Does anyone use grille covers during the winter? Even when my tractor is plugged in it takes a very long time before I get cab heat and the temp gauge never goes above 1/4 when it is below 0. My truck will do the same thing without a cover but it came with one from factory as well as a supplemental electric heater to warm the cab right away. I don't see anything in my maunual and the dealer wasn't sure either so I may go with some old fashioned cardboard. Anyone heard of actual grille covers for tractors?
Winter grille cover?
- Thread starter MattLynch
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thatguy
Elite Member
For my Dodge cummins i found some 2x2 corrugated plastic (same design as cardboard, but in plastic) use for 'yard sale' signs from lowes.. I then cut a hole in the middle then put it in front of the radiator..
Brian
Brian
pedalstomper78
Gold Member
Matt, I did some digging and wasn't able to find anything either. Cardboard, heavy canvas, etc will all work well enough. Heck...paint the cardboard green... LOL
Lol, thanks. I will probably go with cardboard. Last night it was -20 and after and hour of running I still didn't have heat. Kinda sucks my tractor only has heat when its warm!
20 20
Elite Member
I have a piece of luon/luan basically 1/4inch plywood precut to fit my machines, makes a big difference. Slips infront of the radiator cut so that it will still allow some air through
mikehaugen
Elite Member
not sure how you guys are set up, but reading this page gives me an idea. I have a screen that slides in front of the radiator, why not just replace the screen with some thin cardboard (like the leftover clothing boxes from xmas)? My screen only gets anything on it in summer when I am going through something seedy, so I doubt it is necessary now. Just have to make holes larger as you go until you find the right size that you aren't overheating.
20 20
Elite Member
Mikehaugen, that is the way I do it with my nortac dozer works nice.
Cidertom
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2005
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- Location
- Benton Co Oregon
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- JD 4520, 2305 Aktive snow-trac ST4
I'm sort of cheap: I use an old pig food sack. Inserted between the grill guard and the grill.
Whatever works! I ended up covering about 1/4 of the rad with cardboard and it helped. I didn't want to cover too much in case we get a few warmer days this winter.
megotatractor
Veteran Member
Yep, in extreme cold. A piece of cardboard slides into the slot in place of the radiator debris screen. I'd never cover it completely but in temps near zero cover about 3/4 of it.
A word of warning that you might want to insure you cover the entire radiator in front of the fan. I know that some fan blades can fracture due to the fan blades flexing as they load and unload due to "partial" covering of the fan blade area.
Tim
I also cover the oil cooler. All I do in the winter months is snow removal with the FEL. Without covering the oil cooler, the hydraulic system stays ice cold no matter how long I use the tractor, with the oil cooler covered, the oil temp comes up to about 80 or 90 degees F measured with an infrared thermometer.
Good advice, I always cut a circle out of the center to avoid the flexing issue and give some cooling.
AKfish
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2004
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- 5,420
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- Alaska
- Tractor
- JD 5115M; JD 110 TLB; JD 4720; Ford 9N; JD X300R
My 110 and 5075M have "sandwich" radiators - hydraulic and engine - (just like most of those who offered their suggestions). I've always covered the front radiator - hydraulic cooler. And left the engine radiator clear.
Never had any problems with "flexing cracks" or the engine getting too warm during a warm-up spell in the weather. I guess that the engine pulls in enough cooling air from the sides and thru the gap between the radiators.
Good 'ol cardboard - get it at any Walmart!
AKfish
Never had any problems with "flexing cracks" or the engine getting too warm during a warm-up spell in the weather. I guess that the engine pulls in enough cooling air from the sides and thru the gap between the radiators.
Good 'ol cardboard - get it at any Walmart!
AKfish
