Another 2wd vs 4wd question

txdon · Oct 27, 2011

Absolutely 4WD.
With the loader full your real tires will spin like crazy, (even with a heavy implement) you will get stuck, you will not be able to back up an incline, you will have to dump your load.

moretzb · Oct 27, 2011

I live in hill country. 4wd is the only way for me. Especially with an FEL

LD1 · Oct 27, 2011

Really need to know what the tasks are going to be with the tractor to say for sure, but in general, 4wd is the way to go.

If the work is more "farm" related and relatively flat ground, you could swing the 2wd 5045. Like pulling a disk or plow, bushhogging, moving round bales, etc, the 5045 will outperform the smaller 4x4.

But it the tasks at hand are more "landscaping" type, like moving mulch, gravel, grading a driveway, clearing snow, mowing, etc. I think you would be better served with the smaller, lighter, 4x4

BethesdaEC · Oct 27, 2011

I was coming back from working in the woods with the box blade and I was on pavement in 2WD. I hit my gravel drive and thought I would clean the edge on the way to parking so I dropped the box blade. I immediately bogged down and started spinning the rear tires because I had forgotten to engage MFWD. I engaged the front wheels and it started pulling like a mule again.

MFWD also turns better in low traction situation because the front tires are pulling the tractor around instead of skidding forward.

Get 4 wheel drive, you won't regret it.

DennisFolsom · Oct 27, 2011

In my area, when the fall rains come, the ground gets soft and soggy. My current project is placing 6 precast concrete piers to move my 16' x 8' garden shed onto. Besides maneuvering around to position the tractor to dig the holes with the backhoe, I have been carrying full 6 foot buckets of gravel and the piers themselves. The area (former woods) is so soft that I probably couldn't be doing this without 4WD. (At this time of year, anyway.)

I grew up on a farm, using 2WD tractors. You can do a lot with them if you are careful and know their limitations. We always had 2 or three tractors around, so we could usually pull out a stuck one. Many times, we had to.

Having one tractor, like I do now, I would not even consider a 2WD.

Verticaltrx · Oct 27, 2011

The most important question is what type of work are you looking to do with it?

The 5045d is a lot more tractor than the 3000 series JD's, but there are some things the smaller tractor would be better for. I tend to agree with those who say 4wd is very important for a loader tractor, but on the other hand for years and years people used 2wd tractor with loaders and did lots of work with them.

A few jobs the 5045d would be better for: heavier loader work around the farm yard or other relatively flat places (much more lift height and weight capacity over 3000 series). Bush hogging as well as most other field work. Properly ballasted it could also pull a larger box blade, plow, disc, etc than the smaller 4wd. Anything requiring more PTO hp such as a chipper, generator, pump, etc.

Where the 3000 series might be better: use on steeper or softer terrain, general utility work, repetitive loader work (think clean stalls, loading spreader, etc), using the loader for dirt work, and more delicate work such as finish grading.

magicheater · Oct 27, 2011

Before I got my first 4X4 tractor I had a 65HP Oliver Utility. GREAT tractor, strong loader, but I needed chains in the winter to move snow. Traded on an L4350 4X4 45HP. WOW! what a difference, no chains needed, better loader function, and go any where any time. I probably would not buy another 2WD tractor again. You can always just pull the lever and create one from a 4WD unit.

Qapla · Oct 28, 2011

Keep in mind we live in Florida so snow is not a problem. We have 10 acres that is fairly flat and have a 2WD Mahindra for the farming aspect. (see signature). It works great. If all you are going to do is pull implements behind you and you don't have steep areas or wet areas, 2WD works just fine.

The tractor with the loader is less HP but has 4WD. Wouldn't want to be without the 4WD for the loader work.

Also, we have a 3pt tiller. The smaller 4WD tractor pulls the tiller like it isn't even there.

You mentioned that the "money is about the same" and sometimes money does limit what we can purchase. You have to look at your needs. If you need the greater HP to drive PTO implements while pulling them, 4WD on the smaller machine won't make up for that. However, if you are planning on loader work, you can't get from 2WD what you get from 4WD.

Keep in mind, you can always turn the 4WD off when you think you don't need it ... but you cannot turn 4WD on if your machine only has 2WD.

If you can't afford the 4WD on the larger unit and the smaller unit will do what you need, I'd go with the 4WD.

tessiers · Oct 29, 2011

I gotta say 4x4 tractors get stuck every day, the 4 wheel drive will not prevent that, only a brain will help that. I do agree for loader work 4x4 is better, but skid steers and articulated loaders rule. Ballast will help a 2wd but will not make it 4x4. A properly ballasted tractor should have 70% of the weight on the rear wheels. My opinion is that reducing this ratio for compact4x4 tractors results in front end problems, they are not made for loader work and only tolorate it to a point. I say buy the 4x4 but ballast it keep the rear end weight ratio high. I have put front end work into both compacts I have owned, and will likely do it again. The convenience is worth the risk I guess, although I have gone to a skid steer now so maybe not. I used both of them primarily as loader tractors and the manuverability is the key for me, way more important than the HP, but I got other tractors for the HP.