Parking tips

   / Parking tips #1  

RickB

Super Star Member
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Sep 18, 2000
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Location
Up the road from Dollar General WNC
Tractor
Just a Scag
I hope the title made you curious. I have thought about posting this for a while,and this morning is the time.
Many of us use our tractors in winter, and store them in unheated buildings or out of doors altogether. Here are a couple things I try to do year-around, but especially in cold weather to ensure my rigs will start when I want them to.
For tractors with neutral safety switches on the transmission and PTO shifters, park the tractor with the gearshift and PTO in neutral. This allows the switches to return to the proper state while the tractor still has a little heat in it. Some switches, particularly ball switches located above the static level of oil in transmissions, can freeze with just a little condensation on them. Leaving a shifter in gear can allow the switch to freeze in the wrong state and when the shifter is moved to N for a cold start, the switch won't follow. No start.
Leaving manual transmissions in neutral also prevents a tractor from moving if the starter is powered by a short circuit induced by a rodent lunching on the wiring. This can and does happen.

Operating cables can freeze as well. My older diesels both have manual fuel shutoffs. I kill the engine, then return the shutoff to the run position so if the cable freezes, I can start the tractor. Engine heat will usually thaw a shutoff cable in time but if it won't start, there is no heat.

Minor annoyances become big problems in winter, I hope this may help smooth someone's day. Be safe moving last night's snow from your path.
 
   / Parking tips #2  
I'm far enough south, and accustomed to parking indoors, that I didn't have those problems, but it all sounds like good advice to me.

I'm one of those who routinely uses the parking brake on my cars, but I learned, in freezing wet weather, you can have a parking brake cable freeze and fail to release when you want to go again.
 
   / Parking tips #3  
I never thought of it,but it sounds like a good practice.Ithink ill do it.The only thing might be if you have a youngster around and you have it already in neutral...probably good idea to remove the key.
ALAN
 
   / Parking tips #4  
everything in neutral is good - I use my BB as a brake, so no danger there. I would never consider leaving the keys in the tractor - for one it wold prevent me from closing the dust cover over the ignition. for 2, it would just make the thing that much easier for the local freebooters to "borrow" it long term...
 
   / Parking tips #5  
Thanks for the good tip, Always seemed like mine froze up worse when I put in the barn than if I just left it out under the car port.
 
   / Parking tips #7  
If you are not going to use the tractor for 2 weeks or more, you should use the clutch peddle hold down. If your tractor does not have that, use a stick or vice grip or clamp. That will keep the clutch from rusting to the flywheel.

jb

on edit

I also put the rpms to 1500 before shutting it off. Then when I next want to use it, I know the throttle is set for winter starting. It also tells me when it's ready to move. If it's too cold, the engine will drag down by as much as 2-300 rpm.
 
   / Parking tips #8  
I don't do this either, but it sounds like a good practice, and I believe the manual on my B3030 says to do so.

Not doing so has not been a problem even though it has been to -25 since I got my tractor. I think the coldest outside temperature when I started it was -11.
 
   / Parking tips #9  
Definitely good info all the way around, I have had problems with my old 3600 because of a little moisture in the gear safety switch had to remove top of transmission, remove switch and take it in the house to thaw out then replace it to start tractor. I finally replaced the switch. Like you said it takes very little moisture sometimes for these switches to hang up.
JJ
 
   / Parking tips #10  
I don't do this, but many years ago I had read that in winter you should park your tractor with the radiator/hood to a wall.
Not only to keep the cold wind out, but more importantly to make sure you have to start by backing it out.
 
 
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