending on the material beneath the wheels. All our little tractors are set up with some lead (as in follow the leader, not the element Pb) in the front axle. If all the tires are pretty new and you put the thing on a dynamometer or something similar, the front end will run more mph than the rear. If the tires are severely worn in the front and almost new in the rear, it may be different, but that's the way it should be.

When turning, using automotive parlance, the front and rear wheels ideally would follow the same arcs on any surface. This hardly ever happens. When the fronts tend to run wide of the rears, the condition is called "understeer" in sports car circles. When the fronts run inside the rears, it's called "oversteer". Transferring to tractors, differences in traction and weight balance front to rear can sometimes cause either understeer or oversteer in 2wd or 4wd.

The closer your balance/tire wear/traction situation brings you to neutral steering, the less wear on the machinery and tires you will cause. I can get less damage to my soil in 2wd most of the time, but sometimes the front tends to understeer, with the tires essentially plowing the ground as they get pushed forwards, using terms from both the sporty car and Nascar worlds.

As with so many other thing discussed in these forums, which is best depends on your situation and your preferences.

I live on hills and have it in 4wd most of the time. When the front starts lurching or tearing up the ground, I try 2wd. If it works better, that's what I use then, but soon go back to 4wd since it is definitely not high on the fun list to find that the weight shift to the front when going downhill with a heavy load in the bucket unloads the rears sufficiently to bring about premature rear wheel lockup and basically no braking effect whatever when I wish to stop.

 

[RobJ]

When turning, using automotive parlance, the front and rear wheels ideally would follow the same arcs on any surface. This hardly ever happens. When the fronts tend to run wide of the rears, the condition is called "understeer" in sports car circles. When the fronts run inside the rears, it's called "oversteer". Transferring to tractors, differences in traction and weight balance front to rear can sometimes cause either understeer or oversteer in 2wd or 4wd.

Tractors are notorious for understeer, because of their design and with an implement there is more weight on the rear making the front lighter and a push or understeer. But an oversteer is much harder on a tractor...which means the rear wheels would have to be sliding. Maybe in some mud but that's about it, my tractor only goes 11.2 mph. I don't get a lot of oversteer.

 

[N80]

my tractor only goes 11.2 mph. I don't get a lot of oversteer.

You need a better crew chief.

 

[Egon]

Ahh the world just ain't round!