New Kubota winter usage questions.

   / New Kubota winter usage questions. #1  

rja

Bronze Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2000
Messages
77
Location
new jersey
Tractor
L3000dt Kubota
Some advice please.

Background: Kubota L3000 tractor with 10hrs of use and original oil in engine/trans. The tractor is housed in a closed barn in central NJ. Winter usage includes monthly horse manure dumping and removing snow from a 500 foot gravel drive way two or three times a year.

Question: Should I use a block heater? If so, what kind? Freeze plug insert, radiator hose insert, or magnetic 'stick on'? Should I change the oil to a different weight? Should I stop being so **** and find more productive things to do with my time and energy?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks Rich....
 
   / New Kubota winter usage questions. #2  
Um, well, since you mentioned it, your last option may be the most practical in this case. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Seriously, you shouldn't need to do anything at all, other than regular scheduled maintenance, when the time comes, of course.

MarkC

P.S. The other things mentioned in the owner's manual, such as adjusting the warm-up time based on the ambient temperature (the temp inside the barn, in your case), are also appropriate.

Of course, if you just want to have something to worry about, or if you want to put a block heater on it, you could send your barn down here to Virginia so I can use it (I really need one). /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by MChalkley on 10/3/00 04:11 PM.</FONT></P>
 
   / New Kubota winter usage questions. #3  
Mark Delaware is closer to NJ than VA so I get the barn that is if he wants to get rid of it that is./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

On the serious side Mark as usual hit the nail right on the head for your questions----unless you want to get rid of that barn./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
 
   / New Kubota winter usage questions. #4  
Rich,
I have a block heater on my Kubota,and I believe I use it couple of times..-10 or more degrees..I change the fluids and filters in November for a fresh winter start.

I'm pretty sure you be all set,but a heated barn that sounds nice. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
 
   / New Kubota winter usage questions. #5  
I have a B1700, and last winter was my first full winter with it. I switched to synthetic oil for year round use, but am most happy about it in the winter, when it doesn't thicken up as much as petroleum products (hoo boy I hope I don't start something here!). Other than that I made it through Central N.Y. weather without a problem, down to 5 below at times. Started right up without a preheater (stored in an unheated garage), ran as well in the cold as it does in the summer, HST never seemed balky (has Super UDT in it). Froze my private parts blue on occassion, but no problems with the tractor per se, and I took no special precautins other than the aforementioned switch to synthetic.
 
   / New Kubota winter usage questions. #6  
Just be sure you don't have fuel left over from the summer still in it when the cold rolls in or it will gel up. If you 've bought the fuel in the late fall or winter, it will be treated appropriately to not gel. I mention this because with your low hrs, you probably don't refuel too often.
 
 
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