How Long is Sitting Without Running OK?

[Johndeere3720]

What about my Riding mower? It has a gas engine, how often should i start it? Last winter i let it sit and it drained my battery of charge. Also, will my carb gum up if it is left with fuel in it for long periods of time? i have the option of keeping it in the heated shed for the winter, should i or just leave it in the unheated barn? The tractor lives in the barn but i use it often so i dont have worries about it.

 

[Ford tractor]

If you do start and run, get her hot!

That way you 'boil out' any water vapors that are in there.
Those condensed vapors are what will cause internal corrosion. (rings and cylinder walls will suffer the most)
Also I understand that in some cases acids can form that could etch metals.

Start her and go have a coffee or a cool aide!

That will warm the engine (not not enough to boil off water), but it won't warm the transmission or differential or hydraulics. Still need to WORK the machine to get them hot.

What about my Riding mower? It has a gas engine, how often should i start it? Last winter i let it sit and it drained my battery of charge. Also, will my carb gum up if it is left with fuel in it for long periods of time? i have the option of keeping it in the heated shed for the winter, should i or just leave it in the unheated barn? The tractor lives in the barn but i use it often so i dont have worries about it.

Modern gas is pretty poor. Use Stabil or equivalent in EVERY tank. Gas can go stale in a week or two. Alcohol has really done a number on it. If your lawn mower died over the winter, you have a bad battery or a small drain. Put a charger on it for a while every couple months and that will help.

 

[WH401]

My equipment usually will sit for 2 months or more at a time during the off season, that being the grass cutting season. Everything has started up fine for me. Getting the equipment up to full operating temp is the key though.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Letting it sit for a couple of weeks to a couple of months shouldn't cause any damage. If you're going to have it down for 3 to 6 months, take a load of the clutch (if necessary) by blocking it down, and replace the gas with fresh fuel before running. Also, check the tires and make sure they're properly inflated.

If you're going to have the tractor sitting unused for more than 6 months, you should mothball it the way the military does. I forget the tech order (00-20B-5?) we used in the Air Force for AGE tractors we put in long term storage in overseas pre-staging areas; but it was very thorough. Drain the fuel, fill the lines with light oil, fill the oil to the top, put the thing on blocks to take load off the tires and suspensions, heavy grease on all the hydraulic rams, cover on the windows, meters, upholstery, etc. Stored that way, the things would be preserved for a thousand years in a warehouse. Well, at least anything not made of rubber. Rubber rots eventually unless you store it in a nearly pure nitrogen environment. But you can get 10 years of storage that way without deterioration.

Of course when we wanted to put one back into use (like Desert Storm!), we had to undo all the mothballing.

 

[/pine]

Not sure if it has been mentioned in this thread yet...but always fill the fuel tank as full as possible...the less room for air the less chance of water condensing inside the tank...

 

[Dead Horse]

I was at a local tractor shop when they brought in a NH that had been left in the woods for 6 or 7 years....... I do not remember specifically how long, but it was long enough that the tires were in very bad shape........ the paint was faded and the poor thing was filthy.

The took a chain saw, a battery, a jug of fuel and a simple tool kit into the woods, and drove the ole bastage out.

pretty impressive.

Story was a guy got divorced and lost everything. Left the tractor in the woods and his ex never bothered with it. Years later he got it back........ a bit worse for the wait.

 

[RPW]

Lawn mowers, garden tractors, putting up for the winter, run machine till all fuel is used up and motor dies, disconnect battery, change oil and cover with waterproof tarp. Next spring fresh gas, charge battery start and go. Has worked for me for several years. As said modern gas has a lot of alcohol in it and will deteriorate rubber fast. Will also attract water and cause rust/corrosion.

Good luck.

 

[flusher]

I have a JD 4320, 2006 model w/300 hrs. Used mainly for mowing and bush cutting, FEL stuff and other general tractor duty around the place. I don't really need it but it's a lot fun and I enjoy it. Enormous power, e-Hydro trans, a wonderful machine.

Anyhow. It's done for the winter, and very likely I won't have much excuse to use it for intervals lasting several weeks or more. Usually I can find a reason, however flimsy, to run it more often, but not always.

I've been reliable about starting it and running it warm at least once a week, and I've no problem continuing this.

My question, and perhaps it will help others as well, to those who know:

Is starting and driving it to full temp once / week enough, too often, or not often enough to keep everything lubricated and cleaned out (journals, etc.)?

Thanks,

gbw

I don't start my 2008 Mahindra 5525 unless I intend to run it hard (up to 1900 rpm--pto speed--for at least 30 min). Otherwise it sits under the carport for 2 or 3 months between uses. So far no problems.

 

[JJZ 109]

What about my Riding mower? It has a gas engine, how often should i start it? Last winter i let it sit and it drained my battery of charge. Also, will my carb gum up if it is left with fuel in it for long periods of time? i have the option of keeping it in the heated shed for the winter, should i or just leave it in the unheated barn? The tractor lives in the barn but i use it often so i dont have worries about it.

I always treat the fuel, especially now that ethanol issues seem to be cropping up bad in small and marine engine applications. I use K100 but Stabil and Star Brite also make storage formulas that address the alcohol issue.
As has already been stated, if there is a fuel shut off, use it and run the machine until the carb is dry. I do that in a couple of generators, some mowers and a Harley and so far it's worked.

 

[DanD78]

I have a 1953 Mccormic Deering Super WD9 that had sat for 20+ years in the corner of a machine shed. I traded plowing labor one fall for the tractor. All I had to do was put gas in the tank and it fired right up. It took a couple of tries to get it running on diesel but it took right off on the fuel that was left in the tank. I put on two new front tires and drove it 12 miles home. That was 15 years a go and the tractor starts and runs fine when I let it sit for months at a time. For those that don't know the IH WD engines started as a gasoline engine then ran as a diesel by closing off an extra chamber in the cylinder head.

Let is sit as long as you want. It will be fine.

Dan

 

[Bradlyk]

I think once per week is more often than necessary. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what the minimum is. My JD755 was bought new back in 1991 or so. It frequently sits for 3 weeks at a time. Last winter, I think it sat easily for 2-3 months in an unheated Shelter Logic shelter. It started up just fine in early March without so much as a battery tender on it. (I did give it 5-10 minutes of fluid circulating before gently starting it moving out of the shelter) I've never had any issues related to it just sitting.

I think the key is to make sure it is thoroughly warmed whenever it is started, to avoid condensation caused by "partial warming."

...Just my opinion, of course.

I have a DEUTZ D10006 2wd that sits over winter in a sheltered but unheated shed and it goes fine in spring

 

[buck12]

I have a mid '90's b series (gear) Kubota...

This tractor came with a small block of wood to use on the clutch pedal bar to keep the pedal depressed and the clutch disengaged whenever the tractor is to be stored for more than a few weeks...

Thanks for the reminder. I forgot to engage the clutch clip on my tractor when I parked it four weeks ago. It will likely set for six to eight more weeks. This is why I read tbn.

 

[RalphVa]

Good tip on the clutch. Our 1983 Benz was stored for 4 1/2 years from 1990 to 1994. There were 2 things dead on it: battery & seals on AC compressor, but the clutch took several strokes to get it to work. The clutch master cylinder needed reworking later on, as it started to leak a tiny bit underneath the floor mat on that car.

Our gas engine generator sits for 2-3 months between restarts. Main thing it needs is a battery tender to keep the battery up.

Ralph

 

[9973720wb19]

let's see now...that's one tractor, a Zmower, one bigger mower, the walkbehind, a walkbehind brush mower, an ATV, etc...good think I don't have to start them each week...I'd have to quit my job!

I know...the engineers are saying "you should start them all at once, therefore it only takes an hour"...sounds good on paper!

 

[D7E]

and when you have 30 odd machines in sheds with no power for 6 months in -30c it is'nt going to happen realistically .

 

[varmint]

If you warm up a diesel, just don't let it idle at low speed... I forget what they call the condition of operating at a low load, but it causes trouble with carbon build-up and oil contamination (or so I have read) so get the tractor moving and thoroughly warmed up. I always run the gas out of stuff that will sit for a week or more, and put engines to rest with fresh oil and hot enough that there won't be moisture mixed in there.

 

[JimRB]

My old Rabbit had a water temp guage and an oil temp guage. I could get the water temp to operating temp in 3-4 miles in the winter. The oil temp took at least 5 miles to move and a few more miles to get up to operating temp. This was driving 45-70 mph. My current Jetta TDI does not get the water temp guage to normal in 7 miles in 20F weather. I do not have an oil temp guage so I have no idea when the oil gets up to proper temp. On the car I have no worries as I tend to drive it 40+ miles one way.

No idea how long it takes for my JD 870 to get the oil hot. It has sat for a few months. I guess I could put on the scrape blade and smooth out the road to make sure my clutch does not get stuck, or to unstick it. I need to crack the tractor sometime to grease up those input shafts. No shed is not the best way to keep a tractor new.

 

[JoeinTX]

Yep. My little Ford sits often 2-3 months a time especially in the winter and apart from sometimes needing to jump start it it shows no ill effect.

The old Moline would often sit for a year or two between uses and the routine was pretty much the same with it.

 

[dcyrilc]

What about my Riding mower? It has a gas engine, how often should i start it? Last winter i let it sit and it drained my battery of charge. Also, will my carb gum up if it is left with fuel in it for long periods of time? i have the option of keeping it in the heated shed for the winter, should i or just leave it in the unheated barn? The tractor lives in the barn but i use it often so i dont have worries about it.

The key is to make sure the carb is dry (no fuel). As you know, I just fixed that generator which had sat for 10+ years out in the weather. I changed the battery, replaced the oil, plugs, and fuel, turned on the fuel valve and fired it up. No ill effects from sitting. It was the generator section which had issues when it was shut down. After 10+ years the gas tank had rusted above the fuel level, but no issues with the engine. Still runs like new. I think it only has about 40 hours on it.

The small lawn mower type batteries have issues with draining just sitting on the shelf. I would recommend a good tender if sitting for more than a few weeks at a time.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I have a husqvarna mower, bought new this spring, that won't start at all. Only been ran 8 - 10 times all summer, now won't start. The battery has now drained, so I have tried to start with it on jumper cables.
My Diesels will blow some white smoke if not started in awhile, but they start right up.