Wow it's cold!

[tiogajoe]

I started my tractor this afternoon and let it warm up for about 30 minutes. I keep it in a 3 sided pole barn with no electric. It started ok after a single cycle of the glow plugs. The hydraulics where very slow even after letting the tractor run. I took it easy moving the FEL until things got warmed up. I'm using rotella t6 in the engine and chevron thf 1000 in the hydraulics. I'm considering changing the hydro fluid to synthetic? It just sounds like the tractor didn't respond well. I only have a 100 hours on the hydro oil. I'm considering Triax utto supreme or Utto xl. Do synthetic or synthetic blends make a big difference? Replacing the fluid is cheap if its better on your machine?

 

[iflywhatevr]

At 50 hours I swapped mine for SUDT2. Made a big difference in my 2017 CK3510 HST cab.

 

[jbrumberg]

There are plugin 110V thermostatically controlled metal fuel and hydraulic filter pre-heaters that perform as advertised at preheating fuel and hydraulic filters where many cold temperature "challenges" originate.

 

[oosik]

If for some idiotic reason I'm out there in the cold with the tractor - I let it warm until I see the temp needle move. Then I'm off and running at about 1800 RPM. No load, no strain on the tractor. It just gets up to operating temps quicker by simply driving it to where I'll be working.

And, Yes, the hydraulics are slow when the tractor isn't yet warmed up.

I use the recommended plain old dino-oil. Both for the engine and hydraulics.

Still just fine after ten years. Dino oils/fluids worked just fine on my previous tractor for the 27 years I had it.

 

[CMV]

Not that it gets all that cold here or if it does I have no good reason to be out.....but...if just sitting idling to warm up, does that do anything to warm the hydraulic fluid? Or does that only start warming up once you start moving (HST) ?

No idea about the fluids you're thinking but Kubota SUDT2 is supposed to perform well in cold. I know otherwise it performs great in the 2 HST machines I put it in (neither Kubotas).

 

[coldsteelva]

I have found with my HST that if you start it up and set it between 1000-1500 RPMs and engage the PTO (low and slow) that you can get all the fluid to circulate and warm better than just idling. When you're ready to move - disengage PTO, rev to 2000 RPM and then actuate all hydraulics (if present) a few times to move the cold fluid from the cylinders and replace it with the now warmed main hydro fluid. Then go to work.

 

[tiogajoe]

I have found with my HST that if you start it up and set it between 1000-1500 RPMs and engage the PTO (low and slow) that you can get all the fluid to circulate and warm better than just idling. When you're ready to move - disengage PTO, rev to 2000 RPM and then actuate all hydraulics (if present) a few times to move the cold fluid from the cylinders and replace it with the now warmed main hydro fluid. Then go to work.

I've been letting it idle with the HST in neutral because it sound like the pump is working too hard? I will try the PTO to see how this works? Thanks.

 

[Thomas]

When it gets cold enough to freeze the balls on pool table gotta let the equipment warm up least 1500 rpm's...if doubt on fluid give your dealer call.

 

[Amvcane]

Tiogajoe, I feel that you are using the wrong hydro fluid for the ambient temps that you are operating in. If you only used the machine in the summer you would have no problem. That Chevron thf 1000 has a J20C rating (John Deere). Since you are operating in winter you should have a fluid with a J20D spec.
I had a J20C spec fluid in my Kioti and 318 for one winter. The 318, I would have to jack up the rear of the tractor up and run the Hst for 20 mins for the machine to be usable. Otherwise the engine would bog and stall when I tried to move. Fluid to thick. The Kioti would take 30 mins till I could start to work and another 20 mins till it was warmed up and operating normal. I could not lift the loader arms without the machine going into relief.
I changed the hydro fluids in all my machines to Kubota Super UTD2 and have had absolutely no problems with thick fluid during cold winter start-ups. I can now start any machine in the cold of winter and go right to work just like in the summer. It’s a little pricy but well worth it IMO.

 

[tiogajoe]

Tiogajoe, I feel that you are using the wrong hydro fluid for the ambient temps that you are operating in. If you only used the machine in the summer you would have no problem. That Chevron thf 1000 has a J20C rating (John Deere). Since you are operating in winter you should have a fluid with a J20D spec.
I had a J20C spec fluid in my Kioti and 318 for one winter. The 318, I would have to jack up the rear of the tractor up and run the Hst for 20 mins for the machine to be usable. Otherwise the engine would bog and stall when I tried to move. Fluid to thick. The Kioti would take 30 mins till I could start to work and another 20 mins till it was warmed up and operating normal. I could not lift the loader arms without the machine going into relief.
I changed the hydro fluids in all my machines to Kubota Super UTD2 and have had absolutely no problems with thick fluid during cold winter start-ups. I can now start any machine in the cold of winter and go right to work just like in the summer. It痴 a little pricy but well worth it IMO.

Think I could get away with just changing the fluid? I only have about a 100 hours on the filters and the fluid is still nice and clean?? I could change the filters this summer when its a lot warmer???

 

[CMV]

Next service interval is still 150 hrs away? I wouldn't change the filters in that case - they're far from free

 

[wiskioti]

Hello TBN'ers -

As the thread title indicates, it's cold out! Well, I wanted to use the tractor this past weekend when it was about 10 degrees. I cycled the glow plugs, fired up the tractor and left it warm up for about 10 minutes. When I hopped on the tractor, I noticed the temp gauge really hadn't moved yet. So, I took it easy driving to where I was going and noticed that not long into my short trip, the temp started coming up. As I started using the FEL, within minutes, the temp gauge showed about normal operating temperature. Well, I needed to get my log splitter fired up (which was much more grumpy at starting than the tractor was). After getting it running, I returned to the tractor to notice that the temp gauge had returned to the bottom (zero?). After starting to use the tractor - lightly at first, it started to climb again to normal operating temperature. Even when I got off the tractor the next time, I turned up the RPMs so it idled at ~1800 instead of the normal ~1100, it still returned to reading zero after 10ish minutes running.

Should I be concerned about the tractor not maintaining temp and/or the gauge returning to 0?

As always, thanks for the info!

 

[Oaktree]

Should I be concerned about the tractor not maintaining temp and/or the gauge returning to 0?

I put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator that covers ~3/4 of it for winter use. Seems to help.

 

[Amvcane]

Think I could get away with just changing the fluid? I only have about a 100 hours on the filters and the fluid is still nice and clean?? I could change the filters this summer when its a lot warmer???

I would just stay with what you have till next fall. The past couple of days was unusually cold, temps we see maybe twice a year. If you were operating with temps in the 20’s you probably would have not seen the symptions you had.
When I had that J20C fluid in my Kioti I warmed up the tractor with the pto engaged. This spun a couple of gears in the fluid and maybe helped a little. Once the engine was ready to go, maybe 10 mins, I operated in low range for maybe 20 min, then felt it was warm enough to run in medium. I also had to cycle the loader cylinders every now and then to get that cold fluid back to the resivor.

 

[VictorW]

Hello TBN'ers -

Should I be concerned about the tractor not maintaining temp and/or the gauge returning to 0?

As always, thanks for the info!

Diesel engines will cool down when not being worked in really cold weather and the rpm setting doesn't seem to matter. The cylinders are always taking in a full amount of air. Really cold air. The throttle just adjusts the amount of fuel added to the full cylinder of air which differs from a gas engine where both air and fuel are regulated. Maybe if I was in the negative temps all the time, I may cover some of the radiator but you mentioned it climbs back to normal operating temp when using it again. So nothing to worry about. That's the nature of diesel engines.

 

[tiogajoe]

I would just stay with what you have till next fall. The past couple of days was unusually cold, temps we see maybe twice a year. If you were operating with temps in the 20’s you probably would have not seen the symptions you had.
When I had that J20C fluid in my Kioti I warmed up the tractor with the pto engaged. This spun a couple of gears in the fluid and maybe helped a little. Once the engine was ready to go, maybe 10 mins, I operated in low range for maybe 20 min, then felt it was warm enough to run in medium. I also had to cycle the loader cylinders every now and then to get that cold fluid back to the resivor.

Ya,that's probably what I'll do. I got the Chevron fluid from a Kioti dealer in NY. Never really had a problem even in the upper teens. Hate to drain fluid that is otherwise fine. Over thinking things is one of my faults. I will be going to a synthetic fluid at the next service. Chevron does make an all weather fluid but it seems to be only sold in 55 gal. drums?? Looks like Kubota fluid next time around.

 

[marchanna]

Kubota SUDT2 is an excellent full synthetic and around here it is a good price (Nova Scotia). I put Klondike full syn in mine as it had a little better cold flow properties, but I doubt you would really tell the difference. Either, in cold climates it’s good to use a multi-grade full syn motor oil and utf. While I do think that full syns over better protection, the primary reason to use them is for the multi-grade spread that you simple can’t get with dino oil. I use Amsoil 5w40 for my motor oil.

Even on a cold start at -20c (-4f) my loader runs nice and fast right on start up. Maybe not as fast as in the summer, but I can hardly tell the difference.

 

[jabelding]

I wouldn't worry about it, here in Maine we regularly see 0 and below F and have never had a problem just need to take it slow until things warm up. On my shuttle Kioti I usually start it and let it run for a few mins then put the high low lever in neutral then shift the gear selector in 4th gear and up the rpm to 1200 and let it run that way for 15 min that warms the fluid and engine nicely. On my hydro dear I shift the High low to neutral and again run the hydro at 1/2 speed and bring up the rpms a little also warms the fluid and engine nicely.

 

[tiogajoe]

Stopped by my local JD dealer today. Picked up 6gals of gard low vis oil for $100. Will put this in over the weekend.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My loader tractor has 15w 40 Rotella in the diesel, and CIH HYtran in the rest of it.

It goes below zero F here, but my tractor starts right up... I just let it, "fast idle" for a while, before loading it in any way and I've been doing it that way with all of my tractors for MANY years, without any problems at all.

I wouldn't be worried about yours in any way...

SR