How long between starts?

[Rickstir]

I have a new (17 hr) Mahindra 4110 sitting in the barn. The fuel is treated. I started her and let her run for 30 minutes about 3 weeks ago. How often should I do this. I have no reason to bring it out of the barn. First time with a diesel tractor. Although it has been really cold (-15 one day) it will be 45 for the rest of the week.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I wouldn't do that at all. The acids and such that build up in the crankcase will do more harm than good from short idling runs with incomplete combustion. At least that is true for my car which I don't run at all during the winter. I just keep the battery charged up.

 

[Just Bill]

Hello
You are gonna get more opinions on this than you can shake a stick at.
Probably every 3 weeks or so would be a good idea but I don't think it's necessary at all.
That should keep it ready to go when you do need it.
Bill

 

[bp fick]

Wouldn't start it at all, really. If there is no work to do, requiring a full warm and a solid work out, I'd leave it be.
Charge the battery once a month with a trickle, but that's it.

 

[TomWhite]

You should take it out for a spin once in a while. If you don't, your tractor will think you have forgotten about it, and will go into a severe depression, and then severe anger at you.

Do you really want to face an angry tractor this spring?

 

[9973720wb19]

good question...I was wondering the same thing

 

[Diamondpilot]

I used to be on the once a month let it run camp. Now days I say store it and put a trickle charger on it every month to keep the batter up and you will be good to go. What changed me was my dads Corvette. It gets stored all winter and we would start it from time to time. This was tough on it. Now we have a battery tender and no issues.

Chris

 

[JJT]

I have a ZD21, (Kubota zero turn), in the fall it gets serviced and parked. In the spring I check the fluids, tires and start it up. No trickle charge, no winter starts.

I have an L3710 that will go 3 - 6 weeks between workouts depending on the weather. 2 years ago I swapped out the 9 year old battery, (still working fine), as insurance.

Don't start it up to let it warm up, start it when you need it. If you have a good battery, there's no need to keep a trickle charger on it.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have a ZD21, (Kubota zero turn), in the fall it gets serviced and parked. In the spring I check the fluids, tires and start it up. No trickle charge, no winter starts.

I have an L3710 that will go 3 - 6 weeks between workouts depending on the weather. 2 years ago I swapped out the 9 year old battery, (still working fine), as insurance.

Don't start it up to let it warm up, start it when you need it. If you have a good battery, there's no need to keep a trickle charger on it.

While I agree with most of what you say many new cars will have a dead battery in 8-10 days if not started. Corvettes and Caddy's are a perfect example. Trickle chargers are a must.

Chris

 

[bp fick]

Here is what stored right now in my barn. Short list, might forget something.

Chain saw, 2 weed eaters, JD riding mower, Mercury outboard, Leaf blower and a push mower.

I have no intention of starting any of them until there is a job for them to do next spring/summer. If I had a tractor in storage, it would be the same approach.

But, seriously, a tractor is sooooo, well.... it is a man thing. That, I MIGHT have to start once or twice a winter, warm it up good, drive out the lane, get the mail, drive over the neighbors, do SOMETHING!!!

Fortunately, up here, my tractor has to plow snow, at least every week. Even then, I confess, I often wish there were more winter tasks to do.

 

[jlrsn]

I fully agree with smfcpacfp regarding doing more harm than letting it sit with a Battery Tender keeping the battery up. Every time I look at a reciprocating engine whether it be a tractor, motorcycle, aircraft, or whatever it's amazing the amount of internal corrosion damage to the upper end if the engine had not been run pulling power for at least an hour to burn the moisture out of the oil. Shorter runs, especially idling, condense the moisture out of the oil into the upper end of the engine. I always pre-oil an engine prior to starting it up if it has been sitting for 6 months. If I'm going to let an engine sit for longer than 6 months I'll pickle it.
Jim

 

[smfcpacfp]

Hello
You are gonna get more opinions on this than you can shake a stick at.
Probably every 3 weeks or so would be a good idea but I don't think it's necessary at all.
That should keep it ready to go when you do need it.
Bill

Looks to me like the opinions are pretty uniform, don't start the tractor unless you intend to use it (rather than every 3 weeks or so) and charge the battery periodically.

I just took a look at my Kubota manual to see what they said.

They didn't mention starting it one way or the other. They did say to grease any exposed hydraulic cylinders. Take the battery out and recharge the battery every 6 months in cold conditions. Get the tires off the ground, and cover the tractor with some kind of cover.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have to kinda sorta agree with the one member who said that a good battery doesnt need a tender. I have parked my boat for well over a year now and last month decided that I would just put the charger on it to top them off (motor and trolling motor battery) Both of the batteries were still fully charged. The problem with cars is that even with no activity, the computer is still pulling some juice and most cars have a burgular alarm with the little blinking LED which pulls a few micro amps. Leave them for too long and they will drain the battery. I have a 2007 Chevy truck and the wife a 2003 SUV that were both left in the garage for 8 months without starting. My truck was about 4 months old whereas the wifes car had a 4 year old battery. HER car was completely dead when we came back from England, but mine started right up. I jumper started hers and it charged up in a few minutes but I went ahead and replaced the battery. Next trip was to Peru for 8 months and they both started right up on returning even with all the burgular alarms active. Now to put in the disclaimer, this was in Houston Texas area and no cold weather to suck the amps out and no fear of a freezing battery if it completely discharged. If I was in Artic zone, I would surely keep a tender on all unused batteries or occassionally put a charger on them to top them back up. That same boat battery would need charging a couple times in the 8 month Canadian winters to keep it topped off. -40 C temps do such a battery down for some reason.

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm also of the thinking if you don't need it, don't start it (although I used to do this several years ago).
But if you do decide you want to start it....don't just idle. Let it warm a few minutes, then run it around and operate the FEL, 3PH for 15-20 minutes. The main thing is to get it to operating temperature and put a bit of a load on it. Also, if this machine has a clutch, block that clutch pedal down.

 

[JerryK]

I am also in the 'fire it up only if you are going to bring everything up to temp' crowd. I would also add, to add some fuel conditioner and keep the fuel tank full if possible. Diesel degrades over time, and will collect moisture and nasty bio organizms if you let it. I use Power Service Diesel Fuel Conditioner [white bottle] from Wallyworld. It helps keep the fuel from gelling, adds lube for the injection pump, and adds cetane to the fuel, too. I add about 1/2 cup to each 5 gallons I add to the tank.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

Also, if this machine has a clutch, block that clutch pedal down.

Why?
Seems it would be a little hard on the throwout bearing to leave it running with the pedal "blocked down"
Push it down for starting and let it up as soon as the engine runs smooth imo.
Ken

 

[jenkinsph]

Why?
Seems it would be a little hard on the throwout bearing to leave it running with the pedal "blocked down"
Push it down for starting and let it up as soon as the engine runs smooth imo.
Ken

He has a 790 which is known to have a problem with sticking clutches. Not necessarily needed or desired for most tractors.

 

[flusher]

I fully agree with smfcpacfp regarding doing more harm than letting it sit with a Battery Tender keeping the battery up. Every time I look at a reciprocating engine whether it be a tractor, motorcycle, aircraft, or whatever it's amazing the amount of internal corrosion damage to the upper end if the engine had not been run pulling power for at least an hour to burn the moisture out of the oil. Shorter runs, especially idling, condense the moisture out of the oil into the upper end of the engine. I always pre-oil an engine prior to starting it up if it has been sitting for 6 months. If I'm going to let an engine sit for longer than 6 months I'll pickle it.
Jim

Tell me more about your methods for pre-oiling and pickling your engines.

 

[jlrsn]

flusher,
Pickling an engine was something I learned back in the 50s on aircraft as a way of preventing internal corrosion/oxidation to the internal parts of an engine. The following is what I used to do on piston powered aircraft with Radial Engines with up to 28 cylinders. Turbine Engines (Jet) would also be properly prepared for long time storage but differently. Bear in mind that the following is regarding piston powered engines but there were many other components that also had to be preserved for long term storage.

Simply put, you drain the crankcase (and oil tanks) and replace the engine oil with a corrosion inhibiting oil. We would then crank the engine to distribute the corrosion inhibiting oil throughout the oil galleys and passageways. You remove the spark plugs and then the combustion chambers, upper crankcase, and accessory sections are fogged with the same oil. Dehydrator Plugs are put in the spark plug holes. On aircraft there was a pickling procedure that had to be followed.

Full pre-oiling pumps plug into the oil galleries and pressure feed oil throughout the engine prior to the first start. These are sold but can be made quite easily.

There used to be many Mil-Spec Corrosion Inhibiting Oils for reciprocating (piston powered) engines such AeroShell Fluid 2F and Phillips Multi-Viscosity Anti-Rust Oil for aircraft but the availability has diminished quite a bit.

What I "try" to do to my personal piston powered equipment now prior to storage is I run the engine bringing the oil up to temperature, drain the oil and change the filter, and replace the oil with new oil. I then crank the engine to get fresh oil in my crank and rod bearings, then I fog the combustion chambers and accessory sections with new oil using an atomizing sprayer. It doesn't take long to do but my good intentions can be waylaid as now.

I left my home in the Rockies in October for what I had planned to be 3 weeks and now three months later all my equipment is as was when I left. Luckily I pulled all batteries and put them in my heated garage on battery tenders (not trickle chargers) and when I get back I'll have to snowshoe my way in and first get my Kubota L39 Tractor up and running and clear my driveway from the county road up to my house and a couple of hundred feet to my shop (shop heater quit!). Luckily, where I live the air is so dry that I can leave bare metal year around without it rusting. If you are in an area of high humidity I would definitely pickle the engines as I explained above.

I owned and operated turbine and reciprocating aircraft (airplanes and helicopters) my whole adult life in the States and Internationally and am now retired. My runway rotate speed (Vr) is now quite a bit slower on my tractor than it was on my Gulfstream IV.

I tried to keep the above as simple as I could.
Jim

 

[bp fick]

Boat owners do essentially the same thing for storage. Stabil in the last tank of the year, drain lower unit, fog the engine. etc.