Operating intervals; how often?

[Chuck_Lind]

Currently, my TN65 is parked for the winter, covered with tarps and ready for any snowplowing operations as deemed necessary.

How often should one start up the tractor and let it run for an hour or so to keep the battery charged, the diesel fuel flowing properly and to ensure the hydraulics are operating properly?

Anyone have recommendations of winter maintenance/operations?

Thank you in advance....

 

[RickB]

You will get a variety of resonses, some will vary, few will be wrong. Here is mine. If you have a full tank of fuel that is conditioned properly for your winter weather and your fuel filter is known to be clean, the fuel system will not benefit from any periodic startups. If your engine oil and hydraulic oil are free of contaminants they will not benefit from periodic startups. Ditto the antifreeze. If your fuel and or oils or their filters are contaminated with water or anything else, periodic startups will do nothing to help. Starting your tractor and letting it run for an hour as you suggest will keep the battery charged, that is about the only benefit. A trickle charger will accomplish the same thing. A good battery and clean cable connections should start your tractor with the help of thermostart or better yet, a block heater, any time you need it. If you have a TN with SuperSteer or Powershuttle, the battery should get recharged one way or the other every 3 weeks or so in the dead of winter due to the parasitic draw from the ECU's. A fully tarped tractor will accumulate more moisture and condensation than one with the operator's station only covered.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Trickle charger.
Keep water out of the fluids and engine.
Bob

 

[Chuck_Lind]

Thanks for the info. Only the operators station is tarped; otherwise air can flow freely throughout the rest of the machine.

 

[jimg]

My owner manual says that 'Prot 10' (I think I have that correct) should be added to the fuel to prevent rust from forming in the fuel pump. Ive never heard of this stuff and wondered what it is. While this doesnt directly answer the starting question it seems to indicate theres more to leaving a tractor idle for extended periods. Perhaps good prep going into a prolonged period of inactivity is all thats needed.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto what the others said about a full, dry fuel tank and dry sumps.. and the trickle charger.. etc.

Soundguy

 

[daTeacha]

The main concern I've ever heard about is condensation in the sump or other air filled areas as the temperature and humidity fluctuate. The little bit of blow-by gases that you may have in the area below the pistons and above the oil can sometimes lead to the formation of acidic compounds in the oil that usually break down when the oil heats up the next time and do no harm. In theory, if you run it before storage you will get some acidic products in the oil no matter what. For serious long term storage preparation, change the oil where it will be sitting until you start it again and leave a long time for the oil to drip out before adding new. With the fuel system, the same idea about condensation applies. People also might advise jacking it up to prevent the tires from flat spotting or getting any damage due to lack of rotation during the temperature changes and/or damage from the frost that comes and goes in the ground, depending on your winters.

All that should be taken with a grain of salt. If you're going to start it every couple of weeks or so, I wouldn't worry about it. I've never had a problem here in Ohio with the B7100 or the DX29. The B got hard to start in the serious cold, needing 2 batteries and a charger to get it to crank a couple of times, but that's all. (No preheater on it) The old style 8N I had in Michigan sat out and got started only when the driveway needed to be plowed. I had to jump it now and then, but that was true in summer, too. The thing got so cold it had to run a while -- 20 minutes or so -- before the 3 point would lift or lower the blade I used for snow removal. Sometime it would sit 2 weeks in between snowstorms with no problems.

 

[Soundguy]

You can always run some fogging fluid in the gas and oil as well..

Soundguy

 

[dogbreath108]

I have had to tarp some old machines for the past 30 years. My take is that its always better to tarp the entire machine to keep the electrical and any exposed shafts free from moisture. Water almost always builds up in the transmissions and rear ends from shifter boots, breather tubes, loose top gaskets etc. If you live where it drops below freezing it will definately crack a case or snap a shaft. I always ziptie some full length thin metal conduit to two opposite sides of the tarp and lay the conduit sides OVER the front and back wheels, leaving MOST of the wheels exposed. This keeps the rain draining away from the tractor, the tarp is easy to put back over and take off, no areas to collect water due to the fact the tarp is fairly tight and there is the huge area of airflow under the tarp. This is much more difficult with a upright exhaust. As I remove and reattach the pipe on 2 of mine...