Minimum time to have tractor run?

[Gary Fowler]

Ideally, you want to run the tractor at operating temps for at least 15 minutes to burn off any water accumulation in the oil. In practice for most CUT chores, that isn't going to happen very often.
I would just let it warm up a couple minutes at 1500 RPM, then do my chore and park it. Compensate the lack of run time with a yearly oil change to get rid of any contaminated oil. I would not worry about it otherwise, your engine will likely outlast you.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Yeah I did the math and to get her to 6000 hours with my current usage, it will take another 152 years lol

 

[Thomas]

My rule of thumb...heat gauge reach normal temp at 1500 rpm.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

How does your tractor keep track of hours?
Mine are based on pto speed, if I'm not running at full pto speed (say 2,000 rpm) it measures time as a fraction. Thus if I run it at half pto speed for 2 hours it only registers one hour.
Some tractors keep track of time whenever the ignition switch is on.

I just clocked it today, it goes by fractions of an hour, digital display. I ran her for .3 of an hour today which was 18mins, that's 6mins per .1, if it's by 10 it's right on 60 min hour at any RPM, I was only running 1200-1500rpm, PTO speed is 2500 RPM.

So it clocks the key not the RPM.

 

[dodge man]

I'm not sure what RPM you are using when actually doing work with the tractor. I always feel anything less than 2000 rpm's is to slow. Some people think keeping the rpm's down is some how saving the engine.

 

[TheMadOne]

With HST and tier IV, anything under 2K RPM while moving is doing more harm then good, IMO. Not making enough heat for the DPF to get going and strangling your oil flow, which can be bad for your pump.

 

[aeblank]

I try to let mine run a while when I start it up.
That said, don't be a slave TO your machine. It's there to help YOU.

 

[RNeumann]

The problem with repeated short starts is three fold. One is the design tolerances of the lubrication and internal parts. They are designed to function best at normal operating temperature (I'd put the carbon buildup mentioned above in this category) When cold they are outside the ideal specs. The second is in regards to emissions. When a motor is cold, the emissions are higher. The third is condensation. Every time a motor is shut off and begins to cool it produces condensation internally. The idea behind extended run times after restarting is to ensure the condensation has been cleared.

The "minimum" run time is as long as you need to. The ideal operation would be to amass enough tasks to ensure the motor comes up to normal temp and stays there for some time. That time will depend on humidity and air temp etc- hot dry desert not long, cold wet Pacific Northwest maybe 20' or so.
The RPM is a subject of much debate- some heated- on this site. My manual (Mahindra) suggests moving to 1500rpm once started. All my Toyotas take the RPM over 1000 when cold (it drops as coolant temp increases). Back in the day, after rebuilding an engine, we would take the motor to 1500rpm at initial start to ensure good oil flow which protects the cam and other parts. Remember the oil is thicker when cold and as RPMs change so the the oil pump operation. Having said all that others swear just the opposite and insist raising the RPMs causes more engine damage. That one is up to you, your research and your manual.

 

[newbury]

Yeah I did the math and to get her to 6000 hours with my current usage, it will take another 152 years lol

Well you should take care of yourself and strive to live another 153 years!

 

[motownbrowne]

You gotta do what you gotta do. The tractor is a tool. That said, for the reasons everyone's listing, short run times aren't ideal. The oil capacity of these small engines is pretty large. That oil doesn't get up to full operating temp in 15 minutes, and it doesn't stay hot long enough to remove all the moisture that will occur from this type of use. To combat the moisture buildup, I think it's good to run the machine hard every once in a while. Don't worry about the 15 minute stints, but every two or three weeks, warm up the tractor, then do something at full PTO RPM with a substantial load, like taking a drive in H range around the neighborhood, or bush hogging, or pulling a disc, whatever you like. Let it get up to temp and stay there for 25 minutes or more. It makes me feel better knowing that all the fluids in my machine have gotten the chance to steam off some condensation.