what will happen when I misjudge road condition?

[nevada]

Doesn't work when you're a weekend warrior/aren't driving on snow most of the time.

why not?
leaving the hubs locked in wont hurt anything. as long as the t-case is in 2wd.

i really like the lock-o-matic hubs. some are vacuum actuated, some are driven by the axle itself.
but you can shift into 4wd, and the hubs will engage, if you just need them for a short time, or something light duty.
also, you can get out and lock them in for longer, more heavy duty use.

 

[LandCruiser]

Or you can just leave your manual hubs locked during the winter months or when you anticipate needing 4wd, and unlock them during good weather times.

I was doing that for over a decade.