My current backhoe is a small M59 with 4wd. I am never really in mud but use the 4wd when using the loader and it helps. My machine is light though around 7,000lb I think. In a full size ~15,000 lb machine how important is 4wd? I have just started my search and am wondering if it is worth the extra cost.
I live on the wet side of the coast range in Oregon, wouldn't even consider a hoe without 4wd, but that's just me.
If you are a very good operator, then 4x4 is a waste of money. A really good backhoe operator can get his machine out of most any problem area. If not, it will be way to far in for the 4x4 to do any good. If you are just an average operator, the 4x4 feature will come in very handy.
My 2 cents go for the 4 wheel drive if you use it. Being able to "get out" is one thing. Being able to keep working is quite another. For example on a job the subcontractor was installing sand fill in a hospital underslab that had hundreds of conduits that were shallow buried as they would be covered by concrete. He started out with a two wheel drive Case 580 and in short order had tore up a dozen conduits as he tried to move sand around and steer in the sugar sand. A 4 wheel drive 580 was brought in and it drove around the conduit stubs and never disturbed the previously placed sand or the buried conduits. No ruts, no fuss, no more rework.
I have seen a 2wd hoe extract itself from some crazy mud. Stuff I thought there was no way possible. Getting stuck is not my concern. I will be using the loader probably more than the hoe to load dump trucks. On my M59 in 2wd the loader performance is weak but in 4wd it is fine. I don't know how much of this effect is just because I have 2000lb in the loader out in front taking the weight off the rear of a 7000lb machine and if in a 15,000lb machine it will be a non issue. I guess worded another way in dry conditions with a 2wd backhoe does the rear end get light and lose traction with a full bucket?
Yes, there's less traction with a full load on a 2wd backhoe, not nearly as much loss as an industrial loader tractor because the backhoe hangs so far back. Another way to look at it is the 4wd is a fragile add on in most cases. It's one thing to keep your traction in sand, or be able to keep moving in slippery conditions, but if you don't have enough traction from the rear tires while loading on hard level ground then that kind of force is more than you want to demand from front wheel assist. Get a wheel loader. If you're looking at the cheap end of the spectrum, there aren't any 4wd. If you're buying newer, there's not nearly the price difference, percentage wise anyway.
My budget is 40-50k
4WD is much safer on steep terrain, both traveling uphill and downhill.
I've had 2wd and 4wd, I wouldn't be without it now. I live in an area of small but steep hills and swampy areas, not a lot of flat solid ground. We also get snow in the winter and 4wd helps with all of that. You can do fine in 2wd 90% of the time but if you need and use that 4wd just once you will never go back to 2wd. My p/u truck is a 4wd also, I wouldn't want to give that up either.
I guess I have not learned too much in 40 years,I would not be without it.A 4x4 hoe is a very capable machine.Ron G
The real answer to how they load is to try a 2wd out. Loading almost anything out of a pile or loose, I don't think you'll have any problem getting a full bucket, or navigating relatively flat stable ground loaded. But then I prefer trucks to be 2wd, so what do I know??? Old Iron and others have a great point about keeping working, when you need to.
When it comes to 4WD I am always reminded of a quotation by a former work colleague - "4WD only enables you to get stuck in more inaccessible places". Keep that in mind all the time and you'll be fine.
Aren't two wheel drive hoes only using one wheel to push unless the dif lock is engaged. My preference would be a 4x4, better control in steering on snow etc. Then again, I'm in the snow belt and we get our fair share of snow, so for me, its 4X4 and chains on the rear for my machine.
I can't remember the last time I saw a 2 wheel drive hoe being pulled behind a truck, and for good reason
Get 4x4. Worth every penny. You won't be sorry you got 4x4. But you might be sorry you didn't get it.
You will never regret getting the 4X4. I would not own one without it.
4x4 on a backhoe is like 4x4 on a pickup - I will not own one without it. Worth every penny and whatever you spend on it up front you get it back when you sell it. If your going to use the front end of the machine, 4x4 gives you more traction going into a pile and getting a full bucket quicker. It also gives more traction when cutting and grading with the front end. 4x4 on a backhoe is not necessarily about going mudding, it's about how much more efficient the machine can be while performing as a "Jack of all trades".
4x4. If your going to use the loader much at all you will find it much more productive. The physics are pretty simple. The lift from the loader is pulling the back tires off the ground and pushing the front tires into the ground. Without repeating everything in the above posts 4x4 is more productive.
Maybe its just me but 4x4 is nice not only for the loader but also when digging in situations where the front bucket cant be lowered down, 4x4 and a parking brake will do wonders
Not to blab too much on this,but most of you know I am a cynical old man now, but you can do a lot of work with a 2x4 TLB by using momentum to keep from digging holes with your drive wheels but the 4x4 can save so much time by not having to cater to and work around that weakness.To one who has never ran a 4x4 it will be a sweet surprise.I would rather install a driveway base with a 4x4 TLB than any other machine out there,I am a John Deere man but 580 Case is a fine machine as well.My contention is if I could only have one machine to do dirt work it would be a 4x4 TLB,you can do just about anything that you will encounter with one,sometimes you will give up some speed but you will get it done.The extendahoe is a nice feature to have as long as you use it right but if you could have only one machine for whatever reason the 4x4 backhoe would be it in my book.Ron G
I do the same thing. Even when the front bucket is on the ground. When the digging is tough i put the 4x4 on with park brake for extra stability. It's amazing how much more it will hold you from sliding around.
At $50K, you won't see that many 2wd. I've a 2wd, only got stuck once when I drove out on a dry crust and it was 4 feet of mud under it. Took some hand shovel work and using the boom and bucket together, but I got it out.
Don't forget about backing up hill. In snow or on wet dirt, If you need to go down hill to load the front bucket, 4 x 4 will really impress you then. Get the 4 x 4. You'll get your money back at resell time anyway.
Good point; For mine, the 4WD is well worth the little extra cost; Saved in time very soon in production, maybe this image shows my prejudice, one of my "near level" locations on the Farm here, hence 4WD or nowt!
i wouldnt be without 4wd......for loader work its the only way to go.........hoe work really doesnt matter much.....the 4wd switch on my rarely ever gets turned off
IMO, 2WD is fine for pavement or relatively flat dry surfaces without much grade to them. 2WD is also fine if the hoe is mainly used in not too challenging terrain. Frequent loader use, rougher/wet terrain, steep grades, 4WD all the way. If I was buying a hoe, I would be buying a 4WD regardless. Also keep in mind that at least every newer 2WD hoe, that Ive seen and noticed anyways, does not have ride control while most newer 4WD models do have it.
Nobody NEEDS 4x4..... until you do. You can do all kinds of tricks with a 4x2 machine to get the job done, or you can just work with a 4x4 machine. For me it's all about production and safety, a 4x4 machine excels at both.