Greggyy,
I think your question misses a key 3rd choice -
3. that part of tbn members - perceive a far different user mix than TBN has.
10 years ago there were far fewer scut owners on TBN - and today there are significantly more. But its not just the tractor size that makes the difference - but the reason they have the size they do. Scut owners are far more likely to have small acreage and use their units far differently than the more hobby or mid sized farm needs of prior TBN posters. That difference in land location and type is substantially varied from traditional hobby farm land. While I have a total of about 4 acres contiguous - I don't have more than 150 feet I can go on relatively flat land - everything else is slopes and sidehills and most are steep pitches. I have another 1 acre of lawn 2 miles away that is flat - but I certainly don't transport my scut there each week as it isn't worth the effort - and that is just lawn that gets cut with an aging lawn tractor.
So during normal seasons - my scut is either mowing or digging or log moving or hauling items on primarily hills where 4wd is absolutely needed. And in winter I'm plowing or snow removing on a large long steep concrete driveway and sidewalks - again in 4wd.
But I think there are a quantity of tbn posters who can't imagine that there are very many like me - and they still think in terms of 15 to 60 acres of land with much of it flat or near flat and a tractor in the mid to large compact sizing ranges.
As another example - my scut is certainly not awd - however I'm in 4wd (front wheel assist if you require the phrase) - but neither I or anyone else could tell on lawn or dirt or gravel - that my steering is altered in any way from 2wd. Only on dry concrete or dry blacktop can you "sense" a different sound in 4wd to 2wd - and in no way does it alter the turning ease and turning circle. Maybe larger compact tractors and older equipment is stiffer steering in 4wd compared to 2wd - but I've never ridden on any that are even though I know my neighbor's jd x728 lawn tractor is stiffer in 4wd.
My point greggyy, is that I think older or larger tractor owners assume alot about smaller tractor owners and believe those small unit owners have less awareness in their opinions - or maybe less skill in their decisions. My point is I think it is just the opposite too often - that larger tractor owners or land owners maybe don't recognize how much things have changed in tractor ownership in the last 6 to 8 years. If I had 30 acres and a Massey 1700 series unit instead of 4 acres and a Massey GC1715 - I'd have more flat land and easy rolling land to use 2wd for. I might have a lot of tilling to do or pasture land maintenance or rebuilding. The number of scut tractors and small frame compact tractors (like Kubota's B series etc.) are outselling percentage wise each year these last 6 or so years especially - and its because of their land locations and land sizes and because they are often in areas once were rolling farm land that now is subdivided for homes with 1 to several acres with far less flat land percentages and more hills and challenging landscapes and woods issues.
I live very close to many farms who would rarely need 4wd - but I live in areas right next to me that ALL need 4wd.
JMHO
I have a small block & I wont call it hilly, I would say in some parts, if you put a vehicle there, any type, it is going to become a major retrieval operation with cranes etc, even if you had 10WD
I find that I am in 4WD more often than I like, cause the lever is near my foot and I tend to engage it accidentally, I keep it off if I can, my pasture is very low atm and 4WD rips it when turning far more than I like, I basically do not need it for most chores. Actually more weight will be the probable answer when 1WD actually loses traction, cause I do do other things if it was that wet and muddy
Now there may be people using very light tractors with the wrong type of tyres etc, or maybe using them for something where they need 4WD all the time, but the posts I refer too, sort of sound like some do things just because they think it is better, or safe, or whatever...but seemingly not knowing why you may have it off, or on, it is something I guess you can sense, in any vehicle. Locking 4WD is not going to need to be on 100% of the time.
Of course, however, I do not know everything & I have no drama if people want to use 4WD all day every day, needed or not, knowing the diff or not, etc
So I use it when needed only, and I try and default to just Rear WD if my foot will comply and not sneak it into 4WD
