Should I even think about 2 wheel drive

[jeff9366]

I prefer 4wd but rest assured there are plenty of 2wd tractors out there doing the work very safely.

......on flat ground.

Our terrain is fairly steep.
For a lot of it I back the BX up the hill and mow down.


Tractors have brakes only on the rear wheels. Going downhill, tractor weight shifts to the front wheels. The rear wheels are only in reduced contact with the soil. THEREFORE A 2-WD TRACTOR MOVING DOWNHILL HAS ONLY LIMITED BRAKING.

You cannot enjoy a tractor when you are dead.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The Massey 150 is bigger than the 135 I'm use to, will have ballast in the rear tires, weighs 5-6000. Hopefully it will have loader sometime in the future. Probably 16' logs will be the max, that's all my sawmill can handle. More concerned about stability than anything.I'm looking at what I would call a small to medium size, 35-50 hp. The BX2230 takes care of the small stuff. Just started looking, still deciding.

See, now you added more info... You added a loader, 2wd's suck with a loader!

You will wish you had those front wheels pulling you every time you try to move something heavy, like a log. How can I be so sure about that? Because I have one,

You are harvesting 22" tree's and you want a 2wd with a loader?? As soon as the new-ness wears off buying something like that, you will start wishing you had made a better choice.

SR

 

[52wej]

Something no one has mentioned is the impact the width of the rear wheels has on stability on a hillside. larger tractors tend to have wider wheelbases and that translates into more stability, especially if weighted properly. That being said, as others have noted, you will never regret at 4wd tractor. I grew up with 2wd tractors, large and small and the 4wd drive tractors just run circles around them with better traction, especially on hillsides. Don't even think about bush hogging a swamp with a two wheel drive unless it is very, very dry. W.Jones

 

[Egon]

Personally, I would only use a 2wd tractor on flat terrain. Just because grandpa had no option, it is not worth the risk, to me. You get that heavier tractor and a log going downhill out of control, you will want every option available to get back under control...or hopefully not lose control in the first place.

When the towed load gets out sideways to the tractor two or four wheel drive don’t matter.

 

[RoyJackson]

Frankly, in a CUT...even a larger CUT, I wouldn't even consider a 2WD machine

 

[cmyoung2]

I guess my big problem is it seems like I might can afford a 70"s model tractor, none of those are 4wd. So I might have to stick with dragging logs with my 2 wheel BCS. Just can't go up hill.

 

[scaredychicken]

4WD and never regret it

some of that work you could do with an old jeep, just a thought

 

[Egon]

The stability of a tractor is related to the layout dimensions and weight distribution. Ie; how the force vectors fit into the layout dimensions. A low centre of gravity is independent of stability.

Loaders are usually the best downhill braking system.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I guess my big problem is it seems like I might can afford a 70"s model tractor, none of those are 4wd. So I might have to stick with dragging logs with my 2 wheel BCS. Just can't go up hill.

Deutz had pretty good MFWD tractors in the 70's...

I don't mind a decent 50hp 2wd tractor, I just have a problem with the loader part.

SR

 

[ptsg]

Deutz had pretty good MFWD tractors in the 70's...

I don't mind a decent 50hp 2wd tractor, I just have a problem with the loader part.

SR

True. Most European brands had 4WD tractors for very early on. Due to all the hilly conditions, the 4WD and crawler tractors were a lot more popular than 2WD.

SAME even released the first production 4WD tractor back in 1952. If I remember correctly, it was a 2 cylinder Air Cooled Diesel engine with 30 HP.