Would MFWD be our best choice?

Mark

We've now had over six feet of snow in Eastern Ontario. Rural driveways where blades have been used look like tunnels. City of Ottawa officials are worried that they have no more space for snow with banks on suburban streets often eight feet in height around driveways, and another 20" is expected just in time for the March Break expeditions south.

On a new tractor 4wd costs about $4000 more bucks. My immediate observation of this was the fact that I am pulling implements faster, with this tractor that I used to pull with my JD 4010 which is around 85 hp and for about 1/4 the fuel. Plus I have the comfort of the cab. The overall tractor is smaller (shorter wheelbase, and closer to the ground) so it is more manueverable around the farm and for household/yard chores and the loader just makes for a super deal.

The money you spend for 4wd easily offsets the higher priced higher hp 2wd tractor necessary to do the job and you also enjoy the fuel savings which, in todays market is getting to be priority 1.....right behind the cost of seed and fertilizer.

I got mine for 5.99% interest, traded in 3 old tractors for it and it is easily doing most of the work around the farm that I used to use 7 tractors to do. I still have my 100 hp JD 4230 2wd with cab to do my initial plowing and pull my JD 530 5x6 round baler.....and I pay the price on fuel to run that sucker; but other than that it sits in the barn.

Mark

That being said, most of what I drive for work and otherwise is 4x4...and yep, they DO get stuck occasionally too!

As far as tractors, we havn't bought a 2wd since the early 80's(not counting my antiques). The 4x4 ones will just do things so much easier and faster in most cases...however, 90 percent of the time they're doing work that a 2wd could accomplish just as easily....AND, every time they're moving, they're wearing out all those expensive front end parts.....just got a quote for $17,000.00 to rebuild the front end and associated driveline on our loader tractor(JD 7600)....for that money we'd have been better off keeping an older 2wd loader tractor for the majority of the loader work and just using the 4x4 when it was needed.

That being said, most of what I drive for work and otherwise is 4x4...and yep, they DO get stuck occasionally too!

As far as tractors, we havn't bought a 2wd since the early 80's(not counting my antiques). The 4x4 ones will just do things so much easier and faster in most cases...however, 90 percent of the time they're doing work that a 2wd could accomplish just as easily....AND, every time they're moving, they're wearing out all those expensive front end parts.....just got a quote for $17,000.00 to rebuild the front end and associated driveline on our loader tractor(JD 7600)....for that money we'd have been better off keeping an older 2wd loader tractor for the majority of the loader work and just using the 4x4 when it was needed.