Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
cwighome
Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 2 Dallas |
2003-08-23 62539
We are buying a place with 50 acres in western Arkansas. It has a 1/2 mile road to maintain, about 13 acres to keep cut back, and a bunch of projects along a creek and pond that are on the property. I plan on buying a rotary cutter, front end loader, box blade to maintain the road, and other pieces of equipment at the same time.
I like the M4800SU because it is heavier and cheaper than the MX5000DT. The 5000 has four wheel drive.
How much do you really use 4wd? Would you go with the lighter(more expensive) 4WD, or the heavier 2WD?
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon Pics |
2003-08-23 62541
4WD is indispensible for getting you in and out of hard places, or muddy places, or up and down hills. I can't see why anyone would buy a tractor without it. Heck, i've almost gotten stuck on DRY soil WITH 4WD. 4WD also helps to sell it if you ever need to. From what I've seen a LOT of tractor shoppers dismiss 2WD tractors out of hand - I know I would for my fairly typical needs. ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL Pics |
2003-08-23 62544
I guess my question would be how far west in AR. If you are in the hills I would definately consider the 4 wheel drive an essential.
I guess the other question is what tires you are employing if R1 or agricultural then the rear traction is better but you tend to tear up the turf. The other options R4 and turf need the 4 wheel to increase the rubber contact.
The other question is the soil. The clay or in KY definately need the 4 wheel just to get by as it plugs even the R1.
With a loader the weight shifts to the front end therefore without a lot of weight the rear get quite light if the bucket is loaded.
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 563 mo Pics |
2003-08-23 62545
NO CONTEST............!4X4 is the only way to buy a compact, I'm sure most all the guys on this site will agree. ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
cwighome
Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 2 Dallas |
2003-08-23 62547
The place we are buying is in the Kiamichi Mountains and is bordered by the Ouchita National Forest on 3 sides. It is very remote. So, getting stuck is not a great thought. The soil is red sandy clay. I plan to use Ag tires.
I hear each of you clearly recommending the 4wd. With that in mind, am I buying too much tractor? There is one spring fed pond on the property, a second spring begging to be ponded, and a number of places along the creek that might find a dam being built.
I plan to keep the front end loader on most of the time, and will use a 6' or 7' medium duty Bush Hog regularly. I would like to use a wider unit, but many of the meadows have fairly limited access. The place is badly overgrown and ice damage from a 2000 winter storm was never dealt with.
So, is this the right size tractor, or could I use something less? ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon Pics |
2003-08-23 62549
I am far from the most experienced guy here, but I'll offer up an opinion. The rotary cutter will probably take more hp than anything else you will do. A medium duty 6' rotary cutter takes something like 30 pto hp, and a 7 footer might take as much as 50 pto hp. If you shop for a tractor that will deliver enough pto hp for your desired rotary cutter then your tractor will size itself. It is possible that you will have a lot of heavy work to do initially, and once that is done you will mostly have maintenance work. A smaller tractor can do anything a bigger one does, it just takes longer. So, it may make sense to buy something around the 30 pto hp range. The money you save over the bigger machine could be used to rent one if you ever need to. ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 563 mo Pics |
2003-08-23 62556
good call kwschumm, I agree totally! ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley |
2003-08-24 62574
Larger tractors can waste time when maneuvering is required. They also can't go some places smaller ones can. I would try to get an idea of how much maneuvering is required and if a large tractor can get everywhere it's needed without widening bush roads etc.
Wet ground can be a problem for any tractor. Around here there still are some 'corduroy roads.' People lay cedar logs across wet areas. Geo-textile is a more modern approach. With many wet areas, trying to cure the problem by adding gravel doesn't work. Gravel just keeps sinking into the silt. Most tractors irrespective of tire type or 4wd can get stuck easily enough. You'll want to cure the worst of the wet spots or find alternate routes. For the rest of them, you'll likely want 4wd.
Once with my turfs I wondered why I couldn't back out of the shed. It wasn't in 4wd and the turfs wouldn't go over a 1" ice ridge. Recently I used my loader to push myself out of a shallow compost pit. I was wondering why. After I pushed myself out I discovered I hadn't put it back into 4wd after crossing the lawn. Ags don't buy you much in mud and are worse on ice. Heavy work with a box scraper sops up traction like rotary cutters sop up HP. 4wd drive is good.
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma Pics |
2003-08-24 62580
Hey cwighome, are you anywhere near Mena?
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL Pics |
2003-08-24 62584
Wet clay can stop anything as your tires plug and spin. I have used the bucket numerous time to free my self.
Definately 4WD I would recommend something like 30-40 PTO. There is very little difference in price between a NH TC-40 and TC-33 I would go to the larger machine. I would think you want a 6ft brush cutter and under 30 is cutting it a little thin. A 7 ft takes more HP. My BH 287 requires 55 HP PTO min. ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
Glenn-D
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 54 Westmont, Illinois, summer home in Mountain Home Ar. |
2003-08-28 62848
4X4 for sure. No contest unless your property is flat as a pool table. ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
F350Lawman
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 411 Goshen, NY Pics |
2003-08-28 62849
I agree but even if your property is flat the other guys might not be...resale with the 4wd is going to be MUCH easier. I know we all intend to keep the tractor forever but things happen, this way you can always sell, upsize, downsize, whatever.
I stay in 2wd 80-90% of the time but it is REAL nice to just kick that shifter(lightly)into 4wd with my left foot and be unstuck or stop spinning. I am sure on a larger tractor I would do it less often but I am sure it would still get use. Being that I am not a farmer or a multi-tractor owning person, getting stuck in the muddy/snowy muck will be a real^&% pain. Anyplace that gets this tractor stuck will be more than a match for my 4wd pickup. I suppose I could hitch some horses up but they aren't trained to drive.Too bad one good horse could probably give this little tractor a good nudge :)
Sure 4wd's ge stuck but less often.
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
jeff r
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 428 burton. michigan Pics |
2003-08-29 62865
DEFINETELY 4X4 and diesel. 2 wheel drives and gas engines are things of the past. Why do you think the dealer's lot is always full of 2 wheel drive tractors? Because NOBODY wants them. 2 wheel drive tractors are like the no air conditioning and manual transmissions on cars and trucks. Nobody want them either. ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York Pics |
2003-08-29 62881
Go four wheel drive. ....
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Kubota 2 WD vs 4 WD
DrMorgan
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 16 Upstate NY |
2003-09-05 63241
My Kubota is 6 wheel drive! If you're in mud, put duals on the back. Mine never gets stuck. Cost me $500. I wish I had duals on the front. Then it would be 8 wheel drive! ....
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