Starting your tractor in the winter.

[TomSeller]

My Kubota idles at a higher rpm when throttled own and the engine is cold. After warming up it idles at a lower rpm when throttled down. So I think they have taken care of some of his concern on some models.

 

[gered121]

You're to far south for that to be an issue. Further north you have the option to get #1 or #2 Diesel. If you're worried about gelling your fuel or adding lubricity, I would recommend a good fuel treat...I like Howes Fuel Treat, but each to his own.
Abe.

 

[corey9212]

I had issues starting my tractor not long ago and gave my service department a call and he said to put the throttle 1/4 open, heat the glow plugs for 30 seconds and crank it. When started establish 1200 rpm throttle then turn on PTO and put loader into float (this cycles the hydraulic fluid through everything and warms it up fast) then go have coffee for half hour and I'm good to go. This was at -30C (about -24F)

 

[SGBotsford]

Condensation: Problem is when cold tractor hits warm air.

Condensation is usually a problem when storage temps fluctuate rapidly. E.g. an uninsulated, but fairly airtight barn. In the day it gets warm, at night it cools off.

The air in the fuel tank expands in as it gets warm, contracts as it gets cold.

The temp of the tractor lags behind the temp of the building. So:

Building warms up. Building air picks up moisture from floor, wood, slush tracked in. Tractor warms up. Air in tank expands.

Building cools down. Slightly humid air, approaches it's dew point. Tractor cools down. Air in fuel tank contracts. Sucks humid room air into fuel tank. Moisture condenses out of air in fuel tank.


This also applies to any other vented tank.

This is why you have a water filter in the fuel system, and why you may add water dispersents.

Keeping the fuel tank close to full reduces the amount of air cycled on each temperature cycle.

Keeping the tractor at a close to constant temperature reduces the amount of air cycled in each cycle.

Running the tractor long enough to cook the water out of the inside reduces the time that water can act to create corrosion problems.

***

I run synthetic oil. This makes the tractor much easier to start. My beast is a deutz 6250 with an air cooled 3 cylinder engine. At idle, even in summer, the temperature gauge doesn't move off the bottom pin. Indeed only mowing heavy grass (like 2-3 feet tall brome grass) or dragging a 3 share plough will get the temp gauge to the halfway point.

I have a peel and stick 400 watt heater on the oil sump, and an old sleeping bag that fits over the engine compartment. Engine starts below freezing get 2-3 hours of warmup first. 0 F is the bottom end. Below that the operator (me) freezes too fast, and the hydraulics are stiff and sluggish. I also have the battery on one of these 'maintainance' trickle chargers.

Mine you in winter the onlly reason to start the tractor is for snow clearing, and to redo the ski trails. These jobs take about an hour each.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Warming my tractor in winter months is usually not my problem. My hydraulics are my issue. My tractor starts and runs fine but my hydraulic pump will squeal if it has not had a chance to warm up or cycle warm fluid through it for a time. I usually have to go very slow for the first ten minutes or longer. I have found a magnetic heater that works somewhat well but being the pump is aluminum can only get it so close. I do have a new tractor this year. Any suggestions on how to help heat the hydraulics? I don't want any problems.

I posted this further up the page so pardon the repeat. My JD manual (5045E) says to turn the steering all the way to lock so that the relief valve opens and hold it their for no more then three minutes to let the power steering pump circulate all the fluid through the pump and relif valve which will warm up the fluid. That's easy to do and gives the engine a couple more minutes at high idle to warm through all the parts. You can also work your loader up and down to give the pump more to do under light load and swapping the cold fluid in the pistons and lines for fresh & warm from the pump.

 

[buickanddeere]

I had issues starting my tractor not long ago and gave my service department a call and he said to put the throttle 1/4 open, heat the glow plugs for 30 seconds and crank it. When started establish 1200 rpm throttle then turn on PTO and put loader into float (this cycles the hydraulic fluid through everything and warms it up fast) then go have coffee for half hour and I'm good to go. This was at -30C (about -24F)

Makes a whole lot more sense to plug in the block heater instead.

 

[RoyJackson]

So once you start your tractor in cold weather it is okay to increase the idle up right after to the range you suggested. I let it run 10 mins or so on lowest idle then increase rpms up where you suggested for another while so it can warm up.

As soon as the oil light goes out (normally within 3-5 seconds), I increase the RPM to 1500.
Now, my tractor is normally parked in an unheated garage. Depending on the ambient temperature, I use the block heater. If it's been left outside (an occasional thing) and the temperature is in the low 30's, I always use the block heater for an hour or so before starting. The oil light might take a few more seconds to go out, that's all.

 

[greatbargins10]

I posted this further up the page so pardon the repeat. My JD manual (5045E) says to turn the steering all the way to lock so that the relief valve opens and hold it their for no more then three minutes to let the power steering pump circulate all the fluid through the pump and relif valve which will warm up the fluid. That's easy to do and gives the engine a couple more minutes at high idle to warm through all the parts. You can also work your loader up and down to give the pump more to do under light load and swapping the cold fluid in the pistons and lines for fresh & warm from the pump.

My kubota B3200 is hydrostatic so it warms up the fluid pretty quick. Cycling the loader valve several times is a good idea before you put a load on it. Don't do it at high RPM I've seen problems with Hydraulic systems at work because water in the system can freeze & lock valves ect & cause a hose to blow. Synthetic fluids also help because they maintain their flow properties/viscosity better in cold temperatures than conventional fluids. I would still change fluids according to MFR recommendations even if using a synthetic. Hydraulic fluid has a long life anyway.

 

[Jerry/MT]

You want the temperature just below freeing to avoid condensation.

Condensation in fuel tanks is paratically unavaoidable. Ambient pressure and temperature vary throughout the day and tractor tanks are generally vented to the atmosphere. They literally pump moist air in and out as the ambient pressure rises and falls.
However, condensation can be minimized by keeping the tank relatively full to minimize the surface area where condensation can form.

 

[corey9212]

Makes a whole lot more sense to plug in the block heater instead.

My block heater is plugged in a thermostat controlled outlet (turns on when it hits 0) so for the last month it has been on steady and it was still a struggle to start, that's why I made the call.