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KEEPING YOUR TRACTOR IN THE WINTER?

D

Detmurds

Member
Here in Washington State, I keep my 641 Workmaster Ford in my small barn. I hear some people say one can keep such a horse outside as long as it is maintained during cold weather, and then some say it should be covered at all times when not in use.

How to you "park" your tractor during the winter months? And if you keep it outside, what if anything do you do to protect it?
 
I try to keep mine in a shed or barn. Nothing fancy and some of them end up sitting out. My one of my dozers is out right now, cant move it until the ground thaws. The main concern of mine is the ones that have rips in the seats to make sure they stay in so I dont get a wet sensation when I sit down.
 
i keep mine the same as i do in the summer keep it parked in the shed.i got 2 masseys both diesels a 35 and a 165.i use them several times a week and when im done with em they go back in the shed.
RICK
 
I havea Cub Iplow my snowwith and it is in the garage in the winter because I don't hav a hand place to park it for plowing. In the summer it sits out as I don,t have that much room in the garage with everything else. I don't think the winter is as hard on things sitting out as the summer with the hot sun and rain.
 
this poor guy was kept outside ,I would guess most of its life, need I say more?
a27271.jpg
 
you ask a good question and I am ven.turing off a little with this comment. I know people have the right to keep their tractors the way they want, and it is none of my buisness, but Isee so many people who leave there tractors outside, and the crap that they keep in the shed or barn doesnt seem worth the tractor sitting outside, sometimes, they could fit the tractor inside if they juggled stuff around and everything could fit, Has anybody else ever seen this? A very good friend of mine leaves his tractors outside and most of them are almost shot now. I offer to help him get them inside, but I dont annoy him about it because he is a good friend and like I said it is his stuff, not mine ., but I was wondering if anyone else has a similar situation.
 
In the living room if I could. Garage in winter in front of the Harley, outside under a
secure tarpaulin in summer.

Even though mice are always a problem
 
All mine "four of them" sit in a 55 degree heated garage. It makes starting the cub easy for plowing the snow.

But it keeps the restored ones in perfect condition.

Stabil in the fuel and battery tenders on the batterys.
 
Except for my modern cab tractor they stay under cover. and the cab tractor gets a wax job each winter service time to protect the paint. I would like to offer two things: no cover is better than tight clear plastic due to condensation and then rust everywhere, and the side air intake on the old Fords will admit plenty of snow and wind driven rain into the oil bath air cleaner.
 
My big tractors stay outside, both are diesels and have good hoods and cabs. The smaller gas tractors all stay inside. Like the picture that Larry posted, all that snow gets on the electrical components.
 
Mine usually just sit where I parked them the last time I used them in the fall. If I think about it, I'll put them close enough so I can run a cord to plug them in just in case I need to get one running in the winter. Check the antifreeze and throw a quart of powerservice in the tank and walk away. I don't have show tractors, mine have to work.
 
do you have room to keep them inside? I know a lot of people dont have enough room, and that is understandable, most real farmers dont have enough room to keep all their stuff inside. It is a whole nother ballgame when you have the amount of equiptment needed to farm.
 
My '49 8n is not the best looking machine ,but I keep it inside. I try to keep all my stuff inside out of the weather. It doesn't matter if it is snow or rain or sunshine, equipment takes a beating when left outdoors.
 
I traded in a 12 year old tractor a few years ago and got almost what I paid for it new. That tractor never spend a night outside the barn. I waxed it about once a year. To me, it makes a difference and when I spend alot of money on something I like to take care of it. I will leave a tractor outside now and again during the warmer months as they are being used but still try to get them under cover most of the time. Just my opinion and to each his own.
 
the tractor in that pic larry posted is in about the same condition as this 1946 N im refurbishing for a customer right now, i just cant see spending money for equipment, then not careing for it, i only have room for 2 tractors inside, but my chore tractor, a jubilee, sees dailey use year around so it sits outside but i do cover it with a tarp at night or if the weather looks bad
 
i cover mine with 2 tarps, mostly because i don't get to work/play with it as much as i'd like. But then again we don't get too much snow in lousiania, hell of alot of rain though!

38901_1348400278798_1495069865_30780078_741873_n.jpg"
 
its not mine., it was given to my brother recently It is an International SOMETHING LIKE B 14 I think, it is a diesel and it runs ok but does smoke a lot
 
I've got room in the heated shop for the two that get the most winter use. The rest stay outside, but under a lean to shed.

I don't care for tarps. They either sweat or get snow & ice built up where you can't get them uncovered unless it's above freezing.

My only "golden rule" regarding tractors and winter weather is, I try to start 'em and let 'em run up to operating temp AT LEAST once every couple weeks. Hopefully that keeps things oiled, burns out most all the moisture, and keeps the batteries charged.
 
Every two weeks would be quite a chore. I plan for once a month and only when the daytime temp is over 40 degrees F. The temperature restriction sometimes makes it a shorter three weeks or a slightly longer five weeeks.
 
Larry, I'm ashamed to say that you have described me perfectly. I recently bought a 35 year old Ford truck that's in real nice shape. Didn't have a dry spot for it, and was measuring up for a leanto on the end of the machine shed. I finally realized how foolish it was to spend $$$$ on a leanto, when some of the junk I was housing inside was worth no more than scrap value. I had a good long overdue house cleaning and I'm proud to say that my old Ford hasn't even gotten any dew on it since I brought it home.

Paul
 
I keep my horse outside. I feed him a little oats
but once he gets his winter hair he takes it all
right unless we get a wet snow or rain. An animal
gets chilled if his hide is soaked. Oh, tractors?
The ones I use are mostly outside with timers on the
block heaters to come on in the wee hours of the
morning. The ones that set do just that. Set. I like
to keep them shedded if I can. My nice restored
tractors are in a heated building.
 
Sadly, I am one who unfortunately lets tractors sit outside..

I have 2 buildings that I can store stuff in..

One is our 24x40 shop. I try to put my loader tractor inside that as I can easily start it up and pull it out so we can get other stuff in (My dad and I do minor mechanic projects on evenings and weekends, so we often have someone else's car/truck/tractor to be worked on) That takes up half the shop, the other half usually holds one "project tractor" and depending on the season either the snowmobiles or another tractor.

My second building is a old corn crib, 12'x35' or so.. I pack as much as I can in there.. have even cut large doors in the cribs to store the garden tractors and a couple old snowmobiles that I have mechanically restored. During the winter, I can usually get 2 narrow front and 1 wide front tractor in there.. but this winter one narrow front is in the shop, so I might only get 2 in there.

I do have one tractor in another barn at an uncles house, but last time I was there I looked and I really have to find somewhere else for it.. before the barn falls on it.

I have 6 more payments on my pickup truck, so maybe after that is paid off there'll be a loan to build a new barn.. Meanwhile, I have 2 tractors, a self propelled corn picker, plows, disc, planter, etc sitting outside.. I should sell my equipment since I'm not farming, but every year I say I'm gonna farm again..

Brad
 
either in a garage or outside at my aunt house during christmas,
for decoration.

If you do keep them outside, Make sure the antifreeze is correct
50/50

Make sure the oil in the transmission doesn't have water in it
from condensation, Could freeze and cause problems if you try
to move it in the cold.

Also if you have water in the tires as ballast, DONT MOVE IT,
very scary and can ruin your tires.

Put something over you exhaust or run some duct tape over
your rain cap, In one of those windy stroms the rain cap could
blow open and allow the snow in.

Keep the battery up, Or run it once and awhile, Keep the fuel
level up with fresh gas and some kind of dry gas or marine fuel
sta-bil
 
Although it is best to put machines in a shed or barn, you then have the fire danger. I know several incidents of fires, where all the tractors and implements were destroyed.
 
Mine are all inside, along with my combine. No heat, just keep 'em out of the snow. Show tractors get stabil in the gas, others get used all winter. Hay baler is under an overhang, the rest is in Mother Natures Machine Shed.
 
I just bought a new Kubota that had been setting outside for 18 months. They discounted it heavely because of weather damage in addition Kubota warranted all of the plastic parts including the steering wheel. Keep them in the shed. I have a 1989 that looks like new, always in the shed when not in use, winter and summer.
 

A bunch of good comments!

I have seen many pictures of tractors that were dead in a field, but rarely does one see them in covered or enclosed space.

Looking at my Ford Tractor 601 and 801 Series Owner's Manual, it says on page 52: Tractors which are used seasonally should be protected while in storage. (as well as some other suggestions)
 
All of the Fords are in sheds even the two parts tractors. The Massey 165 is outside. Dad don't like the Massey much. But here in south Mississippi not much snow and not too cold most of the time.
 
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