Warm up and cool down - SA series

[Lunchbag]

The SA321/324/424 manual says to warm the engine for at least 5 minutes after start, before driving or using the implements. Longer than 5 minutes when it is cold. In one place it says to do this at 2000-2400 rpm. In another place it says to do it at half the rated rpm. Half the rated rpm would be 1600 rpm.

Does anyone do this? Of course if the tractor is stored inside, this wouldn't work as well. You would prefer to start it up, lift the loader and implement, and drive it outside to let it warm up. But the whole point is to warm it up before you drive or use the hydraulics, so this wouldn't be ideal.

The manual also calls for 2 minutes at idle before shutdown.

I'm curious if people generally follow these guidelines. Or follow some other routine.

 

[Rutman]

Usually warm mine up 2/3 minutes.
Most times I just idle down less than a minute then shut off.

 

[Richard]

I use mine for cutting the fields. When I start up, I'll idle for a moment, go into gear and idle/faster idle my way to the fields so by the time I'm cutting it should be warmed up.

Similar on return....finish the field, drop the RPM's down so I'm idling/fast idling my way back home and by the time I'm home, the temp gauge is very close to "C" (maybe half way between cold and the first mark)

I can't just sit there while it's idling to warm up or cool down. I've done it but it drives me nuts.

 

[sa324owner]

I handle warm-up based on ambient temperatures.

In warm weather I always try to let the tractor warm up at least a minute or two before I put it to work. I also do exactly what your second paragraph alludes to, @Lunchbag. I start it up, lift the loader/attachments, and slowly back it out of the barn to let it warm up for a few minutes while I gather things for the task at hand.

For cold-weather warm-up, though, I take a different approach. Quoting myself from a different thread...
I just looked in the manual. It states if the ambient temperature is over 32degF, to glow for 2-3 seconds. If it is under 32degF, let it glow for 4 seconds. I think I used their stated time for <32degF all of one time. "Unhappy" is a pretty good description of its behavior with a 4 second glow. My Ford 6.0L diesel won't start at 32degF with only a 4 second glow cycle unless the block heater has been plugged in for a few hours.

On the tractors, I tend to glow for about 15 seconds when ambient temperatures are around freezing and longer as it gets colder. I cannot say how Yanmar would feel about those extended times, but the grumpiness at startup seems to be minimized when I let it glow significantly longer. I keep the tractors on a trickle charger in the winter, so I'm not too concerned about running the battery down with an extended glow cycle prior to a cold start.

 

[Buggs67]

FWIW I always let the glow plugs warm for the pre-programed time before starting. I then let it idle, and it seems to smooth out in a couple minutes during which I get tools, a drink, hat, whatever. And start slow and work up to full speed. Before I shut it down I let it idle for a short time (probably no more than 30 seconds).

I don't know if it matters but I can't see how my approach can harm the machine. My BIL just gets on his LS 225 and starts it up and gets to work.

I also leave my machine running if I'm using it again in a couple minutes, in between tasks/runs. I drop the counter-weight and FEL, and set the parking brake on anything like a slope..

 

[Lunchbag]

Thanks for the opinions. I've been trying to adhere to the manufacturer recommendations, however this week when I just had to move it in and out of the shed a few times to move stuff around, I could not get myself to warm it up for 5 min only to cool down for 2 min, when it only takes a minute to relocate the tractor. But I think restricting to light load or no load operation when warming up makes total sense.

 

[bminor]

I read in the YT347 manual its 1200 rpm- which makes sense- not sure about the 424.. No way I do a 5 minute warmup, though; I just wait until the needle moves.
Hard for me to get used to the smell of the engine though- for some reason it doesn't smell like a diesel.

 

[Lunchbag]

My 324 idles around 1300 rpm. Is this about what the other 324/424 owners are seeing?

 

[RalphVa]

Drove diesel cars for 38 years and now tractors for 17 years. NEVER EVER let them just sit and warm up. Start and go, not full throttle at first. Don't need any cool down either. If any needed cool down, it would have been the VW turbo diesel. Nope.

 

[rfoxinc]

My 324 idles around 1300 rpm. Is this about what the other 324/424 owners are seeing?

I’m at 1400 idle speed.

My warmup is to pull out of garage and run at @1800 for about 5minutes