Tractor idling

[Alan46]

Hi all,
I was wondering what is the norm for letting my Kioti 3 cylinder diesel idle between using and then doing some hand work, say for 5 to 10 minutes. Would you shut it down or let it idle? Thanks as always for the expert advice!

 

[tacticalturnip]

I'll idle my Kioti for 5 or so minutes at a time, occasionally longer. I've always been under the impression that a diesel would much rather idle than start and stop repeatedly.

 

[seville009]

Idling won’t hurt it; I’d let it idle.

 

[ptsg]

Depends on the mood most of the times. Some times I let it run, other times I shut it down. Other times I alternate. Let it idle 2 or 3 times in a row and shutdown the 4th time.

 

[scootr]

Normally I would say let it idle but with a regen system you are loading up the muffler with unburnt particles that will need to be burned off sooner or later by a regen cycle. So anymore than 5 min I would turn her off.

 

[ericm979]

I'll turn it off if it's going to be idling for more than a few minutes or I'm working with another person and need to communicate. It's a quiet tractor but you're still raising your voice to be heard. I'll turn it off if I smell exhaust fumes as I don't like diesel exhaust. Sometimes I'll turn it off just to have quiet.

I think that the idea of letting diesels idle because they're hard to start comes from the old days of gas pony engines instead of electric starters and big truck engines that were hard to fire up. Modern CUT diesels start easily.

 

[rScotty]

I'll turn it off if it's going to be idling for more than a few minutes or I'm working with another person and need to communicate. It's a quiet tractor but you're still raising your voice to be heard. I'll turn it off if I smell exhaust fumes as I don't like diesel exhaust. Sometimes I'll turn it off just to have quiet.

I think that the idea of letting diesels idle because they're hard to start comes from the old days of gas pony engines instead of electric starters and big truck engines that were hard to fire up. Modern CUT diesels start easily.

That's the same as I do. And for all the same reasons I often work it at idle or a fast idle....rarely at full chat unless on the road going somewhere.

 

[ruffdog]

If it is cold out and the tractor isn't really up to full temp, I would let it idle. Otherwise I would shut it off, especially in hot weather.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I dont idle a lot, but I’ll let it sit at 1800 RPM while doing other things.

 

[Beaver Cove Deere]

Not advisable. I was letting it warm up to full temp for snowblowing and not shutting it off doing other things.
Not anymore. Newer diesels don’t like it.