Weight vs. 4WD

[ABolt]

I went to my Mahindra dealer last week thinking that I really needed a 4WD tractor.

The dealer offered a 3525 for $9900. The 3510 was $14500.

With the 3525 being nearly 4000 lbs, would that compensate for being only 2WD? The 3510 is about 500 lbs lighter.

It seemed that there was quite a price jump for the 4WD and 'low-profile' body style.

I know that you don't need 4WD...until you need it. Just trying to get opinions for how much extra weight might be needed to even the scales (sorry for pun) between 2WD and 4WD or if that is at all possible.

BTW, would also appreciate opinions on those Mahindra prices. I'm located in West TN.

Thanks.

 

[Fredex]

Difficult to answer without knowing what use you plan for the machine. For mowing and light grading you probably don't need 4WD. For ripping with the scarifiers of a box blade 4WD could be useful. Much FEL work don't require 4WD. But if you plan to DIG with the FEL, 4WD may be very useful along with a tooth bar on the bucket. Be aware that I may be optimistic about what can be accomplished with a FEL on a 2WD tractor because I am used to a larger, heavier tractor.
Sometimes it is best to buy for your regular usage and rent/hire for the one-time jobs. However, a loader for miscellaneous use is handy on any tractor
Prices vary by region. The only info I have is for one dealer in west-central MO and is six months old - a hand-out list in which there is probably some remaining wriggle room: 3525 was $11,900; 3510 was 14,975.

 

[knute_m]

There is such a difference between 2WD and 4WD, I don't think that weight can be an equalizer. However, I found that I was able to go down considerably in horsepower since experiencing 4WD.

I grew up on a farm in Minnesota, and I've always lived in rural areas where a tractor is mandatory. I spun the wheels of 2WD tractors for over 45 years.

The old Massey 65s and 135s were probably pretty similar (operationally) to the 3525. Good solid, stable, and hard working tractors, with reasonable lifting and PTO power. Good for plowing, cleaning the barn, making hay, and moving hay -- on level ground.

They could lift ten oxen, but none of these 2WD tractors could out pull a single ox if the tractor had to pull in reverse. The Masseys were not really unstable, but certainly difficult on uneven ground or in the woods. And with an FEL, it seems that no amount of rear weight can compensate for the traction needed when doing even a small amount of digging.

Several years ago I got my first 4WD tractor. I can't imagine ever going back to 2WD. We now live on 25 West Virginia acres and my tractor is mostly used for maintenance of a half-mile of hilly driveway that needs fairly regular grading and lots of snow removal. Its used for gardening, orcharding, small scale logging, bush hogging, digging post holes, and just general hauling and moving things over uneven ground.

I recently went so far as to downsize to a 20 HP 2015 4WD with FEL. I can't imagine trying to do most of these things with a much bigger, but 2WD tractor. In my situation, my 20 HP 4WD tractor would probably out perform any 2WD 35 HP for nearly every task I do except maybe post hole digging. I'd never think of taking a 2WD tractor to the bottom of our hollow, through the mucky area, and then try to bush hog my way back up the hill, or to pull a trailer loaded with firewood back up that hill.

In far fewer words, it really depends on what you need to do with the tractor.

Good luck,
Knute

 

[Keith_B]

4WD compensates for a lack of weight, but weight doesn't always compensate for no 4WD.

 

[TroyBoy]

I've got the 3525 w/FEL and only once wished I had the 4WD, but I mostly bushog.

 

[dieselsmoke1]

Well stated.

My piece weighs in at over 3000 lbs, probably slightly less than a 135. I'm well familiar with what a 135 can do, it's as good as a utility sized farm tractor gets, bar none.

I used my brother's 240 (a 135 clone) for grading last week. Although the extra 10 HP was a real treat, there were many times I had to lift to decrease wheel spin. I know my less powerful 2810 would have given up some speed some of the time, but the 4WD would have definitely out pulled the 240 in the really tough spots.

As was stated, it comes down to the intended use and the conditions it will be used in. If my need was to mow, disc, or break level ground, I'd trade my piece for a new 135 in a New York minute. However, on the side of a clay hill with a big stump hanging out of an FEL, those front wheels digging sure look good.

 

[wolc123]

2wd uses much more fuel than fwd to do the same work. It amazes me that dealers can still sell them with today's fuel prices.

 

[john_bud]

While I don't have an M tractor, I do have a 4wd Kubota that weighs about 5000# total with the loader, a 1000# box blade and loaded tires and a Ford 2wd that weighs about 8500# with it's loader and backhoe.

The smaller kubota will flat outwork the much larger Ford hands down, no doubt about it. When moving a pile of spoils dug by the BH, the Ford struggles to get a full bucket and is stopped with spinning tires while going into the pile. The Kubota in 4wd will push the pile. And I'm talking a large pile. In 2wd the kubota is as feeble as the Ford.

The ability to use the tractor's power that 4wd gives you is simply incredible. At a guess, I would say that the Ford would need about 3500 pounds of wheel weights, filled tires and aggressive chains to have anywhere near the traction of the Kubota. My assumption is that the M's will act the same. If you want a loader, buy the 4wd. But, it's easy for me to spend your money!

jb

 

[nworbekim]

my farm in southern Ky is rather hilly and rolling, and when it came time for a new tractor, i felt a 4x4 was mandatory...

i simply could not get in and out of where i needed to go in 2 wheel drive... and i rutted up a lot of places trying to...

with the 3510, i run in 2 until i need 4, and since this has been a really wet spring and 30 acres or so of my place is river bottom, i've needed it a lot... and some places i've had to let go cuz water has ponded and i don't think even 4x4 would save me... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

soooo... when you need it and don't have it, you're in deep doodoo... i'd rather have it and not need it...

as for weight... all the big tractors ever did on my river bottom was create ruts... but they do good on the high ground...