F100Panel
Silver Member
Am looking over for purchase several larger/older ( early 80's) 4x4 Loader/backhoes. Some list as 4x4 others list as FWA/front wheel assist. Is there a difference and what is it?
FWA vs 4 Wheel drive
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Bird
Rest in Peace
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is there a difference and what is it? )</font>
Probably no difference. I guess to some, 4 x 4 means all four wheels pulling all the time, while "front wheel assist" or Deere's "mechanical front wheel drive" (MFWD) means you can shift into or out of 4 wheel drive, and of course, unless you have a differential lock on one or both axles, you might say that when it's in 4 wheel drive, it's actually only 2 wheels pulling; one front and one rear since the differential allows one wheel on each axle to slip. And if you have a differential lock just on the rear axle, fairly common I think, then you'd have 3 wheels pulling. Is that confusing enough? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Probably no difference. I guess to some, 4 x 4 means all four wheels pulling all the time, while "front wheel assist" or Deere's "mechanical front wheel drive" (MFWD) means you can shift into or out of 4 wheel drive, and of course, unless you have a differential lock on one or both axles, you might say that when it's in 4 wheel drive, it's actually only 2 wheels pulling; one front and one rear since the differential allows one wheel on each axle to slip. And if you have a differential lock just on the rear axle, fairly common I think, then you'd have 3 wheels pulling. Is that confusing enough? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
dbear
Gold Member
I believe that on older units, when FWA first came out, they were hydraulically vs mechanically driven. Hence the FWA label. Now, it seems, depending on manufacturer, MFWD, FWA, and 4x4 are all used interchangeably, and all mean the same thing.
