New L3400

[ABE56]

Thanks to all the info and threads I 've read here I went out and purchased a L3400 w/ FEL and wood 80X backhoe. Been at it a whole 10 hrs already. Need your input to see if I am doing things right or not:
Warm up the tractor for bout 15 minutes after I do my visual checks. ( one cigarette)
I find I have to really beef up the rpm's to lift heavy boulders or trees (approx 3000) Is this normal
While using the backhoe I keep the rpm's around 2200-2500 and get good results. Not alot of jerking motion at this speed.
Is it normal to use the manual glow plug switch? When I turn the key to the right the glow switch doesn't come on at all. Is this normal?
I'm still learning, best training is seat time. Thanks for all the great info I 've received here

 

[wvmapler]

I have an L3400 and congrats on the purchase and I love mine. 12.5 months later, mine only has 22 hours on it as I don't use it a lot, mainly just for making maple syrup and cutting and hauling the wood in during the summer. As far as the glow plug, turn the key to the left and hold it for 10 seconds. Only need to if it is cold or if you haven't ran the tractor for a couple of weeks in my opinion. Definitely important if it is cold. Get some additive to boost cetetane and keep the fuel from gelling up in the winter time. Bottle is only a few bucks at Walmart or somewhere like that and I use it year round and a bottle will treat 50 to 100 gallon of fuel, depending on how you mix it.

Be careful about running the RPM's that high during the first 50 hours. I don't think they are supposed to go over 2500 as the first 50 hours is the breakin and engine conditioning period.

 

[wushaw]

If your trying to lift 3000lbs with your loader then your about 2000lbs over its rated capacity.
I usuall run my glowplugs @3sec then start but I live in Texas so we don't have the cold climates like y'all in the north.