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