warming up in the garage and fumes question

[4570Man]

You did not mention if the garage was heated - if it is obviously less time needed for warm up, I start mine, lift the blower 900lbs and move it outside at idle - then raise to 1000RPM for a couple of minutes then to 1500 or 1600 for four or five minutes - my garage is heated so it's halfway there anyway, if it is snowing or raining I take my exhaust hose hook to exhaust open the door a little stick it outside and let it run inside - (haven't got around to the cutting the exhaust port in the door yet) - but it works just as well laying on the ground, I set it so it does not blow back in - exhaust hose is not that expensive they have worked well in commercial garages for years and will do so for you as well.....

I’d assume not. Otherwise skip the warmup and get to work.

 

[John0829]

I do not let mine sit to warm, waste of fuel. I start the engine and let it have about a minute to fully circulate the oil then start moving while slowly raising and lowering the hydraulics with no load at first. Then after another minute or two start doing what I need the tractor for. As has been stated it can idle all day and the hydraulics will not warm up. Working it warms the oil up faster, just go easy for the first few minutes then get after it, if the oil has not circulated to all the moving parts within that amount of time there are other problems to worry about.

 

[Deepdrop]

I thought that replies automatically were emailed. I didn't realize there were so many replies. I'll have to be sure to check the "email replies" box next time. It seems there are a variety of approaches but nobody is really adamant about warming it up before moving. I didn't even think about the fact that hydraulics aren't warmed up at all but I guess a warm engine can handle the hydraulic pumping better.
I had been lifting the ballast box fast-apparently not a great idea. I guess I kind if thought if I made it happen fast, there wouldn't be a chance for anything bad to happen. I know, doesn't make any sense.
Also, I had no idea about hooking up an exhaust hose. Great idea. I think I'll do that, but also, I feel much much better about just starting it up and slowly moving it outside after gently raising the ballast box and front loader.
I really appreciate all the replies! Thank you very much.
Oh, also, I do have the ballast box sitting on a dolly I made, but I'd still have to lift it as the exit from the garage is bumpy, at least in winter from all the ice on the ground,
The garage isn't heated. It gets some passive heat from ducts going through the garage, so it doesn't get as cold as the outside, but not as warm as the house.
I agree that a shed would be nice. Maybe next year? And if I every buy a house again there will NOT NOT NOT be living space above the garage for so many reasons.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Regarding fumes.......This time of year you hear all kinds of warnings about combustion and exhaust inside your house. Occasionally hear about deaths caused by fumes.

I have used kerosene heaters in the house with the windows closed etc etc. So far, so good.

Does kerosene not put out as many or as dangerous fumes as the various heaters we are warned against?

 

[MossRoad]

Regarding fumes.......This time of year you hear all kinds of warnings about combustion and exhaust inside your house. Occasionally hear about deaths caused by fumes.

I have used kerosene heaters in the house with the windows closed etc etc. So far, so good.

Does kerosene not put out as many or as dangerous fumes as the various heaters we are warned against?

You should never operate a kerosene heater in a closed room.

 

[fried1765]

You should never operate a kerosene heater in a closed room.

ABSOLUTELY TRUE!

 

[Bavarian]

Buy a bigger tractor and leave it outside. Big enough to even find it after the worst storm.
Just saying. Somebody has to spend your money on TBN.
The exhaust hose is a good suggestion and backing it out for warmup won't do any damage either.

 

[Frankenkubota]

ABSOLUTELY TRUE!

Wow. No clue. I figured there must be combustion gasses but people burn them inside around here all day every day. I suppose people die from CO2 all day and every day too!

Everybody n this area is out of kerosene!

Thx, i'm glad i asked!

 

[MossRoad]

Wow. No clue. I figured there must be combustion gasses but people burn them inside around here all day every day. I suppose people die from CO2 all day and every day too!

Everybody n this area is out of kerosene!

Thx, i'm glad i asked!

Some good reading

https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/kerosene.pdf

 

[LD48750]

O.T. but is CO2 lighter or heavier then air?

Would vents along the floor or near the ceiling better protect from CO2?

 

[LouNY]

I like the exhaust hose idea.
As far as not warming up the hydraulics, incorrect.
You might not feel any warmth but if you put a temperature probe monitoring the hydraulic temperature you would see that it has risen.
It will not warm up as much as the engine coolant but it will warm a bit.
To my knowledge all the scut cut and most of the smaller ag tractors are live open center hydraulics,
that means that as soon as the engine turns over so does the hydraulic pump the simple effort of pumping that oil will warm it some.
Also when I warm up my power shuttle (for my comfort) I usually release the parking brake ground the bucket and or implement,
place my range gear box in neutral the main transmission in 4th and engage the power shuttle fwd or rev so that all that is turning and churning the oil.
Have to release the parking brake on mine or the shuttle will not engage, the PUMA and NH will engage with the parking brake on.
The JD's with the closed center hydraulics will warmup even more.
Also I cover my grill openings, even roading the tractor with a load it does not over heat when the ambient is below 35F.

 

[fried1765]

Wow. No clue. I figured there must be combustion gasses but people burn them inside around here all day every day. I suppose people die from CO2 all day and every day too!

Everybody n this area is out of kerosene!

Thx, i'm glad i asked!

If you research kerosene heater asphyxiation you will find the supporting data.

 

[pokey1416]

Place a cheap box fan behind tractor on exhaust side and blow fumes out the opened overhead door. Turn off when done or put on a digital timer to run for 30 minutes and then shutoff.

 

[oosik]

No tractors but normal highway vehicles. Those few times when I wanted to warm the vehicle up in the garage. Open the big main door - open the back "person door" on the back wall of the garage. Air flow thru the garage kept hazardous fumes down at a safe level. If you want more - put a portable fan at the "person door" and direct the flow out the door.

 

[bigtiller]

I back the tractor into the garage and leave the front about a foot away from the door. This way, most of the exhaust goes straight out the opened door when starting the engine. My garage is heated to 42 degrees so warm-up is just the few seconds it takes to get outside, followed by low RPMs and slow moves for a few minutes.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

I operate stuff ever so slowly after just having started cold all the time. Lowest gear, slowest possible speed, the slightest touch on hydraulic levers. You know, common sense approach.

Same here.

Although I'm wondering if I should change my approach with the new tractor (JD 4066R). JD says start and warm up at half throttle before use.

 

[Diggin It]

O.T. but is CO2 lighter or heavier then air?

Would vents along the floor or near the ceiling better protect from CO2?

We're talking CO, not CO2.

CO is about the same weight as air and will mix easily. It does not readily settle or rise. You need something that will blow it away, or suck it to evacuate it.

 

[4570Man]

And if I every buy a house again there will NOT NOT NOT be living space above the garage for so many reasons.

What are the many reasons? I have a house like that and it’s never once been a problem. The garage is fully drywall covered and the living space above is fully drywall covered. There’s no order leakage. The door into the house is the source of any odor leaks and it’s an exterior grade weather stripped door. You’d be better off with a detached garage to put equipment in. A detached garage unless you have an unsightly covered walk has the obvious downside of you can’t give into the house without getting wet in the rain.

 

[Deepdrop]

OK, maybe I exaggerated, but in theory, I don't like the idea of having fumes from the garage enter the house from below. I'm sure that some houses have the garage sealed off better, but it makes me uncomfortable to run engines in the garage with our kitchen above. I've read that carbon monoxide molecules can pass through drywall.
I also believe that the garage is one of the areas where fires are more likely to start, and having living space above it feels somewhat risky.
The garage is cold, and this causes the living space floor above the garage to be really cold. This is probably my biggest objection. I'll bet that newer homes have better insulation, but ultimately, the garage is cold and the room above it is affected by this.
Finally, my knees are begging me for a one level home. I don't want to have to walk up and down to the garage.

 

[4570Man]

The easy solution is to install a carbon monoxide detector and don’t run engines in the garage for longer than required for parking. An attached garage still has pretty much the same carbon monoxide and fire risk anyway rather there’s space directly above it or not.