Extended idling vs switching on and off

[outsidezion]

I process about a chord and half at a time: I cut 5 or so trees down, cut to 2-3 lengths then use my forks to move the lengths to a central spot where I saw the rounds while the logs are on the forks. Then, I run my 3 pt log splitter.

The tractor is mostly idling while logs on the forks and when running the log splitter. About 5 hrs at a time.

Is it better to switch the tractor off during many of these intervals (like while I'm sawing rounds while the logs are on the forks) or just keep it running?

I'm not using much fuel but I'm piling on engine hours. But all that starting may be worse?

 

[weedpharma]

While I am not a mechanic, I would switch off if not required for more than a few minutes, once the engine has warmed up.

Once the engine is warm, there is plenty of oil on the cylinder walls and the engine should start easily. Running for 10 mins while doing nothing, just uses fuel, wears the engine and puts time on the meter.

This assumes you are in reasonable temperatures and not in a howling snow storm!!

Weedpharma

 

[RoyJackson]

If it's not going to set too long (more then 5 minutes), I leave it idling....more then 5 minutes, I shut it down.
This is after it's warmed up, of course...

 

[Tx Jim]

Extended idling not only wastes fuel but it can wash down engine cylinder walls with unburnt diesel from lower operating temperature of engine.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Use your best judgment. If your off seat task is going to only take a few minutes, it is OK to leave it running. I don't think you will wear out a starter from cranking several times a day if you want to stop the engine though and save fuel and wear. With the price of fuel today, just a few gallons could pay for rebuilding a starter should it ever wear out which would take many, many years of wood cutting and cranking to even affect the starter. What would be of more concern to me would be the battery charge. If cranking/running/stop cycle is too short to recharge the battery each time, you could weaken the battery. If your engine cranks like mine with just a touch of the starter, minimal battery drainage is going to happen and 5 minutes of run time should recharge it.

I run around my farm on my RTV and at most it is a 3 or 4 minute run and sometimes 1 minute to my destination and then full stop. I have been doing this for 3 years and battery and starter is holding up well, so I would agree with others that if you can do your task in 3-5 minutes or less, let it run. If longer or you are in doubt of time needed, just stop the engine and restart it. Either way is not going to hurt the engine.

 

[outsidezion]

I was expecting to hear that idling is better then constant switching. I think I need to change my habits.

So what about log splitting? I'm running at 1,300 RPM sometimes for a couple of hours. IS that hard on the engine. I've really been thinking about a stand-alone log splitter for this reason and others.

 

[some zilch]

i let stuff idle all the time. i dont let the tractor idle for an hour for no reason, but i will idle 10 min, use for 5 min, idle for 10min, etc. its a utility diesel engine that uses negligable amounts of fuel to idle itself. i do not, and will never buy into the "cylinder washdown" theory, but people sure do love to throw that around. remember in the "old days" when equipment and trucks used to idle for hours and hours/days and days if necessary. i dont think there were too many 71 series detroits, 3406 cats, or even smaller equipment suffering from the terrible cylinder washdown. the things are made to run, and that is their only function in life. ideling is easy

 

[RoyJackson]

I was expecting to hear that idling is better then constant switching. I think I need to change my habits.

So what about log splitting? I'm running at 1,300 RPM sometimes for a couple of hours. IS that hard on the engine. I've really been thinking about a stand-alone log splitter for this reason and others.

Tractors have long been used as stationary power units for agriculture, home power (PTO generators) and other reasons.
I don't have a log splitter, but I do have a chipper/shredder which I use 2-4 times a year (normally a couple hours at a time) and requires extended stationary PTO use. It's not going to hurt the tractor.

 

[Tx Jim]

i let stuff idle all the time. i dont let the tractor idle for an hour for no reason, but i will idle 10 min, use for 5 min, idle for 10min, etc. its a utility diesel engine that uses negligable amounts of fuel to idle itself. i do not, and will never buy into the "cylinder washdown" theory, but people sure do love to throw that around.

Have you ever witnessed "wet stacking" which is unburnt fuel emitted from muffler from a diesel engine operating for extended period of time below correct operating temp??? Characteristics are black,sooty spots on the hood of the tractor or oily mess leaking out of exhaust manifold. If you'll notice I stated "extended period of time below correct operating temp." not 5 or 10 minutes.

 

[dave1949]

i let stuff idle all the time. i dont let the tractor idle for an hour for no reason, but i will idle 10 min, use for 5 min, idle for 10min, etc. its a utility diesel engine that uses negligable amounts of fuel to idle itself. i do not, and will never buy into the "cylinder washdown" theory, but people sure do love to throw that around. remember in the "old days" when equipment and trucks used to idle for hours and hours/days and days if necessary. i dont think there were too many 71 series detroits, 3406 cats, or even smaller equipment suffering from the terrible cylinder washdown. the things are made to run, and that is their only function in life. ideling is easy

It depends on the definition of "idle." OTR trucks you see running all night at truck stops are not at a slow idle. They have a throttle control knob that is used to set a high idle rpm. It's around 1200-1300 rpms IIRC. That is done to protect the engine.

I don't see any harm in running a tractor engine under a light load such as log splitting at ~1500 rpm all day long. I usually keep my rpms at least at 1200 while the tractor is "idle."