Hooking Jumper Cables Directly to Starter.

[pmsmechanic]

I read this whole thread last night and now again this morning. I was going to "save my breath" but I've had a few hours to think about this.

First of all Harry you make valid points. Who wants to deal with the preventable death of a loved one.

That being said I believe there are times when you have no other choice but to give a vehicle/tractor a boost. I prefer to hook up to the battery posts but try that on a tractor where the batteries are buried under the cab floor. Sometimes it's just safer to hook up directly to the starter.

But you have to think about how you are going to do this. I always double or triple check for gears in neutral or preferably park. Next before you even start the process, in your mind come up with a safety plan if things do go south. Ask yourself what are you going to do if the tractor lurches forward or backwards. Think about where you can safely go. If I hook the booster cable to the starter is there a chance that I'll also touch the solenoid wire at the same time? Is there a chance that the clamps will touch something they shouldn't and cause sparking? Take steps to prevent those scenarios from happening.

I don't like to use a screwdriver to jump the solenoid terminal. I have a remote starter button with about three feet of wire. With the attached alligator clamps you fasten one end to the solenoid lug and the other end to power. When you push the button then the starter turns over. You don't need to be standing right in front of the rear wheel while cranking over the engine. There is enough wire length that I can be sitting in the tractor seat while cranking over the engine. Think about that for a minute. I'm now in a position to control the tractor if I need to. Even though I've checked several times that the transmission wasn't in gear.

If I'm adjusting valves and need to roll the engine over I disable it's ability to start. Leave the key off or pull the shut off knob out and fasten it that way. If it's a gas job you can pull the coil wire. Try to ensure two safety measures. Ie tractor in neutral/park/park brake on and disable starting or remote starting from the tractor seat etc.

Lastly I boost other vehicle/tractors regularly with my work truck. I finally made a boost point on my truck. I have two short battery cables leading to the outside of the truck. There is a plate with two large brass terminals. One black and one red. I don't even need to open the hood to boost something. It's just one less source of frustration which makes the job safer. I should have done it years ago.

 

[2ndhalf]

I read the whole thread and to be honest have never jumped anything to the starter. I think Harry's point is don't recommend it to folks on this site who may not understand that doing this bypasses all safety interlocks etc.

I think of myself of average in mechanical aptitude and i know people who have so much lower mechanical aptitude than I. If you recommended this technique to them they would not think for one second about safety or interlocks etc. They would just do it.

Sorry to hear about your friend Harry but thanks for bringing this up.

 

[Jstpssng]

Why???
Did you ever resolve the problem?
I have 3 tractors. I've never had to jump any one of them.
???

I did determine the problem; it was a 30 YO Kubota, which never spent an hour inside; and was cold blooded when it was new. Even with a brand new 1000CCA battery, starting it in cold weather was a challenge.
I put in several block heaters, which helped for a while; the longest lasted 2 years. The last one-which I installed in -10' F weather, plus a 20mph wind chill factor; never worked. I\

I did finally fix it last fall though; I upgraded to a 2015 3301HST... which needed boosting the first time that the weather got below 0'F. The battery is (was) smaller than that in my Ford Ranger.
And the frost plug block heater which came in it, only worked once before dying.
I don't mean to downplay the intent of your post, as you raise a good point. Yet I was taught a long time ago that if you ARE boosting a vehicle of any type for safety reasons you hook up to the dead vehicle first, and the last connection goes to the negative of the booster.
>
>
You didn't state whether your friend's son survived but I hope that he did, and with no long term consequences.

 

[HarryVanderpool]

You didn't state whether your friend's son survived but I hope that he did, and with no long term consequences.

He did survive and his dad and brothers have been carrying the load while he's down.
I will be seeing them in a couple of weeks and get all of the grizzly details.

 

[currierej]

Safety is the easiest thing to think of after the fact, I've learned that it is worth it's weigh in gold when you think about it beforehand.

 

[goeduck]

Safety is the easiest thing to think of after the fact, I've learned that it is worth it's weigh in gold when you think about it beforehand.

Agree 100%. Think things through and don’t be in a hurry. You will get MORE done.

 

[Jstpssng]

He did survive and his dad and brothers have been carrying the load while he's down.
I will be seeing them in a couple of weeks and get all of the grizzly details.

Glad to hear that. His was a hard earned lesson.
Not to flog a dead horse; yet in all of the times I hooked up to the starter, it never engaged until I turned the key.

 

[4get gto]

Agree 100%. Think things through and don’t be in a hurry. You will get MORE done.

and
There's the problem. Safety lasts only as long as the next mistake.

 

[goeduck]

And those ignoring safety may never get to make another mistake.

 

[LD1]

We should all live in a bubble too.

I am not discounting the danger is real. And caution must be taken.

But there are many dangerous things we encounter every day.....

Just had to jump straight to my starter a month or so ago. No other option.
Was in the woods cutting firewood. Was getting too dark to see much......and time to head out and tractor would start. Well crap.

Look around for anything obvious......PTO not on, clutch switch engaging.....HST rocker in the middle....nothing. And I have no intent of hoofing it a mile home in the dark with nothing more than the light on my cell phone.

Now while I didnt jump with jumper cables to the starter.....same principal. Had an adjustable (crescent) wrench in the toolbox. This being a 2012 tractor and had been running most of the day....I was sure the battery wasnt the problem. Rather a stick or something snagged some wires for a safety....and even if I could find the problem....fixing in the woods was unlikely.

So I took the wrench......and the heavy cable that goes from battery to starter is always hot. So when key is cycled it just applys juice to the small solenoid wire. So I turned key to run....and used crescent wrench to bridge between the two. Tractor fired right up and I went home.

No danger because it was a HST tractor.....but you can be dang sure if it was still my old L3400 gear that this happened to....I'd have done the same thing