Starting a tractor in extreme cold temperatures

[check]

same on my end.... I blew snow today... awoke at sunrise at -34c with -46 windchill.... I know many think windchill doesn't matter but when blowing snow on an open station I argue it sure does.

in a pole barn I keep my L3301 with bonnet up to keep mice away. Fuel is always fresh for winter to make sure there is no gelling although I do give it a small squirt of PS winter just in case.

close the bonnet, gave her 2 1/2 hours on the block heater, 2 cycles of glow plug, throttle up to 1/4, and she fires up first go. 30 minute warm-up.

so I guess I am spoiled as well. I wouldn't trade my block heater either. Cheap, easy to use, costs almost nothing to operate, and has never let me down.

Highly recommend block heaters over silicone pads, BBQ's/hibachis , magnetic heaters, in hose/inline heaters, etc... as I have also used them all over the years with best success with block heaters..

I would like to try my used oil heater blowing through a flex hose under a tractor covered with tarp... I think that would work as well as the block heaters if they should ever lets me down.

Been there done that. Close to -40°C. Kubota BX25 was plugged in to the block heater, and it fired right up!

 

[nknelsen]

If you're really uptown, you'd have it on a timer. Then when you went out you could start doing something, instead of waiting!

And if you were Really Really uptown, you'd have WiFi in your ManCave/Barn and you'd be able to turn your block heater on using a smartphone a few hours before heading out.