4x4 Question

[N80]

N80, I bow to your superior knowledge and experience.

I knew you would, it just took longer than I thought. ;-)

 

[N80]

I dont dispute what your manual says, I do dispute the wisdom of what it says (or doesnt say). Problem with that? Do you now see and understand that the front end needs to turn a different RPM than the rear when turning or you will get some amount of scrubbing?

I got that all along, although the stick figure, as I mentioned, was open to a number of interpretations. The engineers that build a (good) 4wd system (should) understand those physics and they (should) make the product capable of handling those stresses. Why would I expect anything else from a quality tractor? My manual reflects that thinking.

You are free to dispute the wisdom of my manual. But I'm not sure why you would. It covers all the do's and don'ts of every system on the machine. It gives ranges, parameters, instruction on the best way to do things, but not one word of advice regarding taking it out of 4wd. Why not? Do they know something you don't regarding binding, physics, wear, stress, etc.? Maybe, maybe not. No offense, but I'm going to trust Kubota.

Maybe one day my son will be teaching his son how to drive Dad's old Kubota and there will be a big klang as the front drive shaft falls out and I'll slap myself in the forehead and curse Kubota's silly manual.

 

[N80]

As far as Im aware, Kubota doesnt offer this on their compact tractors. I could be wrong though. Maybe you got the first one.

As I've mentioned, the L4400 would be the last machine to have anything fancy on it. But I'll say it again, Kubota likely understands the stresses inherent on basic front drive lines and knows how to make the system withstand those stresses, just like everyhting else that gets 'engineered'.

 

[N80]

After rereading my posts, I apologize for my smarta$$ comments, Im trying to cut back but its not easy. The real point of the post was to educate, not berate.

No big deal. I don't take any of this personally. I think what I react to most in these sorts of discussions is concrete, blanket statements that might not apply to everyone. That and a certain smugness (not you) that presumes there can only be one side and that all other thoughts are either hardheaded or ignorant.

 

[tydp]

If you use a loader for anything regardless of the application and not use your 4 wheel drive is just foolish. The moment you put wt into the bucket or on forks you pivot over the front axle and take the load off the rears and if your front axle is free wheeling your in trouble.

I better take my loader off my 2wd M5400 immediately and sell it. If not, I am a fool and in great danger!!!!

 

[ovrszd]

I knew you would, it just took longer than I thought. ;-)

I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy........

 

[ovrszd]

No big deal. I don't take any of this personally. I think what I react to most in these sorts of discussions is concrete, blanket statements that might not apply to everyone. That and a certain smugness (not you) that presumes there can only be one side and that all other thoughts are either hardheaded or ignorant.

I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy.......

 

[3RRL]

I like that. But why not have a dashboard light that says "MFWD off"?

My tractor has a 4wd indicator light on it and also one for the parking brake. LOL my problem is I've driven off many times with the parking brake still on. Now I'm thinking of adding a "beeper" for it???

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.. lots of 2wd tractors out there with loaders that must be extreme hazards just setting there.

In all reality.. the other poster's comment stating 'anything regardless of the application' is so all encompasing as to virtually invalidate the comment itself.

I can think of plenty of 'applications' where 2wd , under the correct circumstances would not be mandatory.. or even needed...

Gotta watch out about those broad brush strokes...

Soundguy

I better take my loader off my 2wd M5400 immediately and sell it. If not, I am a fool and in great danger!!!!

Originally Posted by Timber
If you use a loader for anything regardless of the application and not use your 4 wheel drive is just foolish. The moment you put wt into the bucket or on forks you pivot over the front axle and take the load off the rears and if your front axle is free wheeling your in trouble.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Well, the 'picture' offered as proof (of what I'm still not sure) is pretty much a stick figure showing that the outside front travels farther than the inside front. I'm not sure that has ever been a point of dispute.

But the thing is, Ovrszd, you're acting like you are privy to some special rule that applies to all CUT's and yet, when I've explained how my owner's manual reads and how my tractor works, you've made excuses and made up mythical systems that it doesn't have in order to shoe-horn your idea into a shoe that it does not fit.

The front diff on my tractor, most I'm assuming, is open. Only one wheel gets traction so binding is minimal except in tight turns. As I've told you, there is no binding that I can feel, not in tight turns or otherwise. There is no chatter. There is no feedback in the steering wheel. NONE. There is NO change in turning radius. So is there _some_ binding? Certainly. Of course. Is this likely to be a problem over the lifetime of my tractor? Of course not. It was made with 4wd. It was made to use 4wd. It was made to last as long as the rest of the tractor.

I'm not sure where you come off assuming that those who take your advice are wise and that those who do not are somehow dangerously hardheaded.

I've read my owner's manual cover to cover. It includes such wisdom as pointing out that diesel fuel is flammable, and yet it includes NONE of the wisdom that you can't believe that some of us won't accept. And this isn't some former Soviet block Yugo-trac, its a late model Kubota.

So if your advice is so rock solid, why doesn't my manual say anything? Why doesn't it warn that the front driveline is weak and must be handled with care (remember when you implied that the front drive line was a weak link?)? Why doesn't it say to take it out of 4wd when not needed? Why doesn't it say to take it out of 4wd even when on pavement? And no, it doesn't have some special (mythical) anti-binding system. Its about as basic a machine as anyone makes.

All I've said is to follow your owners manual. If that sounds hard headed, tell me why.

Quote: N80, I bow to your superior knowledge and experience.

I have three 4wd tractors; a 7520 Mahindra, an L2550 Kubota, and a BX 1500 Kubota. I just now did a test to compare their turning radii in 2 vs 4wd. I did this in a perfectly level horse arena as I had problems getting readable results on uneven ground due the tendency of the tractors turning circle to spiral down hill. I did it moving slowly. I first established the turning circle in 2wd, going around several times to make good marks. Then, I engaged 4wd while still moving in the circle. In all cases the size of the circle increased. The respective amounts; 1) Mahindra +36", 2) L2550 +20", and 3) BX1500 +18". On both smaller tractors, the shifter gave me sufficient leverage so that I was then able to disengage 4wd while moving in the circle. In each case the circle diameter decreased to original 2wd proportion. The Mahindra has too much traction and not enuf shift leverage to overcome the high force on the engagement gear, so I had to leave that one as a one-way test. I am extremely disappointed to find that my tractors are operating according to established physical principles. I expected as much, but was really hoping for the magical operating characteristic achieved in the L4400.
Larry