L3800 4WD Operation

[gkk2001]

I understood it is not advisable to run in high gear and engaged in 4WD simultaneously. Please comment if you agree or not.

I would love to simply trip the leaver to 2WD but I find it very difficult to move it out of 4WD. I tried rocking to find the special gear meshing but cannot. Any ideas/comments please?

 

[lreops]

Try using the bucket to raise the front, taking some weight off the front end and try and see if it will disengage. I have a tractor that sometimes is hard to disengage and all I do is lift the front slightly and it slides back to 2WD.

Ron

 

[Burt]

I understood it is not advisable to run in high gear and engaged in 4WD simultaneously. Please comment if you agree or not.

I would love to simply trip the leaver to 2WD but I find it very difficult to move it out of 4WD. I tried rocking to find the special gear meshing but cannot. Any ideas/comments please?

Gkk2001,

Try turning your steering right or left and then pulling up on the release lever. Another trick is to just go forward or backward a foot or so and then pull your lever up.

I will often use two hands to pull it up as it's not a one hander.

Yes, your op manual will advise against running in high full blast in 4WD.

Burt

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Same principal applies to tractors as it does 4x4 trucks, you dont want to run either in a high speed in 4wd.

 

[Bulldog]

Like what Burt said, mine normally will disengage very easy by turning the wheels left or right. Might just be me but mine seems to work better going to the left.

 

[Bluegill]

4wd leaver is pretty stiff on mine, just have to push or pull like ya mean it.

Mine stays in 2wd most of the time, only in 4wd when needed and never in a high gear.

 

[tsafa]

Do you have HST? or Stick Shift?

You are pressing the clutch right? I use my clutch even when shifting the HST. Its a habit after driving stick shift for 20 years. I had to break out of the habit of not using the clutch and Fwd/Rev peddle together (I think that is bad for the HST).

My my 4x4 lever got stuck a few times. Tapping the Fwd/Rev peddle usually will allow me to change 4x4 drive.

When I am plowing snow just 2 or 3 inches of snow, I usually have the HST in high gear and in 4x4 drive so I can get my work done faster. I only go to a low gear if in need to push a lot of snow or dirt.

I only go into 2WD if on dry surface. Most of the time I am either in mud or snow so the tractor stays in 4WD. That is despite a 500 lb counter weight on the back and loaded tires.

I once had ice build up on the 4x4 lever and would not allow my to shift. I had to melt with torch.

 

[Bluegill]

No HST here! Gear drive...

I've never had any trouble going from 2wd to 4wd, or back to 2wd.

 

[TripleR]

I often have to transport rock or dirt close to a mile on one of our farms, so I often run in 4WD in high. Our M8540 is easy to go from 2WD to 4WD and back, the Grand L often requires turning the wheels, using the loader to lift etc., but I stop to change on it.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I must be lucky, because both myL3450-GST and B7100-HST will both just slip right in and out of 4x4 as long as the back wheels are not out running the front wheels.
I also run them both in low and high range without any issues.

 

[Donystoy]

I must be lucky as well. After 28 years and 1400 hours of operation I can count on one hand how many times I have had it out of 4wd. Mine shifts just fine but maybe I will make a point of using 2wd when going down my 4000 foot driveway. I find that it turns better in 4wd like when I am bush hogging even though the loader is almost always attached.

 

[Bluegill]

I must be lucky as well. After 28 years and 1400 hours of operation I can count on one hand how many times I have had it out of 4wd. Mine shifts just fine but maybe I will make a point of using 2wd when going down my 4000 foot driveway. I find that it turns better in 4wd like when I am bush hogging even though the loader is almost always attached.

Exact opposite here. 2wd 85% of the time and loader always off except when
needed... I hate to mow with the loader on! Works Mo better for me...
But both mine shift into & out of 4wd very easy...

 

[WFM]

I thought I read here running in 4 wheel drive a lot will cause unnecessary wear....after reading that , I started shifting in and out of 4x4......as needed. But you really need to muscle it in and out.

 

[Bluegill]

I thought I read here running in 4 wheel drive a lot will cause unnecessary wear....after reading that , I started shifting in and out of 4x4......as needed. But you really need to muscle it in and out.

It's debatable, I don't think running in 4wd all the time causes that much more wear, but it does cause some. Worse is running around in 4wd with a loader full and no counter weight on the 3 pt hitch. Now that will kill the front axle components!

 

[Donystoy]

It's debatable, I don't think running in 4wd all the time causes that much more wear, but it does cause some. Worse is running around in 4wd with a loader full and no counter weight on the 3 pt hitch. Now that will kill the front axle components!

Running around without a counter weight can kill more than front axle components as a chap I know found out while going down hill with a bucket full of earth. Spent weeks in hospital. A loader should never be used without a counter weight.

Whether in 4wd or not you will experience more wear on the front axle if no counter weight. I just rebuilt one side of mine this spring after it started to leak oil.

 

[Bluegill]

Running around without a counter weight can kill more than front axle components as a chap I know found out while going down hill with a bucket full of earth. Spent weeks in hospital. A loader should never be used without a counter weight.

Whether in 4wd or not you will experience more wear on the front axle if no counter weight. I just rebuilt one side of mine this spring after it started to leak oil.

I'm with ya man. I had to rebuild the front end on our L3750 because of too much loader work with no counter weight on the 3 pt. The tractor is heavy enough and safe, but it killed the front end.

Now, if the loader is on the tractor, there will be counter weight on the 3 pt!

 

[MagKarl]

Mine never comes out of 4WD. When I got it, the lever was rusted stuck so I know the previous owner was the same. I fixed it, but that was a couple years ago and it's stuck again. 4WD has too many safety and productivity advantages for me to disengage. The only reason I'd do it is if I had to run a ways on pavement, but I don't have any and I've got a trailer, so it'll probably never happen.

 

[gkk2001]

Guys, thanks so much for the excellent comments.

I tried the turn wheels method first (turned left) and the 4WD lever slid to 2WD without effort. No manhandling required. I had to move some oak logs today about a tenth mile over the road and did not want to run that distance in 4WD + high gear. it sure was cold today and I live in GA.

Thanks again for the excellent comments.
Greg

 

[Bulldog]

Glad that helped out, I've always done the same on my tractors. Better get ready to set those logs on fire, 9 degrees on Tuesday if the weather man has it right.