4 wheel drive all the time? or just when needed

[MiniDonkey22]

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.

 

[LD1]

Only when needed.

I will add that if you live in an area with hills....use 4wd when going down hills.

Tractors dont have front brakes only rear. By engaging 4wd you are mechanically coupling the front and rear axle together. So when you hit the brakes, all 4 tires are trying to stop the tractor and not just the back two, which with a loader on and nothing on the rear coupled with down hill could be bad if only in 2wd.

Other than that, if you dont need the front for pulling traction or for braking traction....leave it in 2wd

 

[sea2summit]

For whatever reason this question pops up and seems to have some heated debate.

I leave mine in 4WD unless I'm getting on the pavement for something. I do have very hilly terrain and am always moving something really heavy so I do it mostly to reduce any wheel spinning I can and like LD said get better braking, if I was on flat ground I probably wouldn't unless I was doing ground engaging work.

 

[bearthebruce]

Flat lander? Two wheel makes sense.

Hills, I got a story to tell:

Boss and I were talking about how after 250 hours in the seat I was getting pretty good with the tractor. He says, "Don't go getting over-confident. 250 hours you are still a newb."

I was working around the barn and on level hard pavement so I had dropped Missy Ferg out of 4 wheel into 2 wheel.

Well, wasn't 3 hours later he proved that I was a newb + and idiot. We are in the mountains. 4 wheel drive is required to manage the steep hills. We needed to carry a walk behind brush cutter to an area we cannot cut with the brush hog on the back of the tractor. We loaded the cutter on the forks and had nothing on the back. We don't run loaded tires. All the old tractor guys here are going - "Uh huh. I know where this is going!"

Now I know a tractor only has rear brakes. I know when you put a load on the forks, you need ballast. I know when you are going down hill with a load on the forks, you must be in 4 wheel or you will need to change your shorts if you survive.

Yep, shorts were changed and since I am writing you, I did survive. But it was a hell of a fun tobbagan ride with a high center of gravity machine.

Don't get over-confident. On hills use 4 wheel. Before going down.. check that the tractor will hold on a slight incline! Use ballast. Don't be an idiot like me.

 

[sandman2234]

Mine goes into 4wd only when needed, but I live in Flat Florida. I have a pond that I mow around with steep banks, and the 4wd gets engaged then, as it helps me steer and climb the banks. Use it when you need it, but like most things, it has a lifespan.
David from jax

 

[Avenger]

As others have said, if you live on hills then you will want four wheel. I live in hills. I pop mine into 2 wheel on occasion, thinking I'm saving something, but it doesn't stay there long. Seems I'm going to be driving downhill or going over rough terrain and need the extra traction. Or have a heavy load on the FEL and need the traction upfront to simply move since the pressure is off the rears.
When in road gear, going down the road, its in 2 wheel for sure. But day to day on my property, its in 4 wheel 98% of the time.

 

[mrmikey]

I only use 4WD in the winter when I'm plowing and the summer when I start spinning. Way I figure it, right or wrong, if I get stuck in 2WD I have a better chance of getting out in 4WD as opposed to getting stuck while in 4WD.............Mike

 

[JCoastie]

Way I figure it, right or wrong, if I get stuck in 2WD I have a better chance of getting out in 4WD as opposed to getting stuck while in 4WD.............Mike

same here, mostly flat ground, but muddy at times. Always 2wd in, and 4wd out if needed, less chance of getting stuck.

 

[IndyJay]

With my Massey 1250 I usually ran 4WD all the time except for on pavement. I have everything from fairly level to rolling hills, to steep hills back on the trails. I did have to have the front axle rebuilt after about 15 years of that. I just bought Kioti DK4510, I am more selective of when to use 4WD mostly because Kioti has a little more aggressive "front wheel assist" gearing than most tractors (according to several threads I've come across on TBN). I definitely have gotten into the habit of making sure that I take it out of 4WD when coming in from the field. Probably being overcautious but better than regrets later.

 

[Zebrafive]

Good post about 4wd helping the braking, most people don't consider that. Some tractors engage 4wd when the brakes are applied. My JD 6415 does.

 

[5030]

All depends on how often you want to buy new tires....I rarely use front wheel assist myself.

 

[rScotty]

There's really no debate.

4WD assist couples the front and rear together so that the rear brakes can help on hills. That is helpful because compact tractors don't have front brakes.

Otherwise, most all compact tractors have a 4wd ASSIST - not full time 4wd. They are designed to be in 4wd only part of the time in poor traction.
If they were designed for full time 4wd there would be a differential between the front and rear driveshafts and there is not.

Sure you can use them all the time in 4wd, but running a 4wd assist full time puts unnecessary wear on the drive system because of the lack of a driveline differential.

rScotty

 

[5030]

Most large tractors don't have front brakes either. Some do like a JCB Fastrak but most don't. Both mine have front ring and pinion sets and are capable of mechanical lockup, just like the rear axle is. Only use FWA when necessary.

 

[RancherGuy]

4WD assist couples the front and rear together so that the rear brakes can help on hills ...

Sure you can use them all the time in 4wd, but running a 4wd assist full time puts unnecessary wear on the drive system because of the lack of a driveline differential.

rScotty

Agreed. Plus when in 4wd, the turning radius gets larger. If 4wd on grass, the grass gets torn up as well.

In reference to the comment 'helping on hills', 4wd gives you 4 wheel brakes which can be mighty important in a lot of situations. I have 3 full size JD (5000, 6000, 7000) and note that when I apply both brakes simultaneously, those tractors automatically engage the 4wd electronic solenoid, meaning that they automatically have 4 wheel brakes.

If pulling something heavy that could "overrun" your tractor due to mass or incline, engaging 4wd may be very important.

 

[bearthebruce]

I have 3 full size JD (5000, 6000, 7000) and note that when I apply both brakes simultaneously, those tractors automatically engage the 4wd electronic solenoid, meaning that they automatically have 4 wheel brakes.

When you do not have automatic applied 4w drive, in those hairy cases, I suggest safe rather than sorry. Engage the 4w drive before finding out you should have!

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Sure you can use them all the time in 4wd, but running a 4wd assist full time puts unnecessary wear on the drive system because of the lack of a driveline differential.

On ground like pavement or hard packed gravel this is true, but on grass, soil, sand, loose gravel etc. the looseness of the material you are operating on acts as a de facto differential allowing the wheels to work a slightly different speeds without undo stress.

 

[oosik]

I only use 4WD when I know it's going to be needed. Maybe 2% to 3% of my time is in 4WD.

 

[ljjhouser]

I would agree that only use it when you need 4wd. However, I am in the Ozarks. Nothing is flat. If you take it out of 4wd, you better know when you will need it before it happens. My road is steep and gravel. After all the times and all the work I have done on the road, I should have remembered when I took it out of 4wd. I put a gas generator (200 pounds) chained to the front bucket. I did not attach the box blade as usual. Went slowly down the road, decided to slow down a little, couldn't. Applied the brakes - slid 18 feet before getting it stopped. Couldn't put the bucket down to the ground - hauling the generator on chain hooks. I thought to myself - Damn idiot - will you never learn? I know it increases wear on the front axle gears, but maybe that is the price of operating on hilly property. I have liquid in the tires. .

 

[Williy]

I'm with Mike, I only use 4X4 when needed
I have used 4X4 2 times in 79 hours of use.
kinda flat here nice slope high in the back and
low in the front approx 3 foot drop in 1200 feet

willy

 

[bearthebruce]

Went slowly down the road, decided to slow down a little, couldn't. Applied the brakes - slid 18 feet before getting it stopped. Couldn't put the bucket down to the ground - hauling the generator on chain hooks. I thought to myself - Damn idiot - will you never learn?

Were you sitting in the same seat with me? See my earlier post.. did exactly the same as you.. hit the steepest part of our hill, had to make a 90 degree turn, the rears locked and sliding... I stopped about 200 yards downhill... It is a horrible feeling...

I uttered similar words.. !@$@# Idiot! What the !@#!$ were you thinking! Right - you weren't! Go fast, don't think, then you may be seriously injured or die.

Funny, after that episode.... every time I approached the first drop on the hill, I tested that I was in fact in 4w drive, that I could in fact slow down.

A great lesson in humility.