My Poor Battery, warm up period

   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #1  

ron45

Gold Member
Joined
May 12, 2012
Messages
259
Location
N.M.
Tractor
Kioti LK3054XS
Every time I have to start Kioti in below freezing temps I fret over the practice of heating oil with my battery. Ignorance is part of this. I don't know how much of a drain it is to keep that element glowing for 40 seconts or so. Sometimes it takes three attempts to get going. I was told this by the same guy discribed below. I feel like I need to let Kioti run for 10 or 15 minutes before moving it.

I was told this by a heavy equipment maintenance guy from the local county road yard. i.e. hydraulic oil needs to warm up too. He may be applying heavy equipment parameters. Don't know for sure.

I have one of those infra red thermometers. If I were to take a reading to see the temp of that oil would I do it near the glass, more than likely plastic, window down by my right ankle? What would be a good working range please.

Ron

p.s. are there after market oil heaters that plug into house current. I know about the charcoal brickettes but that's probably for colder weather than 20 degrees. We do get temps in single digits once or twice a year.
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #2  
A 5 minute warm up should be plenty at your temps. Note that the hydraulic oil is not going to heat much without cycling it with the loader or whatever you have to move with the hydraulics. Just letting the engine run does little to thin out the hydraulic oil.
Our temps rarely get much below freezing with the occasional 20F artic blast that doesn't last long.
My warm up is usually just long enough to get the engine oil pressure up (maybe 30 seconds) then I raise the FEL and with the engine at no more than 1500 rpm, ease the tractor out of the shed. Then I cycle the FEL a time or two as I travel to my worksite which is never less than 300 yards. I will continue to cycle some of the cylinders on the FEL while slowly travelling. When I get to the work, I might increase RPM to 2000 but never much above that range. I don't need the high RPM power and surely don't need the excess noise that higher RPM makes. 2000 is just right for most activities and seems to be the sweet spot for working the tractor whether cold or hot.
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #3  
Turn on the PTO while its warming up. I usually let mine idle for about 4 mins up here, and its cold!
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #4  
Turn on the PTO while its warming up. I usually let mine idle for about 4 mins up here, and its cold!
For sure, the colder it is the longer the warm up time. As for me, if it is below 40F, then it has to be a real emergency (examples:fix a broken water line, bury a dead animal) to get me out on the tractor. Just about anything else can wait till a warmer day when you are retired.
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #5  
For sure, the colder it is the longer the warm up time. As for me, if it is below 40F, then it has to be a real emergency (examples:fix a broken water line, bury a dead animal) to get me out on the tractor. Just about anything else can wait till a warmer day when you are retired.
That is funny. :)
Not laughing at you, but at how "cold" is relative to what we are used to.
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #6  
That is funny. :)
Not laughing at you, but at how "cold" is relative to what we are used to.

Yeah, I got a laugh there too. For me, if it's below 40, it might stay that way for 4 more months.:)
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #7  
Depending on how often this is an issue, consider the "old school" approach. Put a heat lamp under the tractor and throw a tarp over it.
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #8  
Or install a block heater. Mine warms up the unit enough at 0 in about 15 minutes. Then another 5 and I am out the door.
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #9  
I use a lower radiator hose heater; on about an hour before I need the tractor and it starts like it is summer. Put the shuttle and range control(just in case) in neutral, the gear selector in 4th and engage the pto for 5/10 min. to warm the hydraulic oil, and I'm off
 
   / My Poor Battery, warm up period #10  
I use a lower radiator hose heater; on about an hour before I need the tractor and it starts like it is summer. Put the shuttle and range control(just in case) in neutral, the gear selector in 4th and engage the pto for 5/10 min. to warm the hydraulic oil, and I'm off

I also installed a lower radiator hose heater. I have a solar panel keeping the battery at full charge.

I guess running the PTO cycles the Hydro fluid? First I'm hearing of this. I usually let it warm up 10-15 minutes for the engine to get hot.
 
 
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