Winter's Coming

[kubmech]

Winter\'s Coming

Just some friendly reminders.....................

Change the battery in your smoke detectors

Cycle all your water shutoff valves (household)

Bring in the garden hose

Check your coolant strength and condition

Check your snow equipment for proper operation and condition
(avoid the rush)

Block your clutches to the disengaged position

Remove your tractor battery/bring it in to keep warm

Check coolant stength and condition

Remove mower deck covers and clean out grass and leaf build up (holds moisture/ wrecks bearings and corrodes deck)

Check for mouse nests in your air cleaners/ They also love the cooling fins under the shrouds of your small air cooled engines.

If your GST shifter is hard to shift or your cable operated loader control is hard to move DON"T FORCE IT hit 'em with the hair dryer.

Check your fuel filter bowls for water

Drain the fuel bowls on your small engine carberators to check for water

How long has that gas been in your snow blower

Don't lick any light poles


Did I mention, check your coolant level and condition?

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Happy Fall /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Boondox]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

"Remove your tractor battery/bring it in to keep warm!!!" Hard to start the tractor for snowplowing without the battery!

Pete in the Great Frozen North!



www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[frank_f15]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

kubmech: totally agreee with MOST of your sugestions, but block clutches? and remove battery? up here we need the tractor almost as much as we do in summer. its called snow. and we sure do get a lot!/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[SteveV]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

I have to agree, this is the busiest time of the year. What with garden cleanup, firewood, leaves, landscape projects not to mention digging the counterweight out of the brush where it has sat waiting for the mower to be removed. As far as the battery goes, the garage is warm and the wife's car starts pretty good in the cold. She complains a lot about scraping the windshield though. SteveV

 

[Harv]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

I guess it's a regional thing. Out here, the list is more like:

Make sure all the lawn chairs are under the awning.

Turn off the air conditioner.

Air out your long-sleeved shirts.

Watch out for water spots on your fenders.

Consider using hot drinks in your Chalkley Cup. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[emery]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Thanks for the reminders.
I will be using my B9200 this year for snowblowing duties and would like advice on adding 'block heater'. Are there different types? How do I know if my tractor can accept one?

 

[kubmech]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Yes, there is a block heater available in a kit for your tractor, don't know the number off hand but your dealer can help you out.

 

[RPM]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Handy list kubmech - thanks.

One suggestion - how about fuel stabilizer to throw in the tank for the diesel and gas engines?

 

[kubmech]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

I thought about posting about stabilizer but have heard mixed results. I don't have any personal experience as I use the drain it and run it out of gas method with my stuff and have'nt had a problem. I have yet to see bad diesel as far as sitting over winter, except of course summer fuel gelling up over winter but that's a whole other can of worms...

 

[njrqs]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Well, sort of in Harv's line of thought here, except we lucky Aussies get it the other way now !!

Clean pool, swim in pool, Turn on A/C, mow grass, swimin pool, mow grass, swim in pool and so it goes !!

Bring on the 40 degrees !!

<font color=blue>Neil from OZ.</font color=blue>

 

[JATO_RaT]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

I don't get it, whats this about hoses and cycling water valves and take off the mower, heck, I don't mow much in January and February but come March we start right back up, I'm begining to think you don't live in California.
Just kidding, I know you folks back East have plenty to prepare for, hope your winters what you like it to be. Here in Northern California we get some hard rain, rarely does it ever dip below 32 degs. unless I go about 80 miles east to Tahoe, then we get about a season total of 200" to 300" of snow fall. Rat...

 

[JATO_RaT]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Air conditioners, Harv, in the Bay area, you must be one of the few. I always get a good laugh when the Bay area gets into the 90's and we hear about the poor folks without AC that can't handle the extreme heat. Living in the near the Valley makes those low 90's most pleasant. Rat...

 

[Harv]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Not to bore the rest of the readership, Rat, but we're probably talking about the variety of micro-climates here in the Bay Area. Although considered part of the East Bay, Walnut Creek (where I live) is on the inland side of the hills, east of the Caldecott Tunnel. During the summer, the temperature difference from one side of the tunnel to the other is as much as 20 degrees. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif Walnut Creek temps are much like Sacramento, hitting a high of about 110 this last season.

The air conditioner remark was a bit tongue-in-cheek, I admit, but only because we were not supposed to use them due to the energy shortage. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Egon]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Emery:
There are in line heaters that fit into the bottom cooling line from the radiator. They cost around $35.00 Canadian and come in different wattage and diameters. Easily installed as even I could put one in. They work very well and will also heat the HST oil.
Egon

 

[MikePA]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Some of us that don't use a lot of fuel might have some summer blend sitting in cans, the tractor or both. Any recommendations to keep the fuel from gelling?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

<font color=blue>...Any recommendations to keep the fuel from gelling?...</font color=blue>

Run 50/50 mix in the winter... half diesel, half kerosene... have never seen it gel with that mix.

You can also use kerosene to "freshen" up "stale" diesel fuel that's been sitting a few months... you can save your money on some unnecessary additives...

 

[MikePA]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Does kerosene 'go bad'/get stale? I have some sitting in cans for emergency use with my kerosene heater that I haven't used for a long time.

 

[JATO_RaT]

Re: Winter\'s Coming

Ahh yes Harv, I forgot, you are in Walnut Creek. I worked at the Buchanan fields golf course once. I must have been thinking about GlueGuy when I read your post. Thanks for clearing up my confusion. I have relatives in the Walnut Creek area