FWA is not 4WD

[TrippleT]

I think it is more a matter of semantics. If you put your tractor in FWD you essentially have four wheels driving. Yes, I know, that unless you lock the rear wheels, only one of them will pull in certain situations as in the front wheels. On my TC33D, the front wheels can't be locked but it is still pulling with four wheels, in theory. In this area I don't use it unless I have to. It will tear the yard up mowing. But, when plowing, or grading or sometimes using the loader I use it. And, sometimes the loader will get you unstuck. I would hate to own that buried machine. That said, I did get so stuck once that I had to call a neighbor to pull me out with his John Deere. I told him it was sure embarrassing for green to be pulling blue out of the mud. LOL

 

[RoyJackson]

After reading the thread here on 4WD advantages/disadvantages, I took my New Holland TN70A and did some work on some very wet and sloppy ground. I went in 2WD then scooped up a full 72 inch bucket of wet, heavy rotted horse manure, then my rear got light and was spinning my rear wheel with the diff locked. Of course, slipped it into FWA. I got out farther due to FWA, but still too much weight, not enough traction, got stuck, had to dump the load and then moved out of harms way (getting stuck) using FWA. So what did I learn?

Bob

Your FWA probably worked fine...your rear wheel drive probably worked fine.
What you're missing was adequate ballast, it sounds like

 

[Doc_Bob]

Your FWA probably worked fine...your rear wheel drive probably worked fine.
What you're missing was adequate ballast, it sounds like

I agree with you.
Bob

 

[N80]

It actually has to do with the gearing. In true 4WD......

But THATS the problem. There is no concensus on what any of these terms actually mean in regard to the systems they describe. As mentioned above, its a matter of semantics. There is no "true" or "real" definition of FWA or 4WD, etc. And the number of permutations, both of the systems themselves and the names that the manufacturers use, (and make up, remember Quadra-Trac?) is so large, about the only thing you can do to describe what type of system you are talking about is to actually describe its components and how it works. For me, and for most people, if power can be applied to the front wheels in any way, "4WD" has become the ubiquitous term, whether it is technically accurate or not.