FEL and 4WD - How necessary?

[txdon]

I never again buy a tractor without FEL and 4x4 and standard tranny. I've seen too many problems with HST. I've own tractors from a 15hp rice paddy tractor (Iseki) to a JD 5200, all but one have all been diesel.y 2007 New Holland TC30 is a fine piece of equipment.

I love my HST especially since my left knee surgery. Which brand tractor is having HST problems? I haven't heard of them from Kubota.

 

[buickanddeere]

Buick & Deere
I think that statement may be in error - here is a test

If a person takes a new FEL equipped 4x4 CUT hydrostatic tractor-

loads the bucket to its rated lift capacity and

puts it in 4x4 on dry pavement

turns the steering wheel to lock and

starts going in circles

Do you believe that this will not be considered abuse?- if an axle shaft snaps or other drivetrain part fails.


Am I missing something here I was under the impression that Most 4x4 CUTs whether hydrostatic or gear- still use mechanically driven transfer box with no differential action between front and rear axle.

I know there are some tractors that only have a front wheel assist but my understanding is that most 4x4 tractors are directly coupled to the front axle by a transfer box...?

If I'm way off on my understanding of this -my apologies

It's still abuse but the shock loads from somebody side stepping the clutch with the engine redlined is not going to happen with the hydrostat trans.

 

[bdog]

FEL's on small tractors are almost useless without 4WD. Anything in the bucket takes weight off back tires and you go nowhere. Same goes when trying to dig or move dirt there is little weight on the rears and without 4wd it is tough.

I currently have a 95 hp 2WD tractor with a FEL. The rear tires are loaded and weigh about 800lbs each. Tractor total weighs around 12,000 lbs I think. I can do a lot with the FEL due to the weight of the tractor but still at times I wish I had 4WD. I was trying to move a pallet of quickcrete (3360lbs) and was on gravel. The rear tires were so light I would spin on occasion and have difficulty moving.

 

[CurlyDave]

You can do a lot of lifting with the 3 point hitch using booms. No, it is not an FEL, but you can lift with it. Like others have said, our grandparents and many parents farmed without FELs and did quite well. I have 11 tractors and only 4 have FELs. You don't need an FEL all the time.

My grandparents started with an outhouse and then moved up to one indoor bathroom for the entire house.

Now I might, just possibly, be able to live with an outhouse, but my wife would never consider less than 3 indoor bathrooms.

A tractor with 2WD and no FEL is sort of like an old ranch house with no indoor plumbing. Sure, some people might even like living in it, but resale value is very low compared to a modern house with plentiful indoor plumbing.

4 WD and a FEL is the modern standard for CUT, sub-CUT, or even a general purpose tractor. Anything less is living in the past.

 

[TomSeller]

My grandparents started with an outhouse and then moved up to one indoor bathroom for the entire house.

Now I might, just possibly, be able to live with an outhouse, but my wife would never consider less than 3 indoor bathrooms.

A tractor with 2WD and no FEL is sort of like an old ranch house with no indoor plumbing. Sure, some people might even like living in it, but resale value is very low compared to a modern house with plentiful indoor plumbing.

4 WD and a FEL is the modern standard for CUT, sub-CUT, or even a general purpose tractor. Anything less is living in the past.

Everything you said is 100% correct. Some people are unable to purchase a 4wd and need to work with a used 2wd that they can afford.

 

[sd455dan]

Once again it may come down to budget- a fairly heavy 2 wheel drive with loaded tires and a lot of weight on the 3 point Can do a lot of FEL work.

-but will never be the equal of the same machine with the addition of four wheel drive for loader work or it's pulling ability in the muck or stability on a slope...

 

[dave1949]

Everything you said is 100% correct. Some people are unable to purchase a 4wd and need to work with a used 2wd that they can afford.

Once again it may come down to budget- a fairly heavy 2 wheel drive with loaded tires and a lot of weight on the 3 point Can do a lot of FEL work. -but will never be the equal of the same machine with the addition of four wheel drive for loader work or it's pulling ability in the muck or stability on a slope...

Good points. If a 2wd is what the budget allows, it's still waaaaay better than a wheelbarrow and shovel.

It depends so much on what the conditions and tasks are whether a given machine is a reasonable match-up, it's difficult to generalize.

I can see some situations where 4wd would be a waste of money; say fairly flat ground, light to moderate snow pushing, the need to do some large gardening, and no serious TLB-type dirt work aspirations. A person with those needs may as well buy an older, solid 2wd tractor and make better use of the savings on something else.

 

[TomSeller]

Good points. If a 2wd is what the budget allows, it's still waaaaay better than a wheelbarrow and shovel.

It depends so much on what the conditions and tasks are whether a given machine is a reasonable match-up, it's difficult to generalize.

I can see some situations where 4wd would be a waste of money; say fairly flat ground, light to moderate snow pushing, the need to do some large gardening, and no serious TLB-type dirt work aspirations. A person with those needs may as well buy an older, solid 2wd tractor and make better use of the savings on something else.

Right. If the majority of the work to be done is using the backhoe itself, 4wd is not used anyway. When using the loader, that backhoe, particularly if you set the boom back can gain a lot of rear wheel traction. 4wd is obviously better. I have both a 4wd backhoe and an older Case 2wd. The Case loader gets used the most strangely enough. Mostly because we like to run the snot out of the older equipment if we can to keep the hours down on the newer equipment. There a some months where the 2wd just can't get it done due to wet soils, but most of the time it is fine.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

An fel and 4x4 are about as necessary as the teeth in your head... bite the bullet now.

 

[PhysAssist]

I love my HST especially since my left knee surgery. Which brand tractor is having HST problems? I haven't heard of them from Kubota.

2x + from me re: HST vs MT for those with bum knees, or in my case a replaced one.