Warming up the Tractor Before Use??

Kubota 2350 · Nov 10, 2010

It's getting that time of year again for the cold weather. This question is for my JD4310 Ehydro.

Do any of you guy's use one of those magnetic heaters on the rear axle on their tractors to pre heat the hydro oil?

Last year I could run the tractor for an hour before you could feel any heat from the axle where the oil is.
I let the tractor warm up for 5-10 minutes before working it,

Does cold hydro oil damage anything?

PILOON · Nov 10, 2010

I'd suspect that the rear axel housing is aluminun and therefore magnet heater would not work. Could be wrong but have noticed that a lot of those transaxels are.
On the other hand do we ever heat our auto differentials?
Think that is your answer.

Suggest slow movement for the first mins of operation would be the order of the day, besides hydro is a hydraulic pumping situation and just normal operation will have oil circulating and that in itself will warm up the fluids.

I'd say not to worry otherwise tha factory would have provisions fo preheat and or options for such.

bp fick · Nov 10, 2010

Agreed. Difficult to use magnetic heater on trans.

Best one can do is:

1. Use a block heater on engine.
2. Use proper 5w-40 or 10w-30 oil.
3. Warm up engine and then putter about, moving slowly, but engaging the hydro/trans systems. Get the juices moving gently and slowly, but get them moving. They'll warm faster by using them. Sitting in place, doing nothing, takes far too long.
4. Use a very low vis fluid in hydro. Worth the extra bucks for SUDT for Kubota or Low-Vis for Deere equivalent when it is zero F outside.

Kubota 2350 · Nov 10, 2010

The center part of the axle is steel so a magnet will stick to it.
Tractor just seems to make a lot of noise when it's cold, and I just don't want to wreck anything.
Like I said I do let it warm for 5-10 minutes before using it, hopefully that's enough.

I do use the HI-Gard low Viscosity oil, from JD

KPark · Nov 10, 2010

With an open-center hydraulic system you shouldn't have to do anything to get the fluids moving. They move all the time. Fluids warm up quicker when under load due to energy transfer, but I agree with the 5 to 10 minute "let 'er get used to running" rule before doing anything strenuous.

Kubota 2350 · Nov 10, 2010

Thanks for the help guy's, just don't want to damage my baby.
Cost too much money to fix or replace.

firefighter9208 · Nov 10, 2010

I don't think that the heat will even transfer through the differential in 5-10 minutes, let alone warm the fluid.

I have a 99 F250 with a block heater (in the anitfreeze) and it takes 3 or more hours for the water to heat to warm. And this is with a 1500 watt heater.

Chris

Kubota 2350 · Nov 10, 2010

firefighter9208 said:
I don't think that the heat will even transfer through the differential in 5-10 minutes, let alone warm the fluid.

I have a 99 F250 with a block heater (in the anitfreeze) and it takes 3 or more hours for the water to heat to warm. And this is with a 1500 watt heater.

Chris

So do you think I should let it warm up longer?
I don't worry about the engine as much as the hydro system for the drive.
Wonder if cold oil will even hurt it?

firefighter9208 · Nov 10, 2010

What does it say in your book???

My Kubota M4800 says to set the throttle to 1/2 before cranking in cold weather and to let the tractor warm up before operating (paraphrasing here).

If I do this the temperature hand will come up within 2 minutes and everything works well. If I don't there's a lot of moaning and groaning from the tractor.

I usually slightly move the throttle lever, pre-heat the glow plugs, and crank the tractor. I then set it to idle at about 1200 rpm.

Works well for me, but it doesn't get that cold here in Alabama.

I would think that it would take several hours for a magnetic heater to heat the fluid through the transmission case. A lot depends on the wattage of the heater.
Chris