Starting your tractor in the winter.

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . However, condensation can be minimized by keeping the tank relatively full to minimize the surface area where condensation can form.

When I was in flight school, one of the first things they taught me was to fill up the plane's fuel tank as soon as you parked it (instead of waiting until the next morning) for exactly that reason.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

I get up. Flip the switch on the outlet the block heater is plugged into. Then I go make coffee and have breakfast. When I'm done, I'll go out and clean off the snow, check the fluid levels and top off the fuel. By that time, the tractor's warmed up enough to start it. I'll leave it idle while I go back in for another cup of joe before clearing for the next couple hours.

 

[buickanddeere]

I get up. Flip the switch on the outlet the block heater is plugged into. Then I go make coffee and have breakfast. When I'm done, I'll go out and clean off the snow, check the fluid levels and top off the fuel. By that time, the tractor's warmed up enough to start it. I'll leave it idle while I go back in for another cup of joe before clearing for the next couple hours.

X2. Good to hear from
somebody that doesn't abuse their machine.

 

[sixdogs]

When I lived in a colder climate I would leave both the tractor and the plow truck plugged in overnight. By morning, the tractor was really warm and the plow truck heater blew hot air in short order. It worked for me.

 

[check]

My tractor is inside the garage, and of course I cannot wanted up there because of the fumes. I just remembered, however, about the flexible pipe that service stations use to run from the tailpipe to the exterior of the building so that exhaust fumes go directly outdoors. Have to get one!

 

[sixdogs]

My tractor is inside the garage, and of course I cannot wanted up there because of the fumes. I just remembered, however, about the flexible pipe that service stations use to run from the tailpipe to the exterior of the building so that exhaust fumes go directly outdoors. Have to get one!

Probably not a good idea. It might be acceptable in a shop that has a ventilation system but you don't. Get it wrong any you can gas the whole family before you know it and wind up on the 11:00 O'clock news, postmortem . Tasteless, odorless and colorless come to mind. Be careful.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I've started mine twice in the last few days when it was cold. The first time was with just the air preheater as I had parked it out of reach of a cord. The second time it was down to zero and I plugged in the block heater for an hour or so. You could hear the water hiss inside the block when I first plugged it in. I could clearly hear the difference when it first fired up. The oil was thick when cold and loaded the starter and you could tell when the first oil flow reached all the bearings. It is certainly worth it to plug it in when it is down below 20 degrees F.

 

[RoyJackson]

My tractor is inside the garage, and of course I cannot wanted up there because of the fumes. I just remembered, however, about the flexible pipe that service stations use to run from the tailpipe to the exterior of the building so that exhaust fumes go directly outdoors. Have to get one!

Probably not a good idea. It might be acceptable in a shop that has a ventilation system but you don't. Get it wrong any you can gas the whole family before you know it and wind up on the 11:00 O'clock news, postmortem . Tasteless, odorless and colorless come to mind. Be careful.

I agree.
I'd open the garage doors before starting and move the machine outside immediately after starting...then a fast idle until it's warmed.

 

[CrazyCanadian]

On the tractors with the pre-heaters it sometimes helps to smooth them out post start to hit the heat button again.

To warm the engine quick with a tiger torch put the torch inside a piece of ductwork with an elbow on it to direct the heat but keep the flame contained.

 

[buickanddeere]

On the tractors with the pre-heaters it sometimes helps to smooth them out post start to hit the heat button again.

To warm the engine quick with a tiger torch put the torch inside a piece of ductwork with an elbow on it to direct the heat but keep the flame contained.

Why would anybody fool around with open flame directed onto an oily machine with paint, plastic and rubber parts. Then waste 95% of the heat blowing past the machine.
Instead if some hack jackleg cob job. Why not just use a proper block heater and real synthetic oil?

 

[check]

Probably not a good idea. It might be acceptable in a shop that has a ventilation system but you don't. Get it wrong any you can gas the whole family before you know it and wind up on the 11:00 O'clock news, postmortem . Tasteless, odorless and colorless come to mind. Be careful.

My garage is well ventilated and not attached to the house.

 

[sixdogs]

My garage is well ventilated and not attached to the house.

Well, that's better in that if something goes wrong you'll just take yourself.

Only kidding there but only sort-of. I'm a risk taker but won't run a vehicle inside because I have seen people overcome that were tough as nails, not risk takers and very aware of what to be on the lookout for. They almost got bagged by the colorless, odorless and tasteless thing. Just my two cents here and just trying to save a fellow TBNer.

 

[Egon]

Why would anybody fool around with open flame directed onto an oily machine with paint, plastic and rubber parts. Then waste 95% of the heat blowing past the machine.
Instead if some hack jackleg cob job. Why not just use a proper block heater and real synthetic oil?

There are times when a power plug is a few miles away and the equipment may be required to be operational.

 

[Egon]

Diesel fumes have different comments than gasoline fumes.

 

[TomSeller]

There are times when a power plug is a few miles away and the equipment may be required to be operational.

I am in the same boat, I don't even have electricity on one of my parcels unless I drag a generator out there. I have an artesian well for the cattle water so not even pump power to tap off of.

 

[buickanddeere]

There are times when a power plug is a few miles away and the equipment may be required to be operational.

All true. One reason I'm grateful that small generators are so cheap now.
There are some people how ever that refuse to plug in a block heater even within reach . They seem to take some perverse pleasure in telling people their machine doesn't need to be plugged in. Related to the people who are proud that they don't need to feed their dogs.

 

[jmaccan]

On the tractors with the pre-heaters it sometimes helps to smooth them out post start to hit the heat button again.

To warm the engine quick with a tiger torch put the torch inside a piece of ductwork with an elbow on it to direct the heat but keep the flame contained.

I like the tiger torch method. As a heavy diesel mechanic I have used this on some very large displacement engines in northern Alberta. You have no worry of setting things on fire if you use enough stove pipe (I usually use 6 to 8 feet with an elbow at the end, set up 2 or 3 under engines, torques, trannys and related filters) Then tarp in above everything to hold the heat in. It's important to remember the 'other' oils in extreme cold starts because I've seen filters split open when the pumps start pumping cold oil (some new guy will do it every winter). One of the most important things to remember for everyone doing a cold start whether it's just below freezing or stupid cold (like 50 below) is that pumps will cavitate on cold oil. If you turn the pump too fast it will move oil out of the inlet port faster than the thick oil can flow back in which will cause small vacuum 'bubbles' in the oil that implode when they move through the pump and erode the inner surfaces of the pump, so keep your engine RPMs low until the hydraulics have warmed up a bit. It's very noticable because the pump makes a kind of squeeling noise that you will know when you hear it (kind of sounds like air bubbles entering a pump because of a suction side leak if you've ever heard that). I've heard it, I've seen it and the damage to the pump is unreal when you understand that it was cold oil or an inlet restriction that caused it. On my tractor I worry more about cavitation than a cold diesel engine.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Once it's below about 20, my hydraulic system lets me know when it's warm enough to use. I let it idle at about 1200-1400. When the pump quiets down, it's warm enough to use--usually 3-5 minutes, depending on temperature.

 

[campbege]

If at all possible, use a block heater for an hour before starting the tractor.
As far as how long to let it idle...I let it set until the temperature gauge is moving. (normally 5 minutes or so), then I'm on it and moving at a medium idle 1200-1500 RPM. No real load on the machine until it's thoroughly warmed up.

Added after Dave1949 made his post:
As soon as I start the tractor, I throttle up to the 1200-1500 RPM and move it out of the garage. Like Dave, I never idle it blow 1200 or so RPM...

If it's real cold(under20degrees) I start my salamander heater and aim it at the under side of my tractor. Not too close but after about 20 minutes the general area around the machine has warmed considerably. Then I use the pre-heater for about 1/2 a minute and fire it up. I let it idle for about 5 minutes and I'm going to work.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Even though my tractor was plugged in all night at ten below this morning it wouldn't run right. Spent the whole day getting it right. Local mom and pop store has diesel so gelled up they can't pump it. I had at least ten gallons of their fuel in the tank. Your block heater doesn't do anything to keep the fuel in the tank warm. When taking off the fuel filter to flush it with diesel 911, I found I wasn't even getting fuel from the tank to the filter hense the problem. I ended up putting a drop light right under the bottom of the tank where the fuel line leaves to thaw it out. Once I had fuel to the filter and did the bleeding process it started right up.