Why turn 4wd off?

[aczlan]

We frequently drive on pavement (inlaws have a paved driveway), so our tractors are always going in and out of 4wd.

Aaron Z

 

[rekees4300]

So the shaft rotates all the time regardless.

Okay thanks for the correction. I'll be using 4WD more often now rather than trying to conserve the oil seals.

 

[CTMassey]

I leave mine in 4wd most of the time as I have steep hills and dirt/gravel everywhere,no asphalt unless I road it to the in-laws, then its 2wd.......

 

[tessiers]

The front wheels over run the rears by 5 to 10% so on hard surfaces it will cause wear if the wheels cant slip. They are designed to pull in soft ground.

http://www.firestoneag.com/webres/File/Tire-Info/TireInfo-LeadLag.pdf

This is a pretty good explination, although I didn't spend a lot of time researching.

We never run in 4x4 unless we need it, if you are carrying enough in the front bucket to lift the rear tires even on a hill you need ballast.

 

[scrappy isb67]

The front wheels over run the rears by 5 to 10% so on hard surfaces it will cause wear if the wheels cant slip. They are designed to pull in soft ground.

http://www.firestoneag.com/webres/File/Tire-Info/TireInfo-LeadLag.pdf

This is a pretty good explination, although I didn't spend a lot of time researching.

We never run in 4x4 unless we need it, if you are carrying enough in the front bucket to lift the rear tires even on a hill you need ballast.

you can always tell a tractor that has some hrs on it that has has most of them in 4wd, the front tires will be well worn compared to the rears. I also do not engage 4wd unless I need it. while in 4wd, going straight, the frontend is overdriven but when you try to turn the overdrive on the frontend isn't enough and the frontend "pushes". I can turn several feet shorter in 2wd vs 4wd.

 

[slowzuki]

On cuts the front tires always wear fast. Even in 2wd you will use about 3-5 sets of front tires per set of rears. Most of cut owners won't wear out the rears.

 

[TripleR]

Some very interesting posts, but sometimes it seems we tend to over think things. I have operated tractors in a way guaranteed by some to cause catastrophic failure yet in over 50 years have yet to break anything in the drive train or blow an engine.

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is." - Yogi Berra

 

[RoMad]

Some very interesting posts, but sometimes it seems we tend to over think things. I have operated tractors in a way guaranteed by some to cause catastrophic failure yet in over 50 years have yet to break anything in the drive train or blow an engine.

I think you are correct, however your comments makes me think of two things.

1. If we didn't over think things here we would probably end up reading the newspaper more thouroughly with our extra time and that could be really depresssing instead of fun like reading about tractors and stuff.

2. I don't think I would loan you my tractor.:laughing:

 

[SPYDERLK]

Some very interesting posts, but sometimes it seems we tend to over think things. I have operated tractors in a way guaranteed by some to cause catastrophic failure yet in over 50 years have yet to break anything in the drive train or blow an engine.

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is." - Yogi Berra

... Yes. We apparently have experience with tractors of competent strength design for their entire functional envelope. There are obviously some that are not, since there are enuf substantiated reports of failure, sometimes repeated, to bear it out. For the sake of suitable machinery I hope those cases are more "unlucky" than ours are lucky.
larry

 

[newbury]

Scenario: you have a load of sand, gravel, mulch, etc. delivered and it's dumped on a concrete surface. You push your FEL bucket into the pile hard to load the bucket completely. You're in 4WD while you push hard until the forward motion is stopped. Loud noise from the front end. That's your transfer case and/or front axle(s) turning to trash. In 4WD all four wheels need to be able to break traction when you stall the tractor's forward motion as in this case. So--load the bucket while in 2WD. Switch to 4WD for transporting the load.

Has that happened to you?
Anyone?
One of my first "workouts" I was moving sand from a concrete surface in 4WD all the time, no problemo.
3 years later can I expect my drive to be trashed?
/edit but I've a Kubota