Fumes from tractor

tkm · Apr 6, 2012

Has anyone being affected by diesel fumes (small amounts) so that their sinusitis causes them lots of pain? Thanks

RoyJackson · Apr 6, 2012

Nope...but it is Spring and might well be another source of irritant.
How long you had a tractor?

Johnp33 · Apr 6, 2012

It could be an exhaust leak? with it running and cold take a spray bottle with dish soap and water, spray around looking for leaks then do it again when it is hot.
Look around for fuel leaks, and even coolant leaks, many people, because of the chemicals in our systems are susceptible to being irritated from things that we never were before.
You may need to just wash the engine and radiator to get the build up of crud, off it and that will help.
I worked as a mechanic and saw many people that were in the trade have to leave because they became allergic to oils, additives, or solvents.
Just a thought!

TripleR · Apr 6, 2012

Never have and have used a wood splitter not far from the exhaust on our MF375, but this spring is killing me.

tkm · Apr 6, 2012

Thanks, I have had tractors for over 24yrs. Most of them JD., but not diesel, large gas garden tractors. I am about to purchase a new one but since I have allergies , I am concerned about the fumes causing a reaction.

shortthrow50 · Apr 6, 2012

need more info on what you are getting. you can make a vertical exhaust of you want. some models have them as an option particularly the 3x20 and 4x20. anything smaller you will have to have one fabbed.

Ford tractor · Apr 6, 2012

diesel exhaust fumes are dramatically LESS hazardous than gasoline exhaust fumes.

arrow · Apr 7, 2012

Ford tractor said:
diesel exhaust fumes are dramatically LESS hazardous than gasoline exhaust fumes.

That's interesting. It was my thought it was the other way around. I thought diesel had more toxic carcinogens molecule for molecule.

Ford tractor · Apr 7, 2012

arrow said:
That's interesting. It was my thought it was the other way around. I thought diesel had more toxic carcinogens molecule for molecule.

nope.

(Unless you include an air pump and 3 way cat in the gas engine exhaust. )

arrow · Apr 7, 2012

Ford tractor said:
nope.

(Unless you include an air pump and 3 way cat in the gas engine exhaust. )

Diesel particulates are very fine. As such, diesel particulate matter is almost totally respirable and has a significant health impact on humans. It has been classified by several government agencies as either "human carcinogen" or "probable human carcinogen". It is also known to increase the risk of heart and respiratory disease. As diesel produces about 100 times the soot of gasoline engines, I'm wondering what studies you are looking at. Does your last sentence mean that gasoline engines are less toxic because they have catalytic converters otherwise they would be more toxic than diesel?

TripleR · Apr 7, 2012

tkm said:
Thanks, I have had tractors for over 24yrs. Most of them JD., but not diesel, large gas garden tractors. I am about to purchase a new one but since I have allergies , I am concerned about the fumes causing a reaction.

None of are experts on allergies etc., but my wife has had serious allergy problems all of her life and use to get weekly shots. Since her retirement a little over two yeas ago she took over all lawn mowing with our "her" diesel BX2660. She will spend five or six hours per week in the summer mowing and she has had no increased problems.

As to the gas v diesel, I try not to breath any fumes.

D7E · Apr 8, 2012

I spend 2/3 days a week with rocking headaches and am unable to breathe through my nose at all 75% of the time ,Really intensifies the tinnitus too, had surgery twice but they still wont let me have shots !
Been this way for nearly 20 years .

wolc123 · Apr 8, 2012

I started having sinus headaches regularly a couple years ago. One day the wife saw something on Opra about a "netty pot" and showed it to me. I got one of them and have been headache free ever since. Prior to that, I spent a fortune on drugs like Tylonal Sinus and such. I am still on the first box of "sea salt", so the netty pot is definitely much cheaper.

flusher · Apr 8, 2012

tkm said:
Has anyone being affected by diesel fumes (small amounts) so that their sinusitis causes them lots of pain? Thanks

Get a HEPA filter mask and install the cartridges that you would use for fumes (e.g for spray painting)--not the cartridges for dust. I get diesel fumes in my face when running into the wind with my Mahindra 5525. The mask really helps.

D7E · Apr 8, 2012

wolc123 said:
I started having sinus headaches regularly a couple years ago. One day the wife saw something on Opra about a "netty pot" and showed it to me. I got one of them and have been headache free ever since. Prior to that, I spent a fortune on drugs like Tylonal Sinus and such. I am still on the first box of "sea salt", so the netty pot is definitely much cheaper.

I find that pot helps but is very short lived and only helps for a few hours .

Don87 · Apr 8, 2012

wolc123 said:
I started having sinus headaches regularly a couple years ago. One day the wife saw something on Opra about a "netty pot" and showed it to me. I got one of them and have been headache free ever since. Prior to that, I spent a fortune on drugs like Tylonal Sinus and such. I am still on the first box of "sea salt", so the netty pot is definitely much cheaper.

Beware of the 'brain eating amoeba' if using Neti Pots:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/201...t-death-from-amoeba-prompts-tap-water-warning

Bob in Ohio · Apr 13, 2012

I operated a JD755 for many years and never found the diesel fumes objectionable. A few months ago I acquired a JD3320 which I love, but the diesel fumes are really stinky. What has changed?

suzy · Apr 14, 2012

Well, I'm not allergic but diesel fumes make me nauseous and a headache will follow if I don't get out. I get sick sometimes on the highway if an old diesel engine is in front and the fumes get in my car...(honest officer, I had to pass them, it was a medical emergency!)
I never could drive our old MF 165 with the rear tail pipe for that reason. I researched the newer engines and bought my kubota m7040 with the cab. I start it in the barn and leave and come back, hop in and back out. So far so good. I test drove a smaller tractor at the dealer with the exhaust pipes in the front and wondered why the exhaust was located in front of where the air intake must be...

RoyJackson · Apr 14, 2012

suzy said:
Well, I'm not allergic but diesel fumes make me nauseous and a headache will follow if I don't get out. I get sick sometimes on the highway if an old diesel engine is in front and the fumes get in my car...(honest officer, I had to pass them, it was a medical emergency!)
I never could drive our old MF 165 with the rear tail pipe for that reason. I researched the newer engines and bought my kubota m7040 with the cab. I start it in the barn and leave and come back, hop in and back out. So far so good. I test drove a smaller tractor at the dealer with the exhaust pipes in the front and wondered why the exhaust was located in front of where the air intake must be...

You might want to consider moving it out of the barn after you start it, rathering then letting it idle in the barn.

suzy · Apr 14, 2012

Roy, it depends on how cold it is how long I idle it in the barn. In the summer it isn't very long before I back it out. My barn is one of those quonset types, open at the front and open at the top in the back. It does seem that the air gets stuck in there as most of the wind here is N/S and the barn is perpendicular to the wind. The neighbor's grandkids started a grass fire on the weekend and part of my hayfield and pasture burnt. The barn still smells of smoke a week later!