PT-425 Cold Start Tips?

BigDaddyEureka · Dec 31, 2021

Well it looks like the weather is going to go to poop....4-8" of snow...-10F with wind chill. Fuel is topped off and fresh, blade is on, bucket is readily available, salt spreader is available if snow turns out to be ice.

A couple of days ago when it was ~20F the Kohler CH750 in my PT-425 was cantankerous to get started. Not terrible - I've certainly worked with worse - but it was a fiddly process.

Anyone got any tips on cold starting?

SpringHollow · Dec 31, 2021

Fully charged battery certainly helps. Magnetic heaters etc help too especially if you can cover the oil tank or tractor.

ponytug · Dec 31, 2021

On a 425, anything that you can do to warm the oil up helps. Getting the engine warm first doesn't hurt either. Ditto the battery. Cold hydraulic oil with a cold engine with a cold battery is just hard, or even downright cantankerous.

In terms of what you could do now? Bring the battery inside, or park the whole tractor in a heated garage, or perhaps put a light bulb under the hydraulic tank to warm it. I think if you browse some of the other threads here, you will find folks have used a variety of ways to warm it up, like torpedo heaters and blankets. Just bear in mind gasoline vapor are highly flammable, so you want solutions that are warm, not hot.

All the best,

Peter

MossRoad · Jan 1, 2022

What engine is in it?

m5040 · Jan 1, 2022

"Anyone got any tips on cold starting?" My tip is DON'T. But you didn't say where you are from or how you store the tractor. If I need my tractor at or below 20F, I preheat for 24hrs with 100watt light bulb at a low point in the engine compartment and cover with hood down as far as possible with blankets. Never had a problem. If you have a magnetic heater, put it on the hyd tank under the hood if you have room, that way it gets both areas. Good luck and have fun (after a 5 min warm up)

BigDaddyEureka · Jan 1, 2022

MossRoad said:
What engine is in it?

CH-750 Kohler gasser

BigDaddyEureka · Jan 1, 2022

FWIW It's in an enclosed lean to attached to my barn (lean to with doors I built in the fall to keep things a little more protected).

Eureka, IL is about halfway between Peoria and Bloomington IL. So far we're on the "snow" side of the ice / snow line, and I'm 100% good with that!

Good tips on the preheating whenever possible. Moving that slush earlier in the week got the battery topped off, so we're good there. Here's hoping for the best!

MossRoad · Jan 1, 2022

I've started my 2001 PT425 with the Kohler CH25 down to -5F. Full choke, no throttle, start cranking and slowly increase the throttle till it starts coughing. Back the choke off a bit as needed. If that doesn't work, a quick, short shot of starting fluid in the open carb (removed the air cleaner) and try again. No throttle. I've never failed to start it.

BigDaddyEureka · Jan 2, 2022

Had a similar experience this morning @MossRoad. 13F ambient / -3F with the wind. Choke to the max, crank and feed throttle...kicks over, quickly start backing off the throttle and choke and settled into a cold idle at maybe 10% choke / 20% throttle. Let it up for full minute and maybe a bit more and then go to work moving the snow!

One thing I wasn't expecting (but probably should have) is that the tram circuit warms up faster than the steering circuit. Got things moving ok but then went to steer and felt like "what happened to my power steering?!" All good after a few minutes of use.

MossRoad · Jan 2, 2022

BigDaddyEureka said:
Had a similar experience this morning @MossRoad. 13F ambient / -3F with the wind. Choke to the max, crank and feed throttle...kicks over, quickly start backing off the throttle and choke and settled into a cold idle at maybe 10% choke / 20% throttle. Let it up for full minute and maybe a bit more and then go to work moving the snow!

One thing I wasn't expecting (but probably should have) is that the tram circuit warms up faster than the steering circuit. Got things moving ok but then went to steer and felt like "what happened to my power steering?!" All good after a few minutes of use.

Yep, that sounds like how mine acts under 20F. What I usually do is get it started and running around 30% throttle, then go shovel the steps and narrow walk. That takes about 10 minutes. When I come back, I move the FEL full up and down a couple times and give the wheel a few wiggles back and forth and off I go.

We had a whopping 1" of snow when I woke up this morning. I let it go.