Starting your tractor in the winter.

Rod in Forfar · Dec 17, 2013

Ilovemytractor said:
I saw this comment on another website and was wondering if it is true with all tractors.
Let it Idle
In cold weather, after your tractor has started, let it stand and run for a good 20 minutes. Adjust the idle up to around 1500-1700 RPM and just let it sit. The reason we do this is so that the heat of the engine dissapates into the transmission, transfer case and gear drives of the tractor. If we went to work right away, the gear oil is so thick that the hydraulics will not work and shifting gears is problematic.s when in cold weather.

On a recent cold day in Eastern Ontario I plugged in two tractors, a Kubota B7510 and a TAFE 351, using my new Kill-A-Watt to record the current consumed. 1 kw hour on the meter heated and started the two tractors. That can't be much over $.25, if that. Diesel has to cost more than that if used to warm up engines through idling.

(This morning was very cold, below -30C. I was happy for the 5W20 synthetic oil in my car when it started, first try.)

TomSeller · Dec 17, 2013

Ether button on the tractor. I saw this on YouTube. My JDs don't have this "feature"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQsFTAHGCOY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Gale Hawkins · Dec 17, 2013

Rod in Forfar the block heaters save more than just a lot of money. They save a diesel engine a lot of stress. Our Zero Start lower radiator block heater should be heater should be here today or tomorrow for the JD backhoe and the 1976 265 MF came with one in the block. If I will plug it in for a few hours on an iced over day it starts like it was a 90F day.

Geared tractors will warm up faster (as does cars and trucks). I know BMW states not to let them warm up start moving when the engine starts.

I wonder if one has a tractor that needs to run at 1700 RPM if started may not have the wrong fluids in it. If one is going for a roll of hay I say start moving at some slow speed at once unless the manual states the tractor design is not for cold weather usage. I agree a cold diesel should not be put under more than 50% for a few minutes.

If one will can use electric block heaters then they never have a cold diesel start in the winter.