# 2wd or 4wd one ton?



## AustinDB (Sep 11, 2006)

I once had a 2wd suburban that didn't have the posi-rear and it was absolutely awful-never again. get the 2wd and hedge your bets by buying a portable winch that you can throw in the tool box to pull yourself out if need be and hope you never need to.


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## NCMCarpentry (Apr 7, 2013)

Inner10 said:


> What does a diff and transfercase weigh? Probably no more than a couple bags of concrete.


I'd say about 600+ pounds with drive shaft and axles... For a solid front axle 4x4 anyways, maybe a bit less for independent front suspension.


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## stombaugh85 (Jul 23, 2012)

dom-mas said:


> Brakes wear quicker on a 4wd, tires, suspension from having to the extra weight of a diff and driveshaft....Not talking abuse, just regular wear.
> 
> I would really look for posi/limited slip over 4wd



If 250 lbs of extra weight is causing tires to wear then You should buy the correct rated tires for your truck. At least Load E , 


If your worried about extra rotating mass then pull the driveshaft out in the summer. Just keep it with you. 

4wd causing breaks to wear quicker??? :laughing: My pads are lifetime warranty,


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## SouthonBeach (Oct 18, 2012)

If you live where it's dead flat and you plan on staying on or close to the road then 2wd will work just fine 99.5% of the time. If not get 4wd the first time you get stuck and need a tow company to pull ya out will offset the cost considerably.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

If I had a 2wd truck I'd buy a caa membership. You rarely use 4wd but when you do it's really handy.


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## deter (Apr 4, 2013)

for what its worth, my dually dump (2wd) gets around just fine in mud and crap; empty or full. You obviously have to be smart about it... I will admit that I got it stuck REAL easy this winter with just the slightest ice. Snow is no problem, but ice will get ya every time with 2wd dually


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

stombaugh85 said:


> If 250 lbs of extra weight is causing tires to wear then You should buy the correct rated tires for your truck. At least Load E ,
> 
> 
> If your worried about extra rotating mass then pull the driveshaft out in the summer. Just keep it with you.
> ...


4wd costs no more in maintenance and repairs? Ok, news to me and anyone I've met

Pads are lifetime warranty, fine, pads are cheap. My time or someone elses to replace them isn't. 

The only guys I know that have 4wd dumps are landscapers and some excavators. No one is getting stuck constantly, it's ridiculous.

Oh and I would hope that a one ton would have at least E rated tires, doesn't mean that wear is less on them than if the truck was 2wd. This guy is just starting out, he doesn't need the added cost of anything


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## JPConst1005 (Feb 11, 2014)

4WD is a must. Things are never 100% perfect conditions. I had a 2wd dually once. Hated whenever the grass was slightly wet, the tires would spin.


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## stombaugh85 (Jul 23, 2012)

dom-mas said:


> This guy is just starting out, he doesn't need the added cost of anything


Much cheaper to buy the right truck from the beginning. If he is doing any excavation like his trade name says, a 4x4 is mandatory. 

Cant believe its even a question?


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## JPConst1005 (Feb 11, 2014)

stombaugh85 said:


> Much cheaper to buy the right truck from the beginning. If he is doing any excavation like his trade name says, a 4x4 is mandatory.
> 
> Cant believe its even a question?


Exactly what I was thinking. May cost a few thousand more now, but if he buys the 2wd and regrets it, he'll end up buying the 4wd a lot sooner costing him more than the few thousand now.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

JPConst1005 said:


> 4WD is a must. Things are never 100% perfect conditions. I had a 2wd dually once. Hated whenever the grass was slightly wet, the tires would spin.


You had open diffs, and probably no dump bed


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

stombaugh85 said:


> Much cheaper to buy the right truck from the beginning. If he is doing any excavation like his trade name says, a 4x4 is mandatory.
> 
> Cant believe its even a question?


4x4 for anyone doing excavation? huh, I should tell everyone I know. I wonder if any excavation got done 30 years ago when 4x4 was rare, even 20 years ago one tons were rare with 4x4.

We still need to figure out what he's doing. His trade says excavation but also masonry. What sort of excavation and is he doing it with a high hoe? backhoe? Bobcat? Is he working in the city? Rural areas? Mud pits or backyards? Or all of it. . 

To just tell someone starting out that they NEED to spend an extra $5K or whatever isn't helping him at all. He needs to suit his truck to it's use


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## BAREIN (Dec 26, 2007)

How about just ditching the 1 ton dump all together? they are pretty much worthless for legal payload. dump trailer or a 450-550 makes more sense IMO


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

BAREIN said:


> How about just ditching the 1 ton dump all together? they are pretty much worthless for legal payload. dump trailer or a 450-550 makes more sense IMO


This I agree with 100%.


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## l-steyer (Oct 26, 2012)

Thank you all for the advice! I'm just starting out doing primarily residential cultured stone walls, paver patios,some rough carpentry work, and small foundations (additions). The only reason im questioning the 4x4 or 2wd is that I plan on also making deliveries with it such as top soil, mulch, and I don't wanna look like an idiot if I get stuck in the persons backyard haha. I'll be working and doing my side jobs from early spring to late fall. And I plan on pulling my enclosed trailer, mixer, and if I can't get it delivered, a rental mini excavator or bobcat.


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## ESSaustin (Mar 27, 2010)

Any customer that thinks you are an "idiot" because you get stuck can go pound salt.

Where are you located?


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## JT Wood (Dec 17, 2007)

Id make a solid effort to find a 4x4 that meets the budget. If you pay 3k more for it now, you will recoup most if not all of it when you sell.


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## l-steyer (Oct 26, 2012)

ESSaustin said:


> Any customer that thinks you are an "idiot" because you get stuck can go pound salt. Where are you located?



Haha very true. I'm located in upstate NY. About 100 miles north of the city.


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## Nepean GC (Sep 10, 2012)

I have a 2wd truck...in the same city as Inner10. While 4x2 is fine 99% of the time, that 1% is generally fairly expensive to get extracted from. I've gotten stuck at top of the dump here. Bulldozer pulled me out...Made it up fine with a lots of weight on the rear axle...got stuck as soon as the trailer was empty. Also gotten stuck attempting to back a trailer up a slippery slope...That's where 4x4 will really help.

That said...It's amazing what tires will do for a vehicle.I put incredibly aggressive winter tires on. We've had one of the worst and coldest winters here in a while, and I didn't get stuck once.


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

My vote is for 4x4 if you can afford it. You won't use it much, but when you need it, it is there. 
Right now all of my work trucks are 4x2 and personal vehicles are 4x4. Not sure how that happened, but I'm looking for a new work truck right now. It will be 4x4. I'm tired of fighting it.


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