There are no front breaks. Most of the breaking is done with the hydrostatic transmission, and the parking break is for parking. For good stopping with the hydrostatic transmission or with the parking break you should be in 4wd. The parking break is ahead of the rear differential, this means if you have a heavy load on the front, are going down hill, or are on ice, you may only have breaking with one wheel. One rear wheel can continue turning and one can slip and turn in the opposite direction. In 4wd you would have both differentials, front and rear, locked.