Warm up time?

   / Warm up time? #1  

BruceW

Bronze Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2001
Messages
77
Location
New York, Dutchess
Tractor
Kubota L 3010
The manual for my 3010 recommends 5 minutes warm up time for the long term health of the engine. Do most people do this? Does the tractor have to sit without moving for 5 minutes or does this just mean don't put serious load on the tractor for 5 minutes? I store my tractor in a barn so I currently start it up, back it out and then let it idle for a few minutes. Does this fit the bill or might I be creating problems for down the road?

bruce
 
   / Warm up time? #2  
Bruce...

My L2600 manual says the same thing. My dealer says there is no break-in required, but I always let mine sit and run for about a minute or two after starting. I figure that gives the fluids a chance to circulate. I have noticed that if I have an implement attached to the 3PH and it's in the raised position when I start the tractor, after about 30-seconds of idle the tractor lurches a bit. I assume it's caused by the weight of the implement and the pressure exerted on the hydraulics. I'll ask my dealer when the tractor goes in for the 50-hour maintenance.

FarmerBob
 
   / Warm up time? #3  
It's important to allow the engine to warm up. The fluids (hydraulic and oil) only exhibit the optimal physical properties once they are in the normal operating temperature range of the engine. This is particularly true if you are not using synthetics.

There are also significant forces acting on the engine block and other relatively thick components due to thermal stresses - particularly in cold weather. Even if you use synthetics they don't help the block heat any quicker - applying a high thermal load by working the engine before it has warmed up will only serve to shorten it's life.

I like to see the needle on my temperature gauge get off the starting blocks before I start engaging the PTO or apply any other load. To tell you the truth I usually spend 5 minutes tidying up some of the junk my kids have usually strewn around the garage before I get going!
 
   / Warm up time? #4  
To answer your question specifically (sorry) - moving it out of the barn and then leaving it for 5 minutes won't do it any harm. Your life might be shorter than the tractor's if you leave it idling in the barn along with yourself for any length of time due to Carbon Monoxide build-up!
 
   / Warm up time? #5  
Have your dealer check the feed back linkage for the 3ph. You need a little play at the top of the lift arms with the hitch raised all the way up to ensure the hitch kicks out of relief when fully raised. And allow some room for the piston to "bounce" a little while heading back to the house for lunch. This also keeps the hydraulics from continuously running over relief (bad thing). What may be happening is after start up the hitch raises a little to make up for the normal bleed down of the hitch with the weight of the implement. That may be your lurching. Quick way to check: With the implements removed engine at idle, note rpm, raise the hitch all the way up while watching engine rpm, when the hitch reaches the top, rpm should return to previously noted. Manually lift up on the hitch arms, there should be about 1/4 inch of freeplay prior to reaching full lift height (make sure the play is in the hitch and not the splines).
 
   / Warm up time? #6  
My manual says the same thing.

My usual routine is to start it, wait for 20 seconds or so, then raise anything on the 3PH, and the FEL, then back it out into the world. While it is still idling, I get off put up the ROPS & put in the bolts for the ROPS. This takes a couple minutes. I then keep the RPM relatively low while I transport to where-ever I'm going to be working. Total time is probably about 5 minutes.

The GlueGuy
 
   / Warm up time? #7  
The manual for my L2500DT says to warm it up for 5 minutes with no load, and then 10 to 30 minutes or more before applying full load, depending on ambient temperature.

My baby sleeps indoors, however, so I fire it up, wait 30 seconds (just to be better than GlueGuy /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif) before raising the FEL and 3pt implement. I then ease her just out into the open and set the brake. Then, before I hop off, I set the throttle to about 1,000 rpm, as also recommended by the manual, for the rest of the warmup.

I putter around for about 5 minutes or so, by which time the temperature guage is just about at half scale. That's the normal operating temperature for my 'Bota, but as we've discussed in other threads, many guages barely register anything at operating temp.

On a side note here -- the manual also says to pre-heat the engine glow plug thingy for 20 to 60 seconds (depending on ambient temp) before cranking it up. The dealer (and they're never wrong, are they?) said that wasn't really necessary in our California climate, so I never have. The coldest air temperature I've ever tried to start up in was about 38 degrees F, and, like always, it fired up instantly.

So tell me, mechanic dudes -- are there other reasons than fast starting for preheating? Am I damaging the engine with my cavalier approach? /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

HarvSig.gif
 
   / Warm up time? #8  
Well heck! if the dealer said so!!!!
Those Japanese guys who wrote the manual son't know anything about warm weather (South Pacific Rim). I'd go with whatever Clem sais!! ;^)

Rogue
 
   / Warm up time? #9  
Hi ya
pre heat is only needed in realy cold places ,even here in NZ my tractor lives in the big blue shed on cold days 20 F with no preheat it fires up frist time landcruser needs it now and then tho .snow and white frost are good signs ya may need to preheat abit
 
   / Warm up time? #10  
Careful there now Rogue - the tip of Japan's northern island of Hokkaido is at the same latitude as the northern states of the US (Montana etc.)

Average minimum temperatures in Sapporo - one of the largest cities up there can be found here and here.

Lots of ski resorts up there too ...
 
 
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