4x4 - Don't know what I'd do without it!

[tillboy2001]

4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

Ok, yes I do....I'd slide down the hills we live on! Getting out in the field to mow for the first time this weekend really makes me appreciate 4x4! First issue in 4x2 mode is you really notice the tractor slow down a little on hills (I guess the tires are slipping slightly). Grass was totally dry and it hasn't rained for 2.5 weeks. Another thing I notice is going down hill with the finish mower, in 4x2 I sometimes start to slide straight down the hill. If I put 'er in 4x4, it's slow and easy...like I've got spikes in the ground! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Taking a turn to go back up the slope, the inside rear wheel starts to spin way too easy. Put it in 4x4 and no slip whatsoever. This along with loader work problems in 4x2, I can say I'm 100% happy to have 4x4. I'd recommend anyone sitting on the fence about spending a few extra bucks to go 4x4 go ahead and spend the extra money if you need to do loader work or have sloping land. It's well worth the money! Safety is another big issue too for me. I honestly wouldn't feel safe on this land without 4x4.

Partial view of the land. Many trees to mow under. Don't wanna slide into them /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[tillboy2001]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

This is my front lawn. Gives you a better look at why I need 4x4. See the angle of the grade? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Holzster]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

Are your tires filled?

 

[tillboy2001]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

No, but we have a total of 440 lbs of rear wheel weights.

 

[edski]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

I know what you mean regarding a bit of slip going downhill with an implement. It's an uneasy feeling when you go from driver to passenger without switching seats. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
I'm just a couple of hours up-river from you. Your grade (in the pic) is what we call gently rolling hills around here. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Cheers...edski

 

[1bush2hog]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

It is tough to get the exact interpretation of slope using a two dimensional picture. My pics always seem less steep than in reality, but then again being on a steep slope on a tractor may seem steeper than it actually is too /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Wonder if anyone has ever done a study on how frequently increasing your 'pucker factor' reduces your chances of getting hemoroids /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Call them hills, or mountains, but I personally would not be without MFWD on my tractor on my land. MFWD also comes in handy when pushing or pulling heavy items on any land.

Yea I could get by without it, but why would I want to?

 

[RalphVa]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

NO WAY I could run without 4wd on a 4 wheel tractor on my hills, and I always leave it in 4wd unless I'm going quite a ways down the neighbor's driveway.

Had to go with dual wheels on my walk-behind Gravely. It wouldn't pull the hills without the duals.

Don't have to worry about going downhill at all with either of them, even with 850# in the bucket on the JD or near 1,000# in the cart behind the Gravely. They hold back.

Ralph

 

[allpontiac]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

I have to agree with you - I don't know what I'd do without 4x4. I originally began looking for two wheel drive because that's what my neighbor has and he seemed to be doing alright. My better judgement took over and I sprang the few extra bucks for 4 wheel drive. I have been clear a building site for the last few month and I don't believe I could do such things as pushing over trees or pulling them out with a chain or the heavy FEL work I've done without 4x4. Tried two wheel drive a few times on some of the trees and she would just spin the rear tires.

 

[Cabinholler]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

pz31g22

I wouldn't even think about using a front end loader on a tractor, if it wasn't on a 4X4. Pay the extra money, and get a 4X4 tractor. The other day I was using my 4X4 tractor and loader to lift some some small logs on my farm. The front end of my tractor was kind of down hill when I picked up the small logs with my loader. I started to back up. The back wheels of the tractor started to spin, and I was going nowhere. Guess what! I forgot to put the tractor in 4X4. I put the tractor in 4X4 with the loader loaded and backed up and the tractor didn't even slip a wheel. If I had a 2 wheel tractor with this load, I couldn't have backed the tractor up the hill.

Years ago, I farmed with my dad, and all we had was 2 wheel tractors. Things have changed since then. Most people that have a tractor now days have front end loaders on them. There is nothing like having a 4X4 tractor with a front end loader on it. You can do so much more with a loader on a 4X4 tractor, and it is a lot more safer to.

Cabinholler

 

[KiotiJohn]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

The only 2WD I would want would not be a compact tractor. It would be a high HP Utility. The compacts are just too small and light, and really need the front wheel assist/drive to do well with a loader, or as you found out, on sloping land. John

 

[MMM]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( front wheel assist/drive to do well with a loader )</font>

What about for gardening? l'm looking at replacing my SuperC with a small CUT for the lawn and acre garden. In the heavy soil I used to farm, the main problem was keeping front end down in stiff spots and 4wd wasn't so useful except on front heavy articulateds. Do you guys think it's really neccesary for subsoiler, disc, and hiller work? I'm in sandy loam now and not too familiar with little tractors, except little Cubs, which always seemed to pull fine without 4wd. Maybe a tire size advantage? I won't have a loader for CUT, so I really hate to pay more for 4wd if I don't need it for lawn and garden work.

 

[KiotiJohn]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm in sandy loam now and not too familiar with little tractors, except little Cubs, which always seemed to pull fine without 4wd. Maybe a tire size advantage? I won't have a loader for CUT, so I really hate to pay more for 4wd if I don't need it for lawn and garden work. )</font>
The older tractors as you mention were a different animal than the newer CUTs. They had different gearing and large tires for their HP. Most of the little CUTs out today almost need 4x4 to work in softer soils. However, you could probably get away with it okay since you won't have the heavy weight of a FEL pushing down on your front tires. Most CUTs are switchable 2/4 WD these days. All of Kioti's now are.
I would want a reasonably heavy tractor for the digging stuff, and since you have sandy soil, something similar to my CK20 would probably serve you well. You will probably still require some front weight to keep the front grounded when ground engaging. I don't think 4x4 is all that much more costly these days as in the past.
John
John

 

[schole]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

I can get more done with a 34 hp 4x4 loader than with my Dad's 60 hp 2wd loader -- no question.

Discing or harrowing all day on level, loamy, well drained soil -- I supose I might consider investing in more hp and physical size with just 2wd. But do anything else -- I mean anything -- and you will love that 4x4! I would always keep in the back of my mind where my front tires are sinking, and how the balance of weight is shifting off the rear tires when working a 2wd -- if I didn't, I'd be stuck sooner than later. Not so with 4x4. Too steep or slippery to walk with your boots? Take the 4x4 CUT! They are NOTHING like the old stand-by 2wd farm tractors (even with a good set of chains).

Shawn

 

[PineRidge]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

I agree with you, if all my chores were on level ground then I might consider 2WD, I say again might.

But in the real world there is as much up and down and mud and slick wet grass than flat and level. The 4WD tractor is the perfect solution to get the job done in the least amount of time.

This is also where New Holland really shines with their SensiTrak clutch. The 4WD is applied automatically whenever the wheels start to slip and most of the time you never know it's even happening other than the fact that you don't get stuck and your wheels don't spin.

And because it's automatic you don't need to be driving around in 4WD when you really don't actually need to be doing so. Once the tractor is put in a position that 4WD is no longer needed the SensiTrak clutch puts the rig back into 2WD.

For this reason I can count on one hand the number of times that we have had the 4WD in the manual, locked position since we have purchased the tractor. The majority of the time it is in automatic position and works really slick. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[chatcher]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would always keep in the back of my mind where my front tires are sinking, and how the balance of weight is shifting off the rear tires when working a 2wd...)</font>

I used to get stuck in the muck all the time with a 2wd Ford 601. The TC is vastly better. In my situations I think the reason is not only the extra traction, but the tendency of the front wheels to climb their way up out of the hole they sank in, rather than just plowing through it like the 2wd. The same goes for driving over obstacles. Less rear wheel traction is required to lift the front wheels up and over because they are actively climbing.

 

[Bob_Young]

Re: 4x4 - Don\'t know what I\'d do without it!

Well I'm certainly a believer. Two years ago when I started seriously considering a CUT, I couldn't see the need for 4WD and was limiting my research to 2WD only. Thousands of hours on 2WD Ag tractors had convinced me that I could get the job done without 4WD. Think I even posted as much here once or twice.

However, TBN, one or two other sources, and time on a couple of large 4WD Ag tractors convinced me otherwise.

The L4300 I bought in December was 4WD and I don't believe there was an hour on the tach before I'd used 4WD twice to get out of tight spots. As light as the L4300 is, it is phenomenal how hard it pulls. Loader utility has to be at least 40% greater with 4WD compared to without.

Before buying a 4WD tractor, it's a good idea to compare turn radius specs among the various models you're considering. Some turn tighter than others and you don't want to give up the CUT's advantage of manueverability. The Kubotas and NHs seem to do well in this regard. Deere & Kioti probably do very well too, but I haven't checked. Did look at Farmtrac 4WD and, once I unraveled their backhanded way of expressing this, realized the model I was considering couldn't turn nearly as tight as a Kubota.

I have noticed that, while in 4WD, differential braking seems less effective at tightening up a turn than in 2WD. This may be because the brakes have to overcome the traction of the front wheels to tighten the turn and this isn't easy if 4WD is doing its thing.
Bob