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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd

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Mark

02-21-2006 13:28:48




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Notice I said capability and not 'power' as power is a relative thing. I have been wondering just how much advantage a 4 wd machine has over a 2 wd tractor. For example, what will a lower HP/weight 4 wd tractor pull compared to a larger 2 wd machine. Will a 4 wd 60 horse tractor pull with a 75 horse 2 wd tractor? None of this is terribly important to me, just a question I have wondered about. Horsepower is horsepower and nothing will make up for it...but putting it to work more efficiently has to have a bearing on the end results. Your thoughts?

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Arizona Bob

02-22-2006 15:59:52




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
I really feel outclassed in this because you people have a lot more tractor time than I do. However, I"ve always been told that pulling power, i.e., moving energy to the ground, is a function of weight & horsepower & footprint. If the weight and horsepower (including gearing) is the same then that tractor that has the bigger footprint will pull more. That means that all other things being equal a 4 wheel drive will pull more than a two wheel drive.

Bob

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barryinmn

02-22-2006 11:25:36




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
I bought a JD 3600 4x18 on land plow from a neighbor who was selling it because his JD 3020's 60-70hp 2wd were not enough tractor slipping was real high. My tractor is a MFWD Zetor loader/cab 62hp. My tractor is a little heavier at 10K lbs and less power but I can easily pull that plow uphill & down even some sidehill where 2wd would not work at all.

Last week I had my pu stuck in snow behing the barn, I thought a load of firewood would fix the traction but didn't. I picked up the rear of the loaded pu & turned it around. A 2wd would have sat there as the tractor rears were likely in the air but the front wheels didn't slip!

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James2

02-21-2006 17:50:43




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
I've got a pretty good comparison. We have a 2 wd IH5288 set to around 180 bhp, loaded tires, weights giving approx 18,500 lbs. We also have a 4wd IH 4166 at approx 170 bhp and with a similar gross weight. The 5288 with duals has a bunch more power than you can get hooked up, but not so with the 4166. Although the extra drive train drains power that could be used, we can still pull implements with it which will just result in tire spin with the 2wd. It would be nice to switch the engines, but this may lead to breaking something too expensive to fix!

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RWK in Wi

02-21-2006 16:55:22




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
I plow snow with a Ford 3000 ( 2 wheel drive) 45 HP with wheel weights and double ring tire chains with a 7 foot front snow plow and rear snow blower. A neighbor has a NH compact tractor 27 HP with 4 wheel drive no weights or chains with a 6 foot front snow plow and rear blower. He can run circles around me when we work together using the front blades. When we use the snowblowers we are about equal.

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WyoDave

02-21-2006 15:55:06




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
4wd if a great advantage. In good field conditions doing tillage up to I'd guess around 120 hp maybe a little more you should be able to put the power to the ground with 2wd if you have it set up right. Right tires, duals, weight, etc. Sure you can probably get it to spin if you go slow enough, 1st, 2nd gears, but if you're going that slow you probably need smaller equipment or a bigger tractor. Now if you get more hp, or it gets muddy, snowy etc and the advantages to 4wd just keep pileing up.

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buickanddeere

02-21-2006 15:44:44




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
On dry hard grond such a clay pulling track a 2WD may pull farther with the same HP than an otherwise identical 4WD. Out in the real world on snow, mud, sand & on crops etc. The 4WD wins hands down on towed loads.



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Mark

02-21-2006 14:09:38




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
Okay, your thoughts thus far, mirror mine. However, let's assume the conditions are perfect and say...oh, Farmer A has his 8500 lbs. 70 horse 2 wd tractor and Farmer B has his 6000 lbs. 55 horse 4 wd tractor...will both walk a 3-16" plow down the field equally?



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barnrat

02-21-2006 15:29:22




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 14:09:38  
I'll give you a real world example. My manure spreader says that you need 70 pto hp to run it. In the winter time or mud season I run a 2wd 95 hp Massey 1100 that weighs about 11,000lbs and at times I can barely pull it through the mud or snow. A neighbor runs the exact same spreader with a 75hp 820 Belarus 4wd that weighs about 9000lbs. I've seen him drag the spreader on the frame through the mud and still keep going.

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IaGary

02-21-2006 15:24:26




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 14:09:38  
No the smaller 4 wd will pull it but maybe not as fast because of lower horsepower but it will pull it. I had 165 hp 2wd and a 165 hp 4wd both 1086 IH.In ideal conditions the 4 wd would pull same 24 ft disc in same gear but less wheel slip so you where moving about .5 mph faster.In less than perfect conditions the 4 wd was much better.

Had a 90 hp 4wd 10,000lb loader tractor that will push more than 150 hp 2 wheel 13,000lb with loader. But on lighter pushing jobs the 150 will push it faster.
Hope this all makes it a little clearer.

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agrogers

02-21-2006 13:50:39




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
MFWD will have a significant advantage, mostly because you are exerting horsepower over all four wheels instead of just two. In certain conditions, the MFWD will most likely outpull a 2WD machine for that reason. There is absolutely no comparison in wet conditions. Instead of having to drag whatever is being dragged, as well as push the front end through the mud, an MFWD machine will claw it's way through until it finds firmer ground or gets completly mired. Unforuntely, when you get stuck, you are really stuck...

I have operated both types of tractors, and I'll swear by the MFWD. Both of my big tractors are MFWD and they can't be beat. The MFWD axle gives the tractor more flotation, more traction, more wieght, and for these reasons I would be very hesitant to go with a 2 wheel drive...

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PhilcaseinWPa

02-21-2006 13:42:53




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 Re: Pulling capability 2 wd vs. 4 wd in reply to Mark , 02-21-2006 13:28:48  
I know that there is a company that makes a raised bed former mulch layer that claims you need 55- 60 hp to operate it right with 2wd but if you have 4wd you can do it with 40 to 45. Not so much the power but traction I think.



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