L3940 HSTC

[Member]

I personally don't see a problem with that bit of smoke on startup when cold.
These machines are staring up fine. They may puff for a few seconds when cold, but they clear right up and run fine.
Where's the problem??

When mine was new in the winter of 2011/2012 it didn't do it. It started happening halfway through the winter of 2012/2013.

Chilly807 seems to think it's excessive, wmonroe is the only other person I've found who says their tractor does the same thing and provides video that looks pretty comparable. Given the number of Kubota Grand L's here if they all did it I think we'd know that by now.

As Chilly807 says, "I don't understand what's so different about these engines [...]". Why do mine and wmonroe's smoke and others don't? Why does The Fred's L3940 exhibit behavior so different from the other L3940's here? How can everyone be so sure The Fred's tractor's behavior is because it's somehow broken but mine and wmonroe's smoke is fine?

Overall I like my tractor. I've had it two years and it has been trouble-free other than this smoke. I'd like to know why it smokes at startup or that they all do it.

 

[kuboman]

When mine was new in the winter of 2011/2012 it didn't do it. It started happening halfway through the winter of 2012/2013.

Chilly807 seems to think it's excessive, wmonroe is the only other person I've found who says their tractor does the same thing and provides video that looks pretty comparable. Given the number of Kubota Grand L's here if they all did it I think we'd know that by now.

As Chilly807 says, "I don't understand what's so different about these engines [...]". Why do mine and wmonroe's smoke and others don't? Why does The Fred's L3940 exhibit behavior so different from the other L3940's here? How can everyone be so sure The Fred's tractor's behavior is because it's somehow broken but mine and wmonroe's smoke is fine?

Overall I like my tractor. I've had it two years and it has been trouble-free other than this smoke. I'd like to know why it smokes at startup or that they all do it.

Mine smokes like all the others who have posted videos. It is mostly an annoyance if you are starting in a building. It will fill a garage in about 2 seconds with putrid smoke.

 

[TomSeller]

I let the dealer talk me out of a block heater when I bought it and regret it now (luckily the only part of the purchase I regret), but installing one is on my to do list. I think with a block heater it would start with little to no smoke and sputter.

Right, you will not regret it. Even on tractors that do start up without a lot of knock and smoke, it is still easier on the engine if you use a block heater. Even the hydraulic fluid is going to warm up faster with the engine getting a head start. They mostly thread in or fit a freeze plug knock out. They are very simple to install, the hardest part is draining and refilling the coolant, which may need to be changed anyway.

 

[aczlan]

It was 17ish this afternoon and I had to get a car into the shop, so Im made a cold start video of the BX2660 and L3830.
The BX2660 has been sitting off in the unheated shop for ~2 weeks. I hit the glowplugs twice (~40 seconds apart) and started it up. The throttle was set to ~1500 RPMs.
The L3830 has been off and sitting in the yard for at least a month (probably since we last mowed in early November). Its throttle was set to ~1100RPMs and as you can see in the video, I also hit the glowplugs twice:

That seems to be about normal for all three of our Kubotas.

Aaron Z

 

[crazyal]

My 4240 starts about the same as Member's Kubota. I don't see it as a problem. If you want to see smoke then you should be around my Case 450 dozer when I start that up. Now that smokes. Even in 75 degree weather it'll smoke 3 or 4 times more than my 4240 in the dead of winter.