MFWD How much added value?

JD salesperson told me 4 wheel drive adds $3,500 to the cost of a new utility tractor, opposed to one that is 2 wheel drive. I don't know..... Your thoughts?

It's worth it on a utility. If your going to put a loader on it.

Gary

For a new Kubota in the 30/40 HP range that is just a tad high or at least full retail. The price to the dealer is more like #2200.00 difference.. But then that is marked up some. Bear in mind that in that utility market ever year the mix 2eh vs 4 wheel changes b 8 10 % . Right now about 83% of the utility Kubotas sold are 4 wheel drive. If you ever have a four wheel drive loader tractor you will never go back to 2 wheel unless you just cannot afford the difference. Whatever the difference you have to pay you will more than get it back when you get ready to sell or trade.

It depends upon the size of the tractor, of course, but $3,500 sounds about right for one in the 40-50 HP range.

FWA adds more than that to the price of a used late model utility tractor as few people will buy a used late model 2WD utility tractor these days.

My Kubota salesman sold a 35-40 HP 2WD tractor a couple of months ago. He told me that the last 2WD Kubota that he sold was about 12 years ago. The customer specified 2WD and he had to order it from Kubota.

Dean

I don't know about the cost. I have two MFWD tractors. Neither has a loader. One is 200 HP ballasted for heavy drawbar work, one is 90 HP with no ballast for row crop type work. I don't think I'll ever buy another 2 WD. (I have plenty of 45 HP antiques). I was spreading fertilizer recently with the 90 HP on a large pull type spreader. I experimented with 2 vs 4WD. I hit a wet spot and would have been stuck without the MFWD. I like it for the flotation as well as the traction. I turned down a 100 HP 2 WD tractor I had wanted, for this 90 HP MFWD, and it was the right choice.

I been looking at JD 3038E tractors. MFWD, 38 horsepower, with a loader, over $19,000.
A lot of money for a little tractor.....The loader & MFWD add over $7,000 to the value of the tractor, salesman says.

Once you use it, you will think is cheap.

Years ago my Dad would take me with him to a cattle auction and the auctioneer would stop in the middle of selling a nice dairy cow and would say "It's not what you pay, Boys" It is what you bring home." I have never forgot that line and it has followed me through life. It is so true in so many things and I would say it could not be a more true statement in this case. I can't imagine a person buying a two wheel drive tractor that they were going to use, especially to use with a loader. Most all loader tractors when you raise the loader transfers the weight off the rear axle to the front axle. In some cases you might even raise the back wheels nearly off the ground. Besides a person will get most of the money spent back in resale value.

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.

What does it add?

How about resale value period?

Tried to trade in a couple older 2wd utility tractors in, no one wanted to trade them since they sell VERY slow compared to mfwd. Only "offer" I had was to put on dealer's lot as consignment.

Is MFWD necessary? NO. Is it nice YES. We got by for years with counter weight and chains on a 2wd loader tractor. The work got done, but painful at times. I've never once wished for MFWD making hay, but wished for it 90% of the time doing loader work, mud, manure & snow.

As far as for 4x4 cutting up fields versus 2wd, that is a function of tire size and tractor weight. A 4x4 with wide tires will not cut in or spin as the same weight 2wd on narrow tires.

A heavy 2wd on floatation rubber will not cut in or spin where a light 4x4 on pizza cutters towing too heavy of a loader will spin just to get moving.

I would not buy a 2wd tractor unless I planned on NEVER selling it.

load not loader. Why can't we edit posts....

Sounds reasonable.

I've been shopping for a Kubota L6060 (53 PTO HP) CUT. Though this tractor is available only in FWA, the FEL adds over $6,500, and the joystick is standard equipment on the tractor.

Dean