4340c and the cold weather

[WEJ]

Well, winter has hit here in western Maryland. We had a about a foot of snow this past week. I had a great time blowing it away in my warm comfy cab!!! Then the next day the temperature went into the teens.... I started the tractor and it run for about 20 sec. making a terrible racket and died... for the next two days the temps were in the teens and my tractor would not start. Today it got back in the 30's and it started. Soooo, it looks like I need some kind of heater to keep my Montana warm. I was wondering if anyone was using any of the magnetic type. If so, where is the best place to place them and how well do they work? Or, do I need a fuel additive? or both!! My tractor does sit outside, I have no garage.... and soon the temps are going to go below freezing and stay there for a couple of months!!!

WEJ

 

[jmfox]

Check you engine oil specs and put in the lowest digit viscosity oil recommended for your tractor. I like synthetic oil.

jmf

 

[Maka]

Use a fuel additive so the fuel does not gel and you can use a magnetic block heater as well as a lower radiator heater.

Thanks,
Maka

 

[citytransplant]

Come winter I use Rotella 5W40 synthetic, a dose of Power Service mixed in with fuel, and a magnetic heater slapped up under her belly and she fires up first time, every time.

 

[WEJ]

Just a quick follow-up to the begining of this tread.... I must have had some fuel that did not have enough additive in it when I first posted. I have been adding some anti-gel to the fuel now and the tractor starts right up!!! NO Problem!!

As far as I am concerned Montanas are SUPER!! I love getting out in the snow and playing with mine...... So let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!!

 

[biggerten]

As far as I am concerned Montanas are SUPER!! I love getting out in the snow and playing with mine...... So let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!!!

Caution is warranted here, your wife may read these comments and discover you actually like the snow clearing task.

It then moves from the column "Work" to the column "Play". FFLF (Female Fun Limiting Factor) rules will then apply.

In short, some things guys with tractors just understand and are better left unsaid. I want to be able to come in from snowplowing, drop into my easy chair exhausted, have her fix my lunch and bring it to me while I watch football. I don't want that messed up.

 

[32Ford]

Come winter I use Rotella 5W40 synthetic, a dose of Power Service mixed in with fuel, and a magnetic heater slapped up under her belly and she fires up first time, every time.

When you say under her belly, are you talking about the transmission housing or the engine oil pan. I have a Farmtrac 300DTC and it has started fine so for this winter but we have not had zero weather yet. If I have starting issues when it gets below zero I think I will go with a magnetic heater also. Just curious if it would be better under the transmission or the engine.
Thanks

 

[Montana Green]

Just thought I would let you know , I purchased a 4940 this fall and it came with a factory circulating coolant heater. I live in Alberta Canada and use it when it goes down to about -20 celcius.You may be able to ask one of your local dealers to get you one. Have fun in the snow(I know what you feel like).

Montana Green

 

[WEJ]

Caution is warranted here, your wife may read these comments and discover you actually like the snow clearing task.

It then moves from the column "Work" to the column "Play". FFLF (Female Fun Limiting Factor) rules will then apply.

In short, some things guys with tractors just understand and are better left unsaid. I want to be able to come in from snowplowing, drop into my easy chair exhausted, have her fix my lunch and bring it to me while I watch football. I don't want that messed up.

Hey, Not to worry...... There are no women here on this site........

 

[citytransplant]

When you say under her belly, are you talking about the transmission housing or the engine oil pan.

The magnetic heater kisses the engine oil pan for a few hours before I turn the key. I then let her sit running for 15 or more minutes to get the fluids warmed up and flowing nice.

 

[citytransplant]

It then moves from the column "Work" to the column "Play". FFLF (Female Fun Limiting Factor) rules will then apply.

Early in my tractorin' career, I made a significant mistake by breaking out into a huge grin while doing "work" on the tractor. It was then that I learned that a tractor should never be positioned such that a wife could observe head-on, the husband-tractor-operator's face. The attached photo shows what I found when I returned home from work the following day.

She ain't been the same gal since.

 

[bota7800]

This is not meant as a flyby Montana insult, it is a serious question. (I came to this forum because I am thinking of getting a cab tractor):

Is this kind of cold starting performance common with Montanas? We have had much colder temps here than "the teens " and my small tractor started up OK. I just had to heat the glowplugs for the max recommended of 15 seconds. The starter had to crank a few extra revolutions and there was more black smoke than usual.

 

[chzhead]

This is not meant as a flyby Montana insult, it is a serious question. (I came to this forum because I am thinking of getting a cab tractor):

Is this kind of cold starting performance common with Montanas? We have had much colder temps here than "the teens " and my small tractor started up OK. I just had to heat the glowplugs for the max recommended of 15 seconds. The starter had to crank a few extra revolutions and there was more black smoke than usual.

Here in the Missouri Ozarks, I have used my 4940 in the winter, when the temperature was as low as single digits and it started with no problem, provided i let the glow plugs warm up first. I do hve the fuel winterized though. if not, trying to start it would have been a different matter.

Its an open cab too, I just make sure I have on boots, gloves and coveralls and am good to go.... Compared to growing up in northern Wisconsin, working outside on a sunny 10 degree day is a piece of cake.

 

[Maka]

Hello Bota,

The problem is not the tractor. The fuel gelled it would appear in the original posters post. We were in the negatives last week and we have no problem starting the Montanas. Good luck to you.

Maka

 

[WEJ]

If you want to see how the Montana handles winter.... Just click on my video below!!!!


YouTube - Snowblowing and Four-Wheeling

 

[uphere]

I get minus 30 degrees (of course that's in that dam celius!) up here quite often and I have just plugged in the coolant heater, turned the glow plug for awhile and let her rip ... she (2740) complains a little but only for a few seconds (come to think of it, if the other girl would only complain that long I'd be doing well!).

I'm running 10W30 oil in her (actually IHC diesel oil) in the winter and it seems to work fine.

 

[Tul01]

We are in the middle of a pretty good deep freeze up here, the last couple nites it was down to -32C( about -40F I think) with winds in the 40 mph range. Both days I was up at 5:00am to snow blow the drifts. We have a recirculating coolant heater which I plug in when its this cold (with the wind chill the temps are below -50!) and our tractor 5740c starts like it was summer. The hydraulics complain for a bit but I let it warm up for a bout 1/2 hour (also lets the heater take the chill out of the cab). Within an hour of snowblowing I have to take my jacket/touque off in the cab as it is getting too warm. One thing I have found though is that even with the tractor warmed up, if you haven't used the hydraulics for 10-15minutes on the loader, you have to give it a good warm up through the range of motion before it speeds up because the oil gets so stiff sitting in it. I probably could look at switching to synthetic, but I don't know if that would be too thin in the summer? I don't have the facilities to be changing out 15 gallons of trans/hydraulic twice a year. What we have is working and I don't believe in fixing whats not broke!

 

[uphere]

I hear ya (in Ontario) ... but once they warm up they tend to do just fine - I agree the hydraulics are a little stiff (and this winter I've had my loader joystick freeze solid - fixed it thanks to advice from Maka) and it maybe the fluid. My IHC runs HyTran which works well in all weather - not sure I can use it in the Montana?

The only other problem I've had so far this winter was a antifreeze leak at my coolant heater - no big deal. I have been surprised as to how good the R4 tires (not loaded but with a rear blade on) have been given the amount of snow I've seen!

Even though I doubt they tested these tractors in minus 50 degree weather(at least not in Korea!) they get a good grade from me.

 

[chinawall]

You can get a magnetic KAT at Northern Tool. They're on the WEB.
Goood luck.