RickB
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2000
- Messages
- 15,205
- 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.
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.