Idle tractor or turn off?

[Oldoak]

Would it make a difference if it was HST or gear? My TC 33 is a gear model, and I usually shut it down if I am going to idle more than 5 or 10 min. I am more concerned with excessive wear on clutch bearings, or is that nothing to to be worried about?

I don't think there would be any difference. If at all, I think it would be of less concern with a geared tractor, no affect on the clutch bearings. Longer idle time on an HST tractor may cause heat buildup. Don't know as fact, I don't own a tractor with a HST.

When anticipating longer than 5 minutes or so of idling time, I shut my tractor down. Why waste the fuel? Personally, I see no valid reason for keeping it running if I am not working with it.

 

[Deere Dude]

I guess I am farther to the conservative end. In warm weather if I am just puttering around in my 2010 pre-pollution control tractor, (not working the tractor hard) and the HST tractor was running at slightly above idling, I shut it down even if for a minute or two.

I use it a lot for bucking logs with the forks and I would not let it run maybe 15 minutes needlessly. It only takes a couple minutes to get a new load of logs so I can't see using the tractor for 2-3 minutes at medium RPMs and letting it on fast idle for 10-15 in between picking loads up. Sometimes the forks dip down so I have to start the tractor up to readjust the front of the forks up again, then I shut it off again. But I know John Deere had good quality starters in their CUTs. I understand I maybe do overdo it.

 

[N80]

Being less than a year into diesel tractor ownership, I've read this and many other threads like it with much interest. Afterall I want to get the most life out of my tractor with the least amount of down time. Surprisingly there seems to be no expert source that can provide a diffinitive answer. It seems to me that staying away from either extreme should be fine for most tractors.

There isn't an expert source because there really isn't anything an expert needs to say about it. It simply doesn't matter within the context being discussed here. Five minutes, 20 minutes, an hour.... it just doesn't matter. As a rule these engines are robust, well made and designed to handle a wide variety of uses. Do what you want.... it does not matter.