Hi Group,
New owner of a slightly used tractor here and Im looking for advice on what steps I should take for preparing my tractor for Winter Storage. This is my first tractor so I have some learning to do.
The Tractor is a 2008 JD 3520 with 400 hours. I live in Minnesota although the tractor was purchased in southern Indiana and shipped to me. The tractor will be stored on my hobby farm where I do have access to it but I dont have a need or plan to run the tractor in the winter unless it is a good practice.
Unfortunately here in Minnesota we are headed into fall and winter will be close behind so I need to prepare the tractor for storage over winter.
What steps should I take to get my tractor ready for storage? I have checked the antifreeze and thats good but what other steps should I take to store my tractor? The fuel tank is a quarter full so Im planning on filling the tank but would you recommend an additive? Do I need to do anything with Hydraulics?
My thoughts are that I would change the oil and transmission fluids next spring but I am open to recommendations.
Thanks for the help.
FB
Your manual will have the correct instructions in it for long-term storage. However, you might want to consider hauling your tractor to your house and using it to remove snow. It snows quite a bit up in Minnesota and I
really wished I had my current Massey 1030L with a bucket when I did a few year stint a dozen miles over on the South Dakota side of the border. A little MFWD tractor with a bucket sure beats the pants off a snowthrower, especially if it's a good-sized dump of heavy wet snow or if the city doesn't plow your street and the guys with the rusted-out 5-10 year old 3/4 ton "winter beater" diesel pickups with snowplows down your street forgot to plug in their block heaters and battery heaters and they don't start.
12 gauge for squirrels? Anything left?
An ounce of #6s or #7 1/2s from a 12 gauge is a very common squirrel load and works very well for that purpose. The small shot doesn't penetrate very far and doesn't damage much meat. Just don't shoot the squirrel from two feet away or use a grossly inappropriate load like buckshot or a slug and it will be fine. 12 and 20 gauge shotguns are amazingly versatile for hunting anything coyote-sized and smaller and I'd pick up one over any rifle for that task unless whatever it is I need to shoot is more than 50-60 yards away. Those of us who have "average" shooting skills do a ton better throwing 300-400 projectiles in a yard-wide pattern at a target instead of just one, especially if whatever pest you're trying to eradicate saw you and is now moving.
To the OP - JUST IN CASE you have to fire'er up during the winter keep some "emergency supplies".
Try to ensure you empty the fuel tank JUST before storage and then FILL it with winterized diesel. There's nothing like trying to start a diesel at 40 below when your fuel was meant for 50 above (10 Celsius). I KNOW. In Vermont I tried to keep a 5 gallon Kerosene can handy.
Get a jug of diesel 911
Might get a magnetic block heater. I've used one in an "emergency" with blankets on the oil pan. But I've also used an electric frying pan. It takes hours but it meant the difference between start or stay.
And record ALL serial numbers w/ pictures just in case of theft.
Supposed to be a COLD winter. I imagine it will even freeze (that's when water turns to ice) in Mississippi.
If you do change fluids use a light synthetic.
/edit - and put your tractor in where it says tractor under your Avatar!
Many diesel pumps in southeastern SD when I lived up there VERY prominently advertised when they got winterized diesel and how cold it was "good" down to. January #2 diesel was generally quoted to being good to -60 or -70 F or so. Lots of folks drove 3/4 ton or 1-ton diesel pickups and nobody wanted to have fuel gel up. (They didn't have that happen, they just had their batteries die on them due to the cold and the guy in the "wimpy 1/2 ton gasser truck with only one battery" jumped several of them when it was 40 below air temp with no trouble.) #1 diesel was widely available in many places year-round although you generally paid 50 cents more a gallon compared to #2, or otherwise speaking at least four bucks a gallon and at times more than $5.00/gallon. The few times I headed east on I-90 I didn't see anything different in Mee-nee-sooo-ta so I "betcha" if you get a fresh batch of diesel when you need it in the winter, it will be treated appropriately for the temps.
I haven't seen any mention of winter diesel or #1 diesel in my current locale about 550 miles south of Minnesota but with it rarely staying below freezing (let alone zero) during the day in the middle of winter I don't think diesel gelling will be an issue here. Red #2 diesel is widely available at the pump here and at a buck a gallon less than what any pump diesel cost "up nort," there are hills, trees, and no near-constant gale-force winds, and houses and land are cheap in comparison so I am happy. It's good to be back home :thumbsup:
