In the latest sales report from the American Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), the one bright spot in an otherwise gloomy document, is the dramatic increase in 4WD tractors that were sold in June 2024 compared to June of 2023.
The increase was 18% against a backdrop of a 14% decline overall in all categories of farm tractors.
Yet before we spill too much champagne in celebration, it should be noted that the total number of 4WD machines recorded as being sold by the AEM is just 415 for the month, as opposed to 18,473 overall.
In other words just, 2.2% of tractors supplied had 4WD.
This is in direct contrast to the European experience where2WD is very much an option that seldom gets selected, if ever, by farmers.
Why America, which so often leads the way in innovation, should be so shy of going for powered front axles is as much to do with tradition as it is logical consideration of the principles of traction.
Early 4WD
Despite the present low uptake of 4WD, there have been many attempts over the years to fit it to tractors by both manufacturers and third party suppliers
Most of the early attempts revolved around fitting ex army truck axles, with a chain driven transfer box although this method was quickly replaced by a proper gear drive.
Elwood Engineering of Illinois was the leading company in providing these conversions and International Harvester actually offered them as a factory fitted conversion on its larger 2WD models.
Credit for the first 4WD tractor to come to market has been given to the Oliver G706, which appeared in 1962.
This neatly overlooks the fact that Zetor was already offering 4WD on its first Unified Range in 1960.
Despite its availability, the concept never really took off in America where big horsepower meant dual rear wheels transferring the power to the ground, with weight transfer from the front being relied upon to provide extra traction.
These dual wheels were often too big for European lanes and the realisation that by dividing the power between all the wheels would make better use of both it, and the tractors weight, ensured that 4WD started to make headway from the late 60s onwards as power availability increased.
Our American cousins seem to have cottoned on at last.
