Oh, there's no question it adds value, new, but it's also something else to go wrong. Just the mechanics of pivots and seals and gears and u-joints and engagement mechanisms... On the best of units, it might last one half of what a 2wd will go without extensive maintenance. And if not properly maintained, that front assist can cost buku bucks to fix or replace. Is it "needed" for loader work? In most cases, no, but without a 3pt ballast box, it sure does help. Is it needed for field work? They sure do help when applying 150 or more horses to dry ground, especially without duals. But in my book if it's wet enough to get a 2wd stuck, you're either desperate to get a crop off, or messing up ground you shouldn't be on.
I have a hay field that takes a long time to dry out, which was cut and round baled with a MFWD 10 years ago that still has ruts from that cutting. I borrowed a neighbors 30hp MFWD (w/loader) to pull loads of hay off that field, and the extra weight on the front of that tractor (with the axle engaged) was cutting up the field faster than my 2wd with the same load in tow. Not worth it here.
And you haven't really been "stuck" until you have your MFWD throwing mud from 3 or 4 corners and not moving. I've found it a whole lot (several orders of magnitude) easier to get a 2WD un-stuck than a 4WD. Especially since I got rid of my dozer with the winch about 20 years ago.
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Today's Featured Article - New Hitches For Your Old Tractor - by Chris Pratt. For this article, we are going to make the irrational and unlikely assumption that you purchased an older tractor that is in tip top shape and needs no immediate repairs other than an oil change and a good bath. To the newcomer planning to restore the machine, this means you have everything you need for the moment (something to sit in the shop and just look at for awhile while you read the books). To the newcomer that wants to get out and use the machine for field work, you may have already hit a major roadblock. That is the dreaded "proprietary hitch". With the exception of the
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