Reason to buy a 2wd tractor?

[lilabner]

With the 4wd tractors and front wheel assist etc for better traction is there a reason other than price that would make a 2wd better

[TP from Central PA]

With the 4wd tractors and front wheel assist etc for better traction is there a reason other than price that would make a 2wd better

Like 2wd tractors here for jobs that agility is needed, also, if you don't need MFD their is a lot of potential wear points/parts that can get expensive, so why have them. Granted you don't see many new 2wd tractors now, but I guess their is enough older machines to pick from which is why they are bringing strong money at auctions. Have all of the above here(True 4x4, MFD, and 2wd) and they all have their certain specialized jobs. Sure would love to see how a 2+2 would work for kicks and giggles, maybe someday if I found the right 6*88.

[234-IA]

what tp says. fwa would be great in a loader tractor or a big tillage tractor, but for so many of the lighter jobs and the road work i can't see the extra up front and operating expense (tires alone are megabux). i'd as soon have a size bigger 2wd tractor

[1086blast]

They are certainly more agile, I like 2wd for spraying, drilling and the reverseable plow as I can basically turn on the spot at the headlands. And as stated before, if the conditions suit the 2wd you don't have the wear parts to replace and the front tyres are cheaper.

Brett

[farmer john 8910]

I dont feel the need to use an mfd tractor for every job when its not needed. I use my mfd for pulling and use the 2wd for all the light work and planting. mfd tires are expensive!

[FarmallLover]

Well, that depends on the job that you want done. Tractors that have the 4 wheel drive can really do damage to multiple surfaces and like many are saying, are expensive to fix and also have more wear and tear on them. A good idear would be to get a tractor that you can put into and take out of 4wd. My dad's jd is like that. Don't know if IH does that or not.. Something I got to look into now.

[TP from Central PA]

I dont feel the need to use an mfd tractor for every job when its not needed. I use my mfd for pulling and use the 2wd for all the light work and planting. mfd tires are expensive!

Honestly, we bought 2 fronts for the 2wd 7400 JD here and I about had heart failure when we got the price for the 4 rib 16's for the front.

[George 2]

A 12 row or a 16 row planter works best with the maneuverability of a large 2wd tractor. With the new 24 row planters the MFDs tractors have adequate turning radius. It will be interesting whether the majors reintroduce 2wd tractors. I doubt it unless some paradigm shift to smaller machinery comes along.

[Cattech]

As others have said, all the extra moving parts plus the limitations on manueverability make a 2wd tractor look pretty good.

If everyone was honest, I bet a substantial portion of MFWD owners would admit they don't really need it, but just like to know it's there those few times they do.

[smfarms]

But let's face it boys. When you start getting over 180 or so HP , you really need fwd or 4wd to get the most efficient use out of the machine if you use it for tillage. 2wd can work, but you must have so much added ballest that things can go south fast. Just my experience

[mthanehan]

There is no need for 2wd tractors.

[TP from Central PA]

There is no need for 2wd tractors.

HUH???? Have quite a need here in the veggy operation.

[tanman_2006]

2wd tractors make good yard tractors but you will sink it in sand too fast to be of any real use.

All of our main tractors are selectable mfwd or 4x4. A 2wd is ok but we can pull much with them. I used to spin out pulling our baler up hills with a 2wd 5240.

[mthanehan]

There is no need for 2wd tractors.

HUH???? Have quite a need here in the veggy operation.

Should have said there is no use for me.

[yellowrosefarm]

If you do a lot of pasture work, mowing, baling, etc you find out real fast that aggressive 4x4 front tires tear up the turf A LOT on turns even if the front wheel drive is disengaged and the ground is pretty dry. I miss my 2wd tractor for just that reason. But, with the hills, snow and mud I have here, there are enough times when I really needed 4x4 that I traded for one back in 2010. The other 2 disadvantages I have noticed are 1. it's harder to get close to rocks and such with the bush hog because you can't see past the taller front tire as well and 2. the clutch doesn't last as long because it has to slip when the tires don't. I wish I could afford to have both.

[tanman_2006]

I just skip a row baling, I had to do it with the 2wd too, it's front slid and the mfwd does dig in but I'd like to see how a 2ws would pull a 35ft cultivator.

[pt756]

we have a 2-wheel 7120 make a lot of hay so traction is not a big problem, fun tractor to drive, also pull a 5-18 720 with it

[Cliff Neubauer]

I used to think that 2wd tractors were cheaper for road work because tires are cheaper but anymore I don't think that is the case. The bigger 2wd front tires are insanely expensive and don't last nearly as long as a good radial MFD tire. There are times when the nimbleness of a 2wd is really nice but I wouldn't want to have any fewer MFDs around.

[oleman]

Please explain why a mower tractor , in normal pasture use requires a front driving axle.

Just more $$ to operate over the life of the mower.

[George 2]

tanman_2006: I have a 7130 2wd tractor that I pull a 30 foot model 4800 CIH cultivator and Buster bar with. I even use it without duals (20.8R-42). The tractor hardly knows the cultivator is behind it. I used to also pull the heavy 30 foot wing packer behind the cultivator also. For that I put the axle duals on. I reduced my acreage a few years ago and now just pull the packer separately with a 966. When I had the packer on it also it still pulled easily and I had no traction problems. Truth is around my area many croppers just got MFWD tractors for biggest c**k in the area (bragging rights). The land is virtually all tile drained in this area and there is no need for MFWD. Biggest laugh is when I see a 180 HP MFWD tractor with duals on back and front pulling a 24 foot cultivator. These guys are laughing stocks in my view anyway. The truth is my 7130 would pull an extra 5 feet of cultivator easily and probably without even having to put the duals on. I know the packer takes at least 35 -40 HP to pull it in lighter land. In heavy clay probably about 20 HP

[jass1660]

In my ground its all my 7140 with mfwd wants pulling a 28' field cultivator with a mcfarlane drag behind that

[tanman_2006]

Same here, once I get the 35 ft quinstar 8-10" deep in sand I have trouble pulling sand dunes.

I used to shallow it up and pulled a 36ft great plains but now I am all notill myself and got a better deal on a 30ft notill w/500gal fert.

[George 2]

You must be sinking in some tough sand to require all that power. Also traction wise there is a huge difference between regular 18.4-42 tires and the Continental 520R-42 tires I use. They are a replacement for 20.8R-42 but they are about 22 inches across. Mind yopu some cultivators take a lot more power than the 4800 CIH cultivators. But my 7130 responds to 30 feet of it like it isn't there even without duals. Another thing is how deep are you cultivating. The agronomy people from my local seed and fertilizer supplier tell me I shouldn't be going deeper than 3 inches. Their reason is that I wil dryout the ground going any deeper and will bury any pre plant incorporated herbicides I incorporate. So are you going deeper than 3 inches. That will tell a tale also. For me the main reason is the los of valuable soil moisture if I go deeper than 3 inches.

[jass1660]

You must be sinking in some tough sand to require all that power. Also traction wise there is a huge difference between regular 18.4-42 tires and the Continental 520R-42 tires I use. They are a replacement for 20.8R-42 but they are about 22 inches across. Mind yopu some cultivators take a lot more power than the 4800 CIH cultivators. But my 7130 responds to 30 feet of it like it isn't there even without duals. Another thing is how deep are you cultivating. The agronomy people from my local seed and fertilizer supplier tell me I shouldn't be going deeper than 3 inches. Their reason is that I wil dryout the ground going any deeper and will bury any pre plant incorporated herbicides I incorporate. So are you going deeper than 3 inches. That will tell a tale also. For me the main reason is the los of valuable soil moisture if I go deeper than 3 inches.

3-4" deep, anything from clay to peat ground to drummer silt loam. I spray with the planter this is one pass in bean stubble, however the last four years I have been strip or no-tilling everything so cultivator is only for touching up washouts now.

[George 2]

I wouldn't think you will need more power to pull it than I do from the description of your soils. I also know some of the Magnums barely met their advertised HP while others are powerhouses. All depends on the pump setting at the factory. It certainly sounds strange that a MFD 7140 is not having an easy time pulling a 30 foot cultivator. I assume it has about 7 inch sweeps and is not a chisel plow. The guys that had 7140's and 8940's in this area generally had 32 - 35 foot cultivators with a packer behind them.