which tractor for loader work?

Have two tractors..Ford 7710 and john deere 7600. Ford is mfwd, but has the non synchro transmission. Deere is 2wd and has powerquad. Loader will mostly be used for moving snow and hay bales. I love the idea of having mfwd on a loader tractor, but Ive found a decent used wl42 that would be a direct fit for the deere. Cant find a loader with brackets for the ford. So will I hate myself for putting a loader on a 2wd? I do have chains for the rear tires on the deere, dont have chains for the ford.

The JD with chains and perhaps some extra rear weight ( something hanging on 3pt, or wheel weights, or fluid in tires) will work just fine to plow snow and move bales. On the other hand, IF you have a paved driveway, to remove snow from, the tire chains will damage the paved surfaces when you spin the rears. The 4WD Ford without chains will push more snow without damaging the pavement

I've had a FWA loader tractor going on two years now. I don't know how I ever lived without it. It's as different from a 2 wheel drive as a plow is from a hay baler. Just not even the same machine. I'd go with the FWA even if I had to buy a brand new loader for it.

For moving bales and general loader work, the 2wd would be fine and I'd pick the 7600 with the power quad over a non-synchro transmission any day. But for pushing and moving snow that is another story. We have a JD 7200, 2wd, power quad with a loader on it. Even with decent rear tires filled with fluid, the tractor does not go well in snow, doesn't matter if you are pushing/moving it or just feeding cows. If you get more than a foot you better plan on putting the chains on if you want to get anything accomplished efficiently. I really think it's because how that series was designed, with the rear wheels so far out back, and don't get as much traction? I just know it won't go near as well in snow as the 2wd 2955 we have, or the 4430 2wd that the 7200 replaced. May depend on how much snow you get - if just a few feet a year, I'd go with the 2wd. If you are fighting snow 6 months of the year I'd probably lean towards the 4wd.

You know, I said for 25 years that mfwd was not needed for a loader tractor with chains. Bought a mfwd with cab and loader last year, and in all honesty I think I'd quite farming here in MN winters before I'd go back to a 2wd tractor as my main loader tractor. I still have a like new WL 27 loader on my 886 IH and do use it moving snow if my brother has the mfwd out moving snow too, but it is always a reminder of how much I appreciate the mfwd. My vote, mfwd all the way.

As you already know no comparison. Trade the JD for a front wheel assist. A loader needs a reverser. We have a compact JD. 50 hp. Hydro and front wheel assist. Also a 480E Case backhoe. 2 wheel drive. The JD will push twice as much dirt or snow! Last winter ran chains on the front of the JD for seems like 3 months. Never got the case out of the shed. Vic

I've got a loader on a 4020 and a 7800. The 7800 is a FWA. That thing is like a hog on ice in snow or mud. It does good field work but would be useless without the assist. I think when they pushed the cab forward to improve the ride they made them too light in the back. I've got duals but no fluid, so that is part of the problem. To much floation without the added weight.

With FWA on it will go anywhere. Without it I am so much better off with the 4020. It is such a nimble tractor compared to the big lummox. I also have a loader on a Farmall M and I love that thing, too. Tricycle front is nice but not what you are talking about.

I also have a 3020 narrow front..but why would i put a loader on an open station when I have 2 nice cab tractors..

take the mfd for the loader tractor, sure it has no syncro but how many times do you not stop between forward and reverse anyway??

another option is to trade both in on a mfd with a left hand reverser on the steering wheel, it's the cat's meow when it comes to loader work...

I need both tractors..but wish i had the cash to trade for the ts115 on the dealers lot..

For little jobs I like my 4020 PS witha 148, no cab, diesel. For the bigger jobs like pushing snow and tile jobs, I like my 580K Case hoe with a cab. I bought it for $10K several years ago.

I would take the JD 7600 just because the transmission is much easier to shuttle shift on. The Ford 7710 is not a good shuttle shifting tractor.

I would just make a rear weight out of some thing to pickup with the three point. A good heavy rear blade with a few weights bolted on it works pretty good.

I have a JD 6400 MFWD with a JD 640 loader on it. It has just at 17,000 hours on it. It is a great loader tractor. I also have a JD 4430 with a JD 740 loader on it. I find I used it more than I thought I would. The cab is great for moving hay and pushing snow.

Hi
I'm bias to the blue, but for this instance ignore that!. Front assist is the way to go. a fancy trans on a 2wd is great, apart from when your stuck with a 2wd and loader!. I have 2 4wds with loaders.

I have had both stuck while being here on my own, and used the 4wd and loader to "extract" myself from snow situations, more times than I will admit. if I had been in the same situation with 2wd I would of been begging for help from the neighbors,or still there in the spring when it dried up!.

A friend just went 4wd and loader after 2wd cases.its only a cheap used Belarus,was all he could afford thats simple and cheap to fix for his farm,He wishes he had it when new, it's made his life so easy in spring thaw, and for other things as well.
Shuttle shift and all that's nice while it works, a few guys have said what a downer some of those trans are when they send a bill in the mail to fix them, if they quit and your the unlucky one owning it!.
round me there aren't any 2wd chore tractors and loaders guys use in the winter, and spring thaw now, that i can think of. Kinda tells a story Doesn't it.

I will just add one tractors a 5270 Belarus with no fluid/ no snow chains. But has a snow blower on all winter. the other is a 6400 valtra fluid rears, no snow chains , no snow blower, or fancy shuttle shift reverser trans. But i have a job trying to convince it it's not a Hough wheel loader with what it will push for snow in one pass.
Regards Robert

Your local machine/welding shop should easily be able to make brackets for the WL-42 to fit on the 7710.

Depends on your springs and winters, but I'd be putting in on the 7710 if you ahve lots of snow and have to move when it's muddy.

No good having a fancy transmission when you are stuck. Chains and weight will help the 2wd, but won't equal the 4wd.

well..i missed out on the cl deal i had found on a wL42 not 10 miles from me. Must have been a good deal, only listed for 2 hours.. I think I would prefer the loader on the ford, but loaders are so much easier to find for a deere, it might me quite a bit more economical to put it there. But we will see what a search will bring.

I have a Westendorf TA26 on my Ford 6610, it is one solid loader and fits well.

You're exactly right on that one!! Fancy don't help when your stuck!!

I personally would fight, kick, and scream until I had a loader on that Ford.. With 4wd, the more you pick up, the more traction you have...

At work, we used to use our 2 TBLs for snow when it got heavy. Neither was 4 wheel drive and we didn't have chains. Granted the backhoe added a lot of weight, but they would push a crap load of snow and never got stuck. Not very good in mud however.