Buying Advice Does no one buy big 2wd tractors new anymore?

[mjcountrybumpkin]

A small side note:
I have absolutely zero land that even resembles flat. Mainly step hill sides.

 

[MHarryE]

Auctions past two weeks. First one had a JD, can't remember model, but it went for $55,000. Looked it up on Tractor House wand the price was in the ball park. Next auction identical model. I was standing away from the tractor (hundreds of people at this auction) and I was very surmised to hear it sell for $22,000. I had to fight the crowd to look because I remembered the tractor as being exceptionally clean. Finally got to see the front end - 2wd. The tractor a week earlier had been MFWD. In our area if you want a 2wd you can get a real steal but if you buy new and don't plan on keeping for its lifetime, you will kiss a lot of money goodbye.

 

[Will_C]

My cousin has a large dairy farm in the hills of Northcentral Pennsylvania. They have several 150hp+ John Deere for the bulk of their crop work. They also have 1 or 2 2wd tractors around-purchased used at a very reasonable cost. They use those tractors to rake hay, pull the fewer mixer, etc.

Will

 

[Verticaltrx]

I wouldn't want a 2wd compact tractor (especially one with a loader), but for larger field tractors there are a number of benefits to 2wd, if you are using them in the right application:

-lower purchase price
-tighter turning radius
-lower maintenance costs, especially front tires
-less complex/more reliable
-more options for row spacing

Between me and my family we make between 60-80ac of hay a year and the tractor that does all the cutting, most of the raking, and runs the square baler is a 2wd JD 2550. Its got good power, is heavy with a long wheelbase (better ride) and it turns sharp. We use a 4wd JD 5045e for tedding and sometimes raking, and a 4wd Kubota M9540 for running the round baler. I can't think of a time when we have EVER used 4wd on one of those tractors in the hay field. In fact, aside from loader work those two tractors only get put in 4wd maybe a handful of times in a year. For loading round bales with the loader in the hay field they are left in 2wd.

IMO there are only a few situations where 4wd is considered almost mandatory:
-heavy loader work or loader work on steep hills/muddy conditions
-work on very wet ground

For haying, bush hogging, chore work and general field work I gladly use 2wd tractors.

 

[jenkinsph]

I use 4x4 when box blading and pulling the land plane but everything else I use 4x2.