Better to idle the tractor or turn it off?

[Tractor Seabee]

So far every post has missed the most important argument for not stopping and starting a lot. Gasoline engines are cheaper to repair than diesels and the general public would never buy the following argument anyway.

I have been around mechanical equipment, of all types, all my life; installed it, serviced it, overhauled it, and rebuilt it. Anything that rotates has a dwell time when starting before lubrication hits its peak performance. That is where wear occurs, metal to metal vice a film of lubricant. Forget the starter issue, that is a minor thing compared to the cost of replacing moving parts in the engine. Stationary equipment that runs all the time with no stopping except for service, runs forever. Stuff that cycles on/off a lot never lasts as long. Those engines the gas companies use to maintain pipeline pressure run millions of hours.

A little fuel cost beats an early overhaul any day. I run my BX at idle when getting on and off a lot and only turn off if leaving it long enough to cool all the way down.

Ron

 

[Hollow]

I grew up around Cat engines and I remember being told by more than one certified Cat mechanic that 60% of all engine wear happens within the first two seconds after the engine is started. This is because it takes about two seconds for an oil pump to circulate enough oil to properly lubricant the upper portion of an engine. So if your only going to be off for a few minutes let it run, it will actually save your engine some wear and tear.

 

[Ford tractor]

I have had a lot of diesels in my life time and they have always idled for extended periods of time, I remember years ago our skidder and crawler run 24- 7, never shut off other than to change the oil. They both had 5-6000 hours on each. . . .John

Are you saying that they only lasted 6-8 months? (There are 8700 hours in a year.)

I also remember years that I could drive my dad's old ford all night just cruizing around and put in $2.00 and there would be more gas in the tank than when i got it. And at that time, diesel was even cheaper!

i have taken the spark arrestor out of my kubota rtv900 multiple times and every time it was sooted shut (has the internal muffler screen type). the manuel said to clean it every 100 hours. i would check it at the 50hr mark and it was sooted shut. that can't be good for it to be back building into the engine. i even checked it one time after 15 hours after i cleaned it and it was sooted shut. so i cut the spark arrestor out. the rtv did get some idle time, so i have started to limit that and run higher rpms. i know the tractor probably doesn't have a spark arrestor, but that is the same type of soot build up you could get at low idle.

.

Lot's of fires are started every year from sparks and embers popping out of exhausts. If you start one, it's 100% on you for all costs and insurance won't cover it.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

First read through I missed the part that you already had plants there that you were spreading around. Otherwise I'd have agreed that dumping and then using the bucket to spread it evenly would work best.

Problem with that is the tractor compacts the soil, especially if you just tilled it, which is counter productive in small plots.

If it takes 10 minutes, definitely shut the machine off.

I can hand load cut firewood into my bucket in about 3 minutes if I hurry and I have the stack right there, so I don't have to turn the tractor off.

However, I don't like to hurry because that causes accidents and you eventually learn that getting injured is something to avoid. Otherwise you'll end up dead a whole lot faster, and not have as much fun getting there.

My tractor is brand new, with an excellent muffler system; but even with that, working near it without hearing protection causes damage. I'd rather hear the wind, and the birds, ruffians sneaking up on me, etc. So turn the tractor off.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I have done and still doing the same as you. Load of mulch in the bucket and need to spread around established plants. I always turn the tractor off since it takes 10 + min to spread. I use a couple of 5 gallon buckets to scoop out of the bucket instead of a shovel it seems to speed the process up.

 

[HatTrickHero11]

If this changes things my tractor is one under 25 HP. Not sure if that changes things.

The ground isn't tilled, just hard flat land that was weeded around the plants by hand.

 

[Barnone]

"Those engines the gas companies use to maintain pipeline pressure run millions of hours. "
2 million hours equal about 228 years.

 

[TripleR]

If this changes things my tractor is one under 25 HP. Not sure if that changes things.

The ground isn't tilled, just hard flat land that was weeded around the plants by hand.

It might change things, but I don't think you will ever get a consensus on letting it run or turning it off; just the nature of a bunch of people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge. We have people who have put thousands of hours on all manner of machines and others hundreds or less on only one.

Many of us tend to think if we don't have early catastrophic failure, we are doing it just right and don't even think long term. "Long term" is also going to mean different things to different people.

Some will equate a 3000 diesel locomotive engine to a 23 HP sub cut or vice versa; maybe they are right, I just don't know, so I run mine the way I always have until someone shows me a better way and maybe not even then.

 

[foreman Etexas]

"Those engines the gas companies use to maintain pipeline pressure run millions of hours. "
2 million hours equal about 228 years.

Yes but dont run the engines without issue,such as valves,turbos,etc.,were also running "natural gas",that has been filtered cple times,then on colder days we switch it to hot gas,gas that has already been run threw first stage and get it off second stage that way the temp is not to high.We run 24/7-365days unless plant issues or mechanical issues...
We let them run for about 15min.before shut down(if we have warning),after running full load at an idle,then when restarting after been down awhile,restart and let idle until water temp is about 150deg. or until cylinder housing feels warm,could be 20/30min.until we put them under full-load 1,100rpms,if they havent been down long probaly 10min.before can go threw total start process to get it back under full-load

 

[Soundguy]

I hesitate to add any more "fuel to the fire," (pun intended) but just for clarification purposes, I own/operate a semi truck. It is a '95 Kenworth with 1.1 million miles. I pull a dump trailer, and mostly haul crushed stone. I know the other O/O's that I haul with pretty well. (about 25-30 rigs) Most of the time, our rigs are started in the wee hours of the morning and don't shut down until we get back home. (we all pay for our own trucks and buy our own fuel)

Also, most fire department vehicles run from the time they leave the station until they return, even if it's all day.

in my area, all emergency vehicles will stop and idle, not shutdown.

as for long life of diesels.

I remember when we bought an 80 mack tractor from a local milk co.. around 87 or 88 had 800K or 1 mil on it when we got it. we ran that thing till we sold it to a contractor taking it overseas.. that was in 95.. we nearly doubled the miles on it. when we got it, we got the maint records. never had any engine work. we pulled the mains.. they were still in spec we put an air pump and a rear rear end or two in it, hauling a flatbed lowboy, or a 21 yard dump trailer.. thing was a good truck..

soundguy