Noob question 4 wheel drive

[Handloader109]

Small scutt, I'm in 4wd about 75% of the time. I've got hills, nothing really soft, but 4wd is 100 times safer. and how the heck much do you guys use a TRACTOR on pavement? I've never plowed my driveway. Wear in the front tires is INSIGNIFICANT on pavement vs dirt unless you are on pavement all the time. If sandy soils 4wd. and forget about it

 

[Wagtail]

Small scutt, I'm in 4wd about 75% of the time. I've got hills, nothing really soft, but 4wd is 100 times safer. and how the heck much do you guys use a TRACTOR on pavement? I've never plowed my driveway. Wear in the front tires is INSIGNIFICANT on pavement vs dirt unless you are on pavement all the time. If sandy soils 4wd. and forget about it

Every now & then when I use my tractor for a job that's not on my property.
Just this past calendar year I've tilled the 'Community Garden', 5km away via public road. 3 acre slashing job (twice), 3km away via public road. Two different location round bale hay loading jobs, 6km & 10km away (the 10km, I needed to transit through town) and a slashing/chain-harrowing job at the local pistol/rifle range 15km away.
Sometimes, when I'm helping out during haying season, I'll need to transit 10km of 100kph Highway to access a different paddock.

Anything further than 15km away from my property, I'll have the tractor transported.

Hey, it's all "tractor FUN!"

 

[BBHomestead]

Hi everyone! First time tractor owner here and I’m trying to learn as much as I can. I have a 25hp Branson and live in Florida. I’m using the tractor for mostly bucket and grapple work. My land is pretty sandy but not enough softness that I get stuck in. i do feel the tractor bog down frequently. I run my RPMs 15-1800 when working the two implements. Is this the sweet spot to run RPMs and also should I be running it in 4x4 mode all the time or stick with 2 wheel until I get stuck? Thanks for any help! Mike

As to the rpm it depends on what improvements you use if a improvement uses PTO then needs to be at right speed! If you lug the engine too much by trying to keep rpm low it may cause it to overheat! On some tractors they have warnings in owners manual about not using 4x4 all the time I think it depends on your tractor some can get unnecessary wear and shorten lifespan of the front wheel assist! I have a older mitsubishi 26hp that I have had in 4x4 since I bought it unless I happen to drive on roadway so 10 years and 1500 hrs its still working fine! But its a 45+ year old tractor they built them different back then!

 

[Hay Dude]

Small scutt, I'm in 4wd about 75% of the time. I've got hills, nothing really soft, but 4wd is 100 times safer. and how the heck much do you guys use a TRACTOR on pavement? I've never plowed my driveway. Wear in the front tires is INSIGNIFICANT on pavement vs dirt unless you are on pavement all the time. If sandy soils 4wd. and forget about it

Oh Lord, a LOT!
I road (4) tractors from one farm to the other by road. Sometimes my tractors feel as much like a truck as they do a tractor.
You are so very wrong when you say “wear in the front tires is insignificant on pavement vs dirt unless you are on pavement all the time”. If one drives a mere 20 feet on lighter colored pavement and make a light turn, it leaves rubber tire residue all over the pavement. You can SEE the rubber left behind.
Pavement is what eats tires and I believe is the main reason for R-4s. They have a more blunt, shallow bar design which helps reduce wear on pavement compared to R-1s.

 

[Williy]

You can ask 10 people about 4X4 how to use and will
get 10 different answers because of the type of their property, some have small hills others have larger hills,
then there are different soil types and wet marshy soil
or wet lands etc.

willy

 

[5030]

Pavement is what eats tires and I believe is the main reason for R-4s. They have a more blunt, shallow bar design which helps reduce wear on pavement compared to R-1s.

You might include that Radial R1's wear a bit better than bias. I tend to replace my front's at a 1.5 ratio

 

[CobyRupert]

I’ve been driving tractors for 40 years (since about age 12) and I can’t think of one time I’ve ever felt the need to lock the brake pedals together. Just press both pedals together unless you’re trying to turn.
How else do you test that your differential lock is unlocked?

 

[5030]

I'm just the opposite. Mine stay interlocked all the time. I rarely use ground engagement implements so brake steer is basically non-existent for me. Far as locking the differentials, All I have to do is observe tire rotation though it's rare for me to use it anyway and both my units have front and rear lockers.

 

[Jstpssng]

I’ve been driving tractors for 40 years (since about age 12) and I can’t think of one time I’ve ever felt the need to lock the brake pedals together. Just press both pedals together unless you’re trying to turn.
How else do you test that your differential lock is unlocked?

I can usually tell the first time that I attempt a turn.

 

[TerryR]

I’ve been driving tractors for 40 years (since about age 12) and I can’t think of one time I’ve ever felt the need to lock the brake pedals together. Just press both pedals together unless you’re trying to turn.

Ditto, except in my case it's 70 years.

The only time I lock the brakes together is to set the parking brake, which on my tractor only holds one pedal unless I lock them together.