Should I plow when it is -15 F???

Egon · Feb 12, 2003

Pete:
Thats cold weather snow. Shovels real easy and plows real easy. Wind drifts can get quite hard and you may even be able to walk on them.

If you can hit a ski hill with a fresh fall of two feet or so it's heaven.

Egon

thcri · Feb 12, 2003

Hey Mosey,

That one is pretty good. "Tell my wife to make sure she bundles up good"

Murph

Anonymous Poster · Feb 12, 2003

I never done it...but funny, today I seen someone else doing it...Appeared to work ok...

hwp · Feb 12, 2003

As others have said, it won't hurt your tractor if it is well warmed up before you start to work it hard. This is where a heated cab pays for itself. Even in temperatures like you are talking about I don't wear a jacket except when I have to get out and clean the snow off the windows.

frank_f15 · Feb 13, 2003

warm it up real good, dress youself real good and then go at it, don't wait till it gets warmmer, keep driving over that snow and it is just going to pack and then be a real mess. just the way i do it, keep it clean for the next snowfall while i am out there i think of those hot and humid 90 deg days and how much i hated that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

MDNick · Feb 13, 2003

Pete, nope if you are losing it, so am I (which means we both have problems if you ask a bunch of people I know /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif), did that on my garage roof a few weeks ago. New roof, wanted to put down felt. 1" of dry fluffy snow. New removable power head shop vac. Worked great, still had a hatch to get on the roof, so just worked down from the peak.

My dad has plowed out at around -30. So darn much snow, it couldn't wait. Ford 800 gas tractor. Not only do you have to let it warm up forever at that temp, you have to do the first half of forever with the clutch disengaged. The hydraulic fluid is so thick and cold it would stall the tractor if you let it out, in neutral. As mentioned, the tractor can handle it. Dad went through a jug of wine and a pot of coffee so he could handle it. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Nick

SteveM · Feb 13, 2003

What was I worried about...

Well I ended up working a bit late....got home and found that my retired father in law shovelled most of the driveway out. That plus the 20mph wind and I didnt bother to go out at all....West Wing was good last nite anyway.

So I skipped that bit of freezing fun; but more snow today so I am sure I will be firing it up soon. Thanks for all the advice. (I would love to find a cab for my MF210!)

Trev · Feb 13, 2003

( As others have said, it won't hurt your tractor if it is well warmed up before you start to work it hard. )

How well warmed up? Is the temp guage on the tractor a good indication? I usually leave mine plugged in (both block and hydraulic heaters) lately, since I never know when I'm going to need it. I start it, leave it at low idle for a few minutes, then set it at about 1200 RPM and go back in the house for 15 or 20 minutes. When I come out, the temp guage is reading normal. It's a gear tranny.. but I wonder if the 20-minute warm up is enough?

Boondox · Feb 13, 2003

( I wonder if the 20-minute warm up is enough? )

Trev -- 20 minutes is all Clementine gets. Even at 20 below, that gives her enough time for the temp needle to rise about an eighth of an inch.

Pete

buck1 · Feb 19, 2003

To answer your question, no, as long as the tractor is warm. But you'll be pushing the limits of human skin....I'd wait. Then again, I live in Alabama so -15F is off my radar screen /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif