Warming Up Hydraulics

[Kubota 2350]

I always warm up my tractor before use and was wondering about the hydraulic fluid, how long does it take it to warm up when it's cold?
Does it hurt the hydro unit to run it with cold fluid, like below 0 degrees Fahrenheit?
Tractor runs fine when cold, but I don't want to damage it in any way.

 

[MikeInEburg]

Your owners manual has something to say about this. At 0F, I'd let the tractor run at high idle for ten minutes before asking it to do much work. I start the tractor then go back inside and put on my coveralls and boots...

Mike

 

[AKKAMAAN]

I always warm up my tractor before use and was wondering about the hydraulic fluid, how long does it take it to warm up when it's cold?
Does it hurt the hydro unit to run it with cold fluid, like below 0 degrees Fahrenheit?
Tractor runs fine when cold, but I don't want to damage it in any way.

Depends what your referens for "cold is" and on how much heat power you put into the hydraulic system. I am raised in "artic" temperture winter time and warm/hot summer time. We had engine heaters that also heated the oil in the reservoir, but that was in subzero operationover 5 months per year.....

It depends your fluids viscosity, and how many filters and stariner you have on the inlet side of the pump.
If you are starting up with a 46, you might need a little warm up, but with a 32 you are good to go. Many times real COLD causes more stress on structur it self than the hydraulic system.

I recommend "exercising" the system LOW FLOW and low idling rpm's with NO LOAD PRESSURE. Like the exercise your body like when you wake up in the morning
If you have snow available on your valve or cylinder, when that snow starts to melt of, you can pick up the pace to full work.

Remeber idling only, does NOT warm up the system if there is Closed Center system with a variable displacement pump. NO FLOW on idling!!

"Cold" is a relative thing, and depends on the references....
What is your references for "cold"?

 

[northernjake]

Hi John,
I do the same as AKKAMAAN, I'm up in northern Canada, and when I use my tractors in the cold, I always spend a few minutes raising and lowering the loader and curl and dump the bucket slowly until the oil gets circulated through the system and warmed up. You can pretty well feel the difference as you limber it up. Then, I just drive it and steer it lightly before I get doing too much with it. I always think of it as forcing molassis through the lines rather than the lighter normal viscosity oil, and that is why I say slowly. If it is too cold, (and this is just me, I will not even use the tractor if it is say 15 below) somethings are just better left alone until it warms up a bit. I wish I had a heated shop for them.
You too have a Merry Christmas and the Best for "010"
Happy Tractoring,
Jake

 

[brandoro]

I like to let the tractor warm up for a few minutes then use it gently until it starts to get some heat in it, same as for my truck. Idling only warms things up a little, and gets the fluids moving. The tractor is usually in the shop but the shop isn't always heated, warmer than outside but the tractor still needs to get warmed up before getting to good operating temperatures. Next change on the trans/hydraulic fluid will be to synthetic, that won't make it any warmer but will be more pumpable at low temperatures, my feeling is therefore that it will be easier on the tractor.

 

[Thomas]

I let mine warm up 1.5 on the tach..15mins or another coffee..than slowly raise the bucket up/down,curl the buck,raise 3 point hitch couple of time,slowly start plowing...you get the feel when tractor warm the pick your range.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

As well as idle warm up, with a hydrostat you should drive off gently and not push or pull anything until it has travel say at least 100ft. Then gently start working the unit to further warm it.
Why? Because the hydrostat motors attached to the wheels don't move oil unless the tractor is moving. Gently driving off allows warm oil that has be circulating in the transmission to pass through the motors at the wheels and replace the cold oil there.
Ken