Regarding 4x4...

[Fastball]

Hi, all. I have a Kubota L2900, which has been used exclusively in 4x4 mode since we got it, as our property is mostly hillside and unfinished. However, I'm taking it to the neighbour's house a few hundred yards away on a paved road to pick up a rotary cutter. Should I disengage the 4x4 and use 2wd, as I've heard I should....or will it be OK to leave it in 4x4 on such a short trip?
Thanks...

 

[Creamer]

I would never leave my tractor in 4X4 on a surface with solid traction such as a paved road with no ice or snow on it. Any mismatch in the drivetrain will cause bind. Typically the front wheels are set to run about 5% faster than the rear wheels and the difference is made up for by slippage. On good traction surfaces that slippage will not occur as easily and may cause microdamage to the drivetrain. While if you did leave it in 4X4 you would probably never know it but who wants to put extra stress on a machine when there is no need for it. You may feel some jumping when you turn though indicating it is binding and getting slippage in bursts rather than continuously and smoothly.

The other thing is that it is good to engage the various mechanisms on a somewhat regular basis jsut to keep them in good working order. For instance i had a friend that had not used his rear differential lock in many years and then used it and could not get it to disengage.

 

[WM75Guy]

Mine never get out of 4wd unless it is on the paved road. Like Creamer said it will cause damage.

 

[jeff9366]

The front wheel drive gearing is not designed for road speeds.

We burned out the front wheel drive on a BX after inadvertently leaving 4-WD engaged over a six mile road move.

 

[teg]

I have accidentally left mine in 4x4 while wheeling down the road :mur: Not good but I did not break anything either... Drove 3 miles and did it at least 3 times (that I know of) wish I didn't but it happens. I would take it out of 4x4 but I would not worry if you left it in. :2cents:

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I would disengage it for the round trip on pavement. My current place is mostly flat, so I leave mine in 2wd almost all the time. I have one road ditch that is very steep, and have to mow that in 4wd just to get up the slope. Our new place has almost no elevation change at all, so I'll probably only be in 4wd for FEL work or snow removal.

 

[redman135]

Like everyone else says, 2wd on road.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I never put mine in 4w, unless I need 4wd. I left it in 4 and went on the road one time... Noisy! Draggy feeling... Felt like something was grinding. You'll know it's not good just by the sound.

 

[Fastball]

Well, that's pretty well unanimous, then. Even though it's barely a half-kilometer, I didn't want to take a chance and mess something up. I'll try 2WD, if she'll shift into it, that is. She's never been out of 4x4.

 

[oosik]

I NEVER put mine in 4WD unless I need 4WD. Yes, take it out of 4WD for ANY road trip. Of course, unless you like hearing cracking,snapping sounds and have a lot of extra money to spend.

 

[Will_C]

My tractor is never in 4wd unless it is needed-sometimes I'll spin when I'm plowing snow and realize I am in 2wd.

Will

 

[teg]

Some of you guys must have no faith in the any Kubota engineers... or you might be thinking these tractors are "delicate".

The one or two time I've driven in 2 wheel drive.... I go on a run-a-way slide!!

 

[oosik]

Hmmmm - wondering. For those of you that leave your tractor in 4WD "most of the time". Do you leave your pickup in 4WD "most of the time" also? And if not, then why not?

 

[teg]

....Do you leave your pickup in 4WD "most of the time" also? And if not, then why not?

I'm not driving off road all the time... and yes, I've driven to my friends house more than a few times in 4x4 with my truck, too.

Also, you have heard of All Wheel drive, they are in 4x4 all the time...

 

[daugen]

The one or two time I've driven in 2 wheel drive.... I go on a run-a-way slide!!

Well, yeah...you live in Hillsville, right?

If I'm using my loader on anything heavier than mulch, I usually go into 4wd to not leave tire marks when digging into the pile.

Hope you guys leaving your machines in 4wd a lot or always regularly change your front gear lube.

When I take my tractor out of 4wd, it sort of goes aahhh from less effort and clearly less vibration in the tractor. Very minor, but I can always tell in corners,
that shimmy, wind up and bump feeling.

I need to always check what position the lever is, down there on the floor. I've seen older Kubotas with the lever on the dash. No forgetting things there.

 

[smstonypoint]

Hmmmm - wondering. For those of you that leave your tractor in 4WD "most of the time". Do you leave your pickup in 4WD "most of the time" also? And if not, then why not?

Large ag. tractors like this bad boy are 4WD all of the time.

Steve

 

[redman135]

My farm was in hill country , 2/3 tractor accessable, the rest was to steep ,the tractor stayed in 4x4 as there was almost no road work.

 

[daugen]

My farm was in hill country , 2/3 tractor accessable, the rest was to steep ,the tractor stayed in 4x4 as there was almost no road work.

from the pictures I've seen of New Zealand, you must have been farming with beautiful views. And steep, very steep, like how far up that hill do you really want to go until
you start terracing the land.
Do you have any pics?

Steve, now if it fit between my farm gates....many of us bought homes for less money than that tractor. Mercedes Benz and BMW are going to AWD with their big
motors because it's the only way to put the 500+hp down, 2wd just doesn't cut it any more other than for pure road feel/driving experience. Which most of us can't tell the
difference. I have to drive on the road for about half a mile to get around to the far side of my farm to mow the roadsides there. With loaded tires and a crowned road, and equipment front and rear, there is so much going on that I can imagine forgetting to check the 4wd lever. Now it makes me wonder if a light comes on in the dash and I've been oblivious.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I've been told that AWD is completely different than 4WD.

 

[mapper]

I have mine in 2WD unless I need 4WD, it's easy enough to shift it in and out as needed. 4WD is tough on the lawn and it really lets you know if you are on pavement, it hops and jerks when you try to turn as the drivetrain binds. I would prefer not to incur a large bill replacing front axle components