# in a tractor, is HP or 4WD more inportant?



## writer_gardener (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm looking at tractors. In a tractor, is HP or 4WD more inportant? For example, I found a 150 HP 2 wheel drive - way more HP than I need but only 2 wheel drive. So, it begs the question which is more important in a muti-purpose one-tractor farm?

Thanks.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

It depends on your land and terrain. A 150 hp tractor on my place with small fields would not be useful. Even so-called 4WD (MFWD) may not do what you expect since one tire on the front may spin leaving you stuck if the rear wheels can;t get you out.

I like the MFWD on the hills especially if you get into a sloppy area.


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## Monica33 (Jul 11, 2012)

Have had both. Prefer the 4WD We have an old cockshut4 by deisel.
Used it to clear roads and building sites. Dug hole for septic tanks and run the rough mower in places a 2 by could never go. Wouldn't trade it.
They both have pros and cons but if you can have only one I would pick one that can do the worst job you need it to.
_"Even so-called 4WD (MFWD) may not do what you expect since one tire on the front may spin leaving you stuck if the rear wheels can;t get you out."_ Most 4WD tractors have a switch that locks all four wheels to turn together when needed. But like any vehicle it will still get stuck! Driver error.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

been farming and so forth for a lot of years and have yet to have a 4WD tractor. Don't really recall too many situations I wish I would have had one either.
I suppose with the smaller lighter weight tractors of today having it would almost be a requirement


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

If it has a *front end loader*, you pretty much NEED 4WD and power steering
If no FEL, then 2WD works well for most situations


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

with a low hp tractor 4wd an absolute must w/o 4wd if you have enough hp you can get the job done


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## ksfarmer (Apr 28, 2007)

You can't subsitute for horsepower. That said, you can better utilize the power you have with 4 wheel assist. All the horsepower in the world won't help if you can only spin the wheels.


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## flewism (Apr 2, 2007)

sammyd said:


> been farming and so forth for a lot of years and have yet to have a 4WD tractor. Don't really recall too many situations I wish I would have had one either.
> I suppose with the smaller lighter weight tractors of today having it would almost be a requirement


I also believe it is weight that is driving the modern ones to offer 4wd. 150 HP 2wd what? That is a sizable tractor, what are you doing row cropping? How big is the 4wd you're looking at? I have a New Holland 30hp 4wd compact that weighs about 3700# with the loader and loaded rear tires. My friend has an old Farm-all M again about 30hp, 2wd but at 6000 plus lbs without the tires loaded. We've use these tractors for various task for years and I'm certain that Farm-all would drag my little New Holland around like a rag doll if we hooked them up draw bar to draw bar.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I'm not the worlds biggest fan of 4wd FWA whatever you want to call it. Higher maintenance and repair cost and higher tire costs can make a 4wd tractor pretty uneconomical. I have three loader tractors none are 4wd, I did have a couple of 4wd in the past and yeah its nice to have. Just not essential. Comparing a 150 field tractor to a utility multi purpose tractor is like comparing an 18 wheeler to a pick up. Big 2 wd 120+ hp tractors are really meant for hauling tillage equipment around. When you use them on balers or haybines they do work but they suck fuel you don't need to spend. If you're in wet country get 4wd, otherwise consider some savings and run 2wd tractors. Maybe if a 4wd came cheap enough, I'd have it but I'm not looking.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I have a small 4WD tractor. I have a front bucket with pallet forks, backhoe, snow blower, and a disc harrow for it. I use them all. I find that I need the 4WD fairly often.

It only has 24Hp. So far I have not had any jobs I could not do due to lack of Hp.

4WD is very handy.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

4WD is like having half again as much tractor is what I've found. Don't think so ? Take it out of 4wd and you'll find yourself thinking "what happened to my tractor" ....ahahahahaaaa

Yeah.....they are hard on front tires. 500hrs and I'm replacing front tires. But I'd never have a small to medium sized tractor without it.

First tractor was a 4wd 22hp Yanmar (1985-1998)
Second was a 4wd 34hp New Holland (1998-2012)
Current is 4wd 41hp Yanmar, and I think I've finally found the tractor for me !

But as you can tell, I ain't in Kansas.....


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

what is your terrain like? I have gently rolling sand hills and a 4000 lb 30 HP Kubota and a 17000+ lb 94 HP JCB. Both have and require 4WD every day of operation. Without it I get stuck, not a lot but sometimes. Also it greatly increases pulling power and prevents the front tires from plowing and tearing up my fields when I turn hard.


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

Have to agree with TnAndy I had a 2 wheel drive JD which did a pretty good job until I bought a late model Yanmar 4x4. Front-end loader, power steering and 4x4 opened up a whole new world of small farming for us.

I highly recommend the 4x4.


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## Bob Huntress (Dec 17, 2012)

Writer Gardener, I am not personally impressed with the four wheel drive of tractors. They are high maintenance and I don't see that the return on it is enough to justify them. May I ask what your intended operations are? How many acres are you farming? How much is crop and how much is livestock? I have a dear friend of mine who is an engineer by trade. When I got my first tractor, an Allis Chalmers B, he told me that the first thing a person needs when he buys a tractor of any size is a bigger tractor. The tractor that you are looking at with 150 hp use some serious fuel. To a degree anyway, even if you aren't using that kind of power you are burning that kind of fuel. Obviously, you will burn less fuel under lighter loads, yet, you will still burn more than a smaller tractor. That's why I ask what you intend to do with your tractor. You may not need either 150 hp or 4WD. I have a Case/David Brown 990. I have work to do on it, but fear that it may be to much tractor for my mere 5-6 acre homestead. Because fuel is expensive as well as parts for the larger tractors, I don't advocate getting more tractor than you could forsee using. My neighbor has a 150hp 4WD tractor to work her 70 acres, and she isn't satisfied with her fuel effeciency at all.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

I disagree with Bob H about 4WD, but it may be due to my soil conditions vs his that result in different experiences. I've never done any repairs to the 4WD on either of my tractors, so I don't get that part either.

However, as to fuel efficiency, he is right on. My Kubota 30 HP can run a mower attachment ( that means relatively high RPMs) for over 12 hours on 6 gal diesel, let's call it .5 gal / hour. The JCB 94 HP uses about 1.1 gal / hour when under similar load conditions. Not only does that difference in operating cost add up over time, but there is also the added costs of more frequent drives to the gas station with 5 gal cans. 

To fix my 5 gal can problem, I tried to buy a 100 gal diesel tank with a hand crank pump at the auction last month. I was willing to go to $250 but it sold for $425.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

If you want/need a loader in wet conditions, get 4 wheel drive. I use a 24 horse 4wd all the time with a loader. I dig out foundations for houses and cleanup properties. I have use of a 70 horse 2wd tractor but I can do it faster with the little one. The weight is where you need it. The rear tires are always spinning on the 2wd and it has a very heavy box blade on the back with 600 lbs of added weight. I can get around easier on small lots and the center of gravity is lower, always feel safer even if it is way narrower. The 850 J.D. has weight in the rear tires AND a set of rear wheel weights, nothing on the 3pt so it is short, making it easy to get around.

If a big farm tractor is what you need, maybe. Most of the new farm tractors are front wheel drive now because with so much horsepower and huge equipment you need the front drive to use the horsepower without spinning the tires all the time. I farmed with 20' equipment and 5-18" plows with 110 horse 4240 J.D.s. Had no need for 4wd....James


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