2wd vs 4wd; unfrozen ground

[ve9aa]

bx2380, rear tires have chains.
Getting ready for winter.
Ground not frozen here yet.
Snow expected any day
Front blower. Shoes lowered all the way down. (chute up off the ground in other words)

I noticed the last couple days as I was out in the driveway (made up of various types of compacted gravel that I was really "tearing it up" as I made turns.
I am in 4wd, as I get ready for our first snowfall, but now that I see this I am concerned with picking up rocks and blowing them out towards cars, outbuildings, lawns, etc.

I am not taking the chains off now....too much hassle and too close to the first real snowfall....we've already had dustings.

So, my question is...would I be much better off running in 2wd until I get a good compact snow layer and/or until the ground is frozen?

I guess I don't understand how 4wd works on these machines, exactly.

Probably a real newbie question...complaining about having too much traction(can you imagine!) I know when I had my 61 Land Rover (picture is my avatar) I would never engage 4wd on solid ground (which is what I am currently doing) but I am wondering how much slippage there is in just the rear wheels (diff?) if I am just running in 2wd....I hope that makes sense. I am hoping in 2wd I tear up the driveway less.

Yes, I could just go try it instead of typing this question, but am not anxious to rake and compact/repair the driveway again today,.

Thanks Lads !

Mike in NB....waiting for the snow

 

[GreensvilleJay]

use 2WD !! the front and rear axles are 'locked' in 4WD.
same driveline setup as your old ride

just cold here in Ontario ,thankfully....

 

[MuttCat]

My turf type rear tires are loaded with RimGuard and I'm in 4x4 always. And I too have a front mounted snowblower. You will pick up gravel, so yeah, watch out where it gets thrown. Never had an issue I'd call tearing up my crusher-run driveway. I have chains also, but those are for heavy ice, which fortunately is infrequent, but I have in past left the chains on all year...not so great on the lawn!

If you are pushing snow with the blower and the rear wheels are spinning, you might be digging in. Maybe slow down and don't try for a clean sweep, leave two inches or so to help get that base you want.

 

[JimmyJazz]

The same things happen on grass in 4WD. I only use the 4WD on straightaways and hillsides when wet.

 

[Crash277]

use 2WD !! the front and rear axles are 'locked' in 4WD.
same driveline setup as your old ride

just cold here in Ontario ,thankfully....

cold and wet.... gonna be an interesting commute home if that 5cm of white stuff they are predicting starts to hit the ground. its like everyone forgot what it was like to drive in the winter since last year...


OP, 99% of the time i leave my bx in 4wd. with the exception of my gravel driveway after redid it. its pretty compact now, so i will likely put it back into 4x4. i do a few driveways in my area and i always travel to them in 2wd a few times i forgot to switch to 4x4 and rarely noticed an issue. (thats with the plow on the front, loaded rear tires and the kubota 54" 3pt blower)

 

[Henro]

Cannot hurt to use 2WD until you need 4WD.

That being said, I use 4WD all the time on my hilly property.

Do what works best for you. Once you encounter a time when 4WD would have been beneficial, you will have your answer.

That is the way I got my answer to the same question. Only in my mind though...never posted the question.

Yes, this is how I got my answer. Not related to snow blowing on a driveway though...LOL

4WD all the time at my place...after 20 years no issues...

 

[19thSF]

bx2380, rear tires have chains.
Getting ready for winter.
Ground not frozen here yet.
Snow expected any day
Front blower. Shoes lowered all the way down. (chute up off the ground in other words)

I noticed the last couple days as I was out in the driveway (made up of various types of compacted gravel that I was really "tearing it up" as I made turns.
I am in 4wd, as I get ready for our first snowfall, but now that I see this I am concerned with picking up rocks and blowing them out towards cars, outbuildings, lawns, etc.

I am not taking the chains off now....too much hassle and too close to the first real snowfall....we've already had dustings.

So, my question is...would I be much better off running in 2wd until I get a good compact snow layer and/or until the ground is frozen?

I guess I don't understand how 4wd works on these machines, exactly.

Probably a real newbie question...complaining about having too much traction(can you imagine!) I know when I had my 61 Land Rover (picture is my avatar) I would never engage 4wd on solid ground (which is what I am currently doing) but I am wondering how much slippage there is in just the rear wheels (diff?) if I am just running in 2wd....I hope that makes sense. I am hoping in 2wd I tear up the driveway less.

Yes, I could just go try it instead of typing this question, but am not anxious to rake and compact/repair the driveway again today,.

Thanks Lads !

Mike in NB....waiting for the snow

This may be useful information. When in 4WD the front wheels rotate at a speed that causes the front tires to cover slightly more ground than is covered by the rear tires. This is done purposely so that you do not lose steerage. This means that the front tires are very slightly pulling the rear tires. If the opposite were true, and the rear tires were "pushing" the fronts, you would have a great deal of difficulty steering. This is one of the reasons not to use 4WD unless you need it, and try to not use 4WD on solid surfaces that are not slippery or loose, because over the course of time the front tires will wear out a lot faster. The is also the reason that surfaces seems to "torn up" when in 4WD. The front tires are to some degree "clawing" at the surface.

 

[RalphVa]

In 2WD, you have only 2 wheels brakes. That can be a BIG safety issue in working on slopes. In snow/ice, tossup. Use steering brakes to steer in snow/ice.

 

[ve9aa]

Thank you all for your various posts. I think I have a good handle on it now and was probably just being a worry-wort over nothing. I know on the old Land Rover, you had better be on loose/wet ground or there was no way of turning a corner if you were in 4wd....I am getting the message that the tractor is much the same.

I think I'll start the winter in 2wd and once things get deep and/or slippery, I'll go to 4wd.

I am lucky that my driveway is mostly flat, with just a little rise near the road. I also have a small walkway with a few bumps/rises in it that I'll try to the blower on....we'll see about that part.

The rear chains (in the dry) make it feel like it could crawl up Mt. Everest--lol, so it's no wonder it's chewing up my gravel driveway. (all it normally sees are car tires.....)

Seasons greetings from NB, Canada

-Mike

 

[imnukensc]

In 2WD, you have only 2 wheels brakes. That can be a BIG safety issue in working on slopes. In snow/ice, tossup. Use steering brakes to steer in snow/ice.

A BX2380 like the OP has doesn't have "steering" brakes.

 

[ve9aa]

you're right, but I think what he may have meant was, because the front wheels are engaged when in 4WD, then if I was (for example) going down a hill, I would have some resistance on the front wheels as opposed to being in 2WD where the front wheels would be "free floating".

That's what I took his (good) advice to mean.

I'll actually use this out by my mailbox just to insure I don't slip-slide into the ditch !

 

[mikester]

I leave my chains off until I really need them. Same with 4WD.

 

[19thSF]

Thank you all for your various posts. I think I have a good handle on it now and was probably just being a worry-wort over nothing. I know on the old Land Rover, you had better be on loose/wet ground or there was no way of turning a corner if you were in 4wd....I am getting the message that the tractor is much the same.

I think I'll start the winter in 2wd and once things get deep and/or slippery, I'll go to 4wd.

I am lucky that my driveway is mostly flat, with just a little rise near the road. I also have a small walkway with a few bumps/rises in it that I'll try to the blower on....we'll see about that part.

The rear chains (in the dry) make it feel like it could crawl up Mt. Everest--lol, so it's no wonder it's chewing up my gravel driveway. (all it normally sees are car tires.....)

Seasons greetings from NB, Canada

-Mike

One last bit of information. Changing tire size changes the front to rear "ground covering ratio". This is why it is strongly recommended that you stick to tire size(s) that that are factory specified. A tire size change could reverse the front to back ground covering ratio, and make steering a real problem. Buy any brand you want to buy (or is available) , but be careful if you change size. Oddly enough, Kubota refer to the front to back rotation ratio as the "gear ration". Doesn't seem to be the best choice of words to use BUT Kubota does what Kubota does.

Well ve9aa, you are so well prepared for snow, that you won't get much. Lucky you!!!

 

[Jchonline]

I dont use the blower until the ground is frozen. I plow until then. I also only have chains on the front for steering.

 

[GeoHorn]

Living “down Souf…“. I don’t ever see this …but I’ve read a Warning to those who live where the ground freezes: When you first move a tractor that may be frozen to the ground…. do not just begin to move it forward…. but FIRST BACK IT UP IN REVERSE!….. to UN-stick it from the ground.
Attempting to move a tractor frozen to the ground forward first can FLIP the tractor over on-top of you. (so I’ve read)

 

[RCW]

Use 4WD. With the front-mount blower, keep turns to a minimum. Don't treat it like mowing the lawn with circling the driveway.

Keep your blowing passes as straight as possible. Go out straight, back up straight, if feasible. Works okay for shorter runs.

Your blower will tear up the driveway, and sharp turns will do the same whether in 2 or 4WD.

 

[Henro]

I leave my chains off until I really need them. Same with 4WD.

Problem is, in an event where you really need chains, like on a slippery slope, when you start sliding with no control, no time to put chains on!

Personal experience speaking...same with 4WD...accidentally bumped my lever into 2WD...and afterwards on a wet/damp slope...WHOA!...another lesson learned...

 

[ve9aa]

First snowblow of the season today...snowblowed in the dark with all my new LED lighting.
Was like daytime outside !

The ground is not frozen (ugh)...about 5" of wet/mixed snow....so chucks lotsa gravel. (even with shoes all the way down....wet snow "picked up the rocks as I went along"...I call this snow "snowman snow". Heavy, wet, sticky.

(Have you ever made/rolled a body of a snowman on sticky snow near a gravel driveway?....if so, you know what I am talking about)

Went pretty well....had to do 4WD to get any steering control at all. Now I know what everyone is talking about.

No quick turns !

 

[Crash277]

First snowblow of the season today...snowblowed in the dark with all my new LED lighting.
Was like daytime outside !

The ground is not frozen (ugh)...about 5" of wet/mixed snow....so chucks lotsa gravel. (even with shoes all the way down....wet snow "picked up the rocks as I went along"...I call this snow "snowman snow". Heavy, wet, sticky.

(Have you ever made/rolled a body of a snowman on sticky snow near a gravel driveway?....if so, you know what I am talking about)

Went pretty well....had to do 4WD to get any steering control at all. Now I know what everyone is talking about.

No quick turns !

the key to pretty much anything related to equipment, just take your time. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast! Until the gravel freezes I won’t be using my blower. I alway plow till that happens. wont be long now it’s been in the minus temps all week

 

[RalphVa]

I leave my chains off until I really need them. Same with 4WD.

As you go skidding down a hill in 2wd, how are you going to put it into 4wd while pooping your pants and hoping the things does not go sideways on you?