What does your tractor start like in cold weather?

[Chilly807]

First of all, I know the term "cold" is relative. There's cool, cold and downright chilly!!

There's been some discussion in other threads about the starting characteristics of some of the Kubota indirect injection engines, so I decided I'd start this thread so we can all see what people are talking about.

My '09 L3400 has always been what I consider to be a good starting diesel.

Here's a video of my L3400 this morning in my garage at 40* F. That's the garage temperature, it's heated enough to keep above freezing but that's about it..

Kubota L3400 cold start @ 40* F - YouTube

5 seconds of glow plugs and turn the key. You can actually hear the click when the glow plug relay energizes before the engine cranks. I notice a little more "whine" in the starter at colder temps, and a bit harder "fuel knock" but not much other than that. I moved it outside, I'll let it sit for 3-4 hours and do another start video later at colder temperature. It ran for maybe 2 minutes this morning, so it certainly won't still be warm later today! It's -15 C here this morning, cool weather for early January by our standards. I don't like doing cold starts any more than I have to, normally I'd plug the block heater in if it was sitting outside. Not that it won't start, but it's easier on everything starting a warm engine.

So, let's see what yours is like.. let the video cameras and smoke roll!!

Sean

 

[shadman]

In the Algonquin Highlands the temperature can regularly drop to -20 or colder. I have a L3400 also and it is kept in a container. Without a block heater on for a minimum of an hour the tractor does not like starting in that temperature. With an hour or so of heat it will start relatively easily with 10 seconds or more of glow plug heat. Then it at least 20 minutes of warm up to prevent damage to tranny (HST). If it warms up properly the HST whine is pretty close to normal, but if you move it too soon it will tell you it's not ready. Amazing machine for its size and if you listen to what it's telling you I find we get along well.

Happy New Year to all TBNer's,

 

[Scooby074]

Kubotas are generally easy starters.

I started my ZD, ice cold. Sitting outside for weeks in the early december cold. Probably -10 or so. Glowed the plugs a couple times and it started second crank.

At our current temps -20C this morning, I would use my block heater. I probably would now at -12 too. Up to say -5, although it will start OK down to -15 or even less, it is a bit easier on the engine to have it a little bit warmed.

My equipment lives outside.

 

[wmonroe]

I posted this video in the other thread but it's probably more appropriate here. I keep it in an up insulated pole building and it was about 16*F when I took this video. It smokes and runs rough for a few seconds but it always fires on the first couple revolutions so I'm not concerned. I think if the timing was bumped up it would start like Sean's 3400. It is supposed to be colder here on Friday, down around 0*F, so I'll do another video then. Once it's below about 40* out it starts the same and down to about 11 it has not been any harder to start so if I can start it at 0* and it is the same as the video below then I'm happy.

http://youtu.be/r2r-_gNYvLw

 

[wmonroe]

Another thing that plays a big role in cold starting is what oil the engine has in it. I run 15w-40 dino oil, so I would expect it to start harder than the same machine with 5w-40 synthetic.

 

[TripleR]

My 5740 looks just like the video by wmonroe. Mine stays in an unheated barn; always starts, just smokes and stumbles.

 

[corl]

I have a block heater for my 25 year old Kubota F2100 and it starts just like summertime as cold as it gets around here (down into the single digits and on occasion below 0 F). If I am going to use it I plug it in the day before and it starts without smoke instantly. I love my block heater. Use the Kubota mostly to plow snow in the winter. Haven't done a winter yet with the MX5100HST. It does not have a block heater but has started easily at 20 F.

 

[rmk700]

I was curious if my L35 would start when it hit -17 F and after the glow plug light went off she fired right up.

 

[Chilly807]

I got a second video of the L3400, this time at 10* F, which is about -12* C. I used the glow plugs for 10 seconds this time, got one puff of smoke on initial start, then some water vapour at about the 45 second mark as the exhaust heated up.

Kubota L3400 cold start @ 10* F (-12* C) - YouTube

I think with later injection timing a lot of the heat of compression has gone from the cylinder by the time the fuel gets there, so you get incomplete combustion and missing until the cylinder heats up.

Sean

 

[Thomas]

20F plug in block heater for an hour or longer depend how low mercy,15 second + glow plug warm up than crack throttle little bit she starts right up everytime.
About min. increase throttle 15 min warm that exercise front loader also 3pt hitch...I always leave HST in neutral and pedal engage.