Buying Advice Should A Front Loader Be 4WD?

   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD? #11  
Today many beleive 4WD is needed for everything. I have never owned any motorized vehicle or piece of equipment that was 4WD. So my tghought may be tainted.

I do know my father operated a 170 acre dairy farm in the 1950-60s' we milked 50 cows daily and raised much of our own feed and many of our replacement cows. We did all of this with a Allis Chalmber CA (1950 model), a Allis Chalmbers WD-45 (1957 model) and a John Deere A (1954 ?? model? We had a frontend loader on the WD-45, which was a 2WD and a trycyle front end. We got everything we needed to do done. Back them we thought we had very good equipment. Some folks on here talk about heavy tractors for a FEL, well the WD-45 wasn't known to be the heavest tractor made at the time.

I guess it all depends on a few things.

1. How much money can you spend?
2. How quickly do you want the job done?
3. Do you want something else on thje tractor that could break?
4. How hard do you want the steering to be?

Personally I see no reason for a 4WD tractor. Look at many of the construction grade tractors with a FEL and Backhoe do all of them have 4WD?

Just my thoughts.

Don
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD?
  • Thread Starter
#12  
DonWorrell said:
1. How much money can you spend?
As least as possible. :)
2. How quickly do you want the job done?
I can sacrifice here, I have time.
3. Do you want something else on thje tractor that could break?
No.
4. How hard do you want the steering to be?
Easy. :)

... Country Life Beats Working... :laughing:

- djb
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD? #13  
Today many beleive 4WD is needed for everything. I have never owned any motorized vehicle or piece of equipment that was 4WD. So my thought may be tainted.

Don

In that we often base our needs on our experience, that is a real possibility. I did not appreciate the versatility of 4WD until I started using them as I too grew up on a farm without 4WD on anything. We use 2WD on our flat land farm and 4WD on our hill farms. Having used both I recognize and accept the advantages/disadvantages of both types.
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD? #14  
I read a comment on here that got me thinking: A tractor with a front loader should be a 4WD because a 2WD tractor doesn't have enough traction to operate a loader. Is this true?

Yes, this is absolutely true.

Really - I was just doing some loader work for a neighbor a couple of weeks ago - I was moving loam for him. It had just rained, so the dirt was heavy and his driveway was soft. I was completely unable to dig into the pile in 2WD - the bucket didn't go in more than a couple of inches before my wheels spun and I started trenching his driveway. 4WD solved the problem (I still had to rake out the driveway after I was done though...).

JayC
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD? #15  
Look at many of the construction grade tractors with a FEL and Backhoe do all of them have 4WD?

Actually, most of them do. OTOH, a typical construction backhoe weighs 16,000 pounds, so it's kinda apples vs. oranges in terms of traction.

JayC
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD? #16  
I'm thinking an older 2WD tractor, like this one (pic below).

For you guys that may be in East TX, that's where I am and we have some sandy ground here. I'm also wondering about a 2WD on this soil, although I've been using my Dad's little compact John Deere 4010, which has 4WD, and I have not been impressed. Among many things on this tractor I dislike, it has no power (18hp). That's why I'm looking for a larger tractor, but I do like the front loader. I don't plan to be running it when it rains heavy here anyway. A 4WD could prolly get stuck as easy as a 2WD when it's wet here. :laughing:

Thanks,

- djb

ford3000ldr.JPG


The best I can tell from the picture, this is an early Ford 3000 or close cousin of one. I have run one of these for the last 24 years in NorthEast Texas albeit without the FEL. My new tractor is a bit heavier than that with an FEL. I believe the tractor in the picture would serve me quite well on my relatively flat place with firm soil. If you have sugar sand, it might not work great. Does your pickup get stuck easily in your soil?
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD?
  • Thread Starter
#17  
I believe the tractor in the picture would serve me quite well on my relatively flat place with firm soil. If you have sugar sand, it might not work great. Does your pickup get stuck easily in your soil?
When we have a good rain around here, I don't try to run anything in the field. A local here once told me he's seen everything stuck in this soil; cars, trucks, 4WD trucks, tractors, cows, horses...
raised.gif


- djb
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD? #18  
genus,

With that said, I think you need to narrow your search to a 4WD. I'm fortunate not to have to deal with such soil. Most all soil types have their positives and negatives, but it doesn't sound like firmness is on your side in this situation.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD? #19  
I'm thinking an older 2WD tractor, like this one (pic below).
For you guys that may be in East TX, that's where I am and we have some sandy ground here. I'm also wondering about a 2WD on this soil, although I've been using my Dad's little compact John Deere 4010, which has 4WD, and I have not been impressed. Among many things on this tractor I dislike, it has no power (18hp). That's why I'm looking for a larger tractor, but I do like the front loader. I don't plan to be running it when it rains heavy here anyway. A 4WD could prolly get stuck as easy as a 2WD when it's wet here. :laughing:Thanks,- djb

Your link indicates a 39 hp tractor. I had that loader on a Ford 841D. It's a great loader. You'll want a smaller bucket, toothbar, at least 800 lbs of rear ballast for digging. I have a Case 580CK that's 2wd and will out dig 580's 6 models newer because it has a really heavy backhoe. The previous owner sold it to me & bought a 2wd 580K that won't 1/2 fill the front bucket without a large rock in the backhoe bucket for ballast & if you lift a full bucket it lifts the rear wheels off the ground. Making the tractors & backhoes lighter caused the necessity of 4wd. Someone suggested you need at least a 2500 lb heavy tractor, that's not a heavy tractor -it's a heavy lawnmower. :laughing: You can make a 2wd dig if it's heavy - just try before you buy. MikeD74T
 
   / Should A Front Loader Be 4WD? #20  
Full sized Utility tractors (4000 lbs or more) would be what I'd want with 2WD and a loader.
Bottom line: Traction is the key. If you get that traction with 4WD (compacts) or weight (big UTs) would depend upon your circumstances
 

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