Tractor Sizing How important is rear diff lock on CUT?

[McREBEL]

Thanks for the update. Have fun.

 

[AxleHub]

I know when I bought late this spring . . if the units I was considering didn't did not have differential lock as a feature . . then I was no longer considering them.

 

[jenkinsph]

I have only used the differential lock a few times in the past 10 years. If you use your tractor in wet areas it is important to have. In the southwest where it is dry for most of the year, not so much.

 

[wcampbell47]

New to tractors. looking for something 25-30HP for plowing snow, working in the woods, moving dirt, etc. 8 acres on north side of a fairly steep ridge. Looking at a Yanmar 424 since dealer is only 5 miles away, but from everything I've read, there is no locker on the rear axle. Is this a deal breaker?

Thanks for your opinions.

John

From the description of your property I would say so. Thing is you can get a 4wd tractor in a situation where you only have 1 rear and 1 front wheel pulling. The other two are just spinning. Being able to engage both rear wheels while in 4wd can get you out of a sticky situation.

 

[jonnmero]

From the description of your property I would say so. Thing is you can get a 4wd tractor in a situation where you only have 1 rear and 1 front wheel pulling. The other two are just spinning. Being able to engage both rear wheels while in 4wd can get you out of a sticky situation.

Not only that, but also when you are pulling something heavy (borderline load for tractor), you will have a lot more control with diff lock in addition to 4WD.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I had to use the Diff. lock on my LS once when crossing a deep ditch on an angle. One front and one rear ended up off the ground and I had no traction at all. The diff lock got me off high center and I was able to continue on across the ditch without resorting to using the FEL to push myself backward.

 

[AxleHub]

I believe too often people understate the ootential use of diff lock . . Often possibly because they don't think of it in normal use or don't understand it.

Just yesterday I was cutting grass with my fel on in a small yard that had a 8 inch rise. I was turning at an angle on that small rise (a shade filled area) and suddenly I was spinning a tire. I was in 2wd because this is not a hilly or sloped yard at all.

I could have shifted into 4wd . . Moved . . And then back to 2 wd . . but why go thru the trouble and effort. Tap the diff lock . . Move 2 feet and take the foot off.

I like many others tell and think about diff lock in situations of extreme traction need. But many more times the duff lock can be used for minor traction issues . . . especially in situations where you are teansitioning often from gard surface to soft surface and 4wd is not good to have on.

 

[jcbGM]

I'm in hilly Western PA. Use a Deere 4400 with a 5' cutter to mow around our hay fields and cut the weeds in the horse pasture. I have R4 tires and have several areas that require mowing up and down very steep slope(s). Slopes are steep enough that the R4s will spin in some areas and I need the diff lock to climb the hill. I probably wouldn't need it with R1s.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Perhaps we should look at it this way.
"Every well designed tractor has a diff lock feature to increase the tractor's ability and from that it's marketability. " So any tractor designed without it was designed by fools that don't know or care about how tractors are used in the fields. If they screwed up on this commonly understood point what else in the tractors design did they not understand or cut corners on??:duh:

 

[vtsnowedin]

Perhaps we should look at it this way.
"Every well designed tractor has a diff lock feature to increase the tractor's ability and from that it's marketability. " So any tractor designed without it was designed by fools that don't know or care about how tractors are used in the fields. If they screwed up on this commonly understood point what else in the tractors design did they not understand or cut corners on??:duh: