BRRRRR, My Kubota didn't like the cold ! -21 F

Started my loader tractor this morning ,winter fuel and anti glee in the fuel . Ran for about 2 minutes , and quit. Dang !! Swapped the fuel filter, and started right up, then died again. Pulled the filter off, some of the fuel was gone from the filter, topped it up , back on , started right up , and died. Pull off filter again , and you know by now , my fingers are starting to get a bit slower . This time same thing, some of the fuel was gone. Turned on the key , so the fuel pump could run and noticed very little fuel coming out of where the filter should have been. Put some pipe insulation around the pump, and stuck the hair dryer in there , and let it run for a while. topped up the filter and put it back on. 15 minutes later I tried to start the tractor, and it fired right up , but ran rough. Let it warm up and placed some cardboard if front of the rad to help warm the engine. Seems the pump doesn't like the cold. By the time I had the darn tractor running , I was starting to feel the same way. My wife told me later that she herd on the news , a fella in the next county tried to warm his tractor with a propane torch, and got it a bit to warm. He willbe looking for a new tractor now. lol

Not much of anything likes to work in those kinda temps, but, the show must go on.

My cousin is a longhaul trucker like Jon F. He pulled in late Friday night and parked up at the farm. He went to fire the truck up this morning and it would start and stall. They called here looking for another torpedo heater to heat both tanks and the engine compartment. I guess they haven't had much luck. The truck is still setting at the farm this afternoon.
Loren

You don't have straight #1 in your loader tractor when that kind of temperature is possible????

Living in northern ND I cannot even IMAGINE that!

Bruce you will have to admit -21 is a little on the cold side. We run fuel additive but doubt that I have a lot that would run here at -21. Glad you got it going. A tarp over it with just one light bulb under it might help break the cold.

I try to prepare not to need any of my tractors when it is as cold as today. When I had my beef herd I had to use the tractor and loader everyday or so but I wisely sold them last spring. It is not just getting the tractor stared that causes me to worry but it all those parts that are not getting lubed because the oils are too cold to flow correctly. I will start one tomorrow to clear the snow off the drive but I will wait until the temp is in the high teens first.
I feel for you all that have animals and other chores that must be done everyday. I also admire you all for your dedication to all things worth while. Happy farming.

It was -16' here in VT. My Kubota M7040 was just fine. Get some " K100 Diesel" for it.

What kind of fuel treatment?

I hope you warmed your hands up good before you grabbed on to those jersey's!!! Had -3 here in central michigan, made chores a little bit like work.

After you changed the filter, you should have put a gallon of gas in and stirred it up. My buddy did that all of the time when he did road service calls. If a lot of diesel put in 2 gallons and stir it up with a broom handle or what ever.

Only got down to +3F here this morning. The Fiat Oliver started right up after about 20 seconds with the thermo start. Had to use a little ether on the old 77 gas. At least I say I had to. I know that tractor well enough to know it's just easier and quicker if I do it right from the start when it's that cold.

I guess we are getting soft. All the equipment that was needed to feed with was parked inside the heated shop all this week. It just is much easier on the equipment and the operators if the stuff does not have to start out with sub zero temperatures.

Dad was pushing manure with my 1600 yesterday and was driving up onto the pile, when the front tire broke through, then a back tire. I think it was in the lower single digits, and by the time I got there it was getting dark fast.

Dad had the 1855 plugged in for a short while before I got there to help, but she was still cold. Battery was a little weak from sitting since what I think was November when we finished plowing (and still hooked to the plow). I was going to put just a splash of fuel in it and when I went around to the left side of the tractor to plug in the fuel pump on the tank, I saw oil spewing out from under the platform. Turned out the hose used to replace the metal cooler line pushed off the end of the steel line, and probably 2 gallons made it to the ground before I got it shut down. Dad put it back on while I got into some work clothes.

We hooked the 18 to the 16, but without chains all I did was dig away the snow until I was down to ice, and then the 1855 was stuck in the holes it had dug in the snow.

We ended up using a fence post chained to the tire, and the loader to pickup the front/push it out, and the post helped get the back moving.

Not a trick we like to use, but there are times that it's a matter of desperation. The Massey 285 is very cold blooded and has weak batteries. Dad plugged it in after we got the 18 stuck on the ice. Seeing how it's got chains, he probably should have tried that one first.

But, my Ollie got out on her own power, and then helped get the 18 out.

Donovan from Wisconsin

The 1020 (gas) lit last night to move bales into the barn. She complained a bit but I let her run for 10 min to let everything limber up. I had an choice of a diesel 2120 when I bought this one but went for the gasser for just this reason. Still don't miss the dealership times when I would spend many cold days getting iron running.

Anything north of interstate 80 should have 75 to 100% number 1 fuel in it this time of year. Anti gell does not work. I know from experience. I owned a fuel business for 15 years, and spent many hours out along roads, in feed lots, back in pastures filling tractors and along highways filling trucks because someone's brother in law of grandpa's great grandson told them that mouse pee would keep them going. I got calls 24-7 most of them seem to come on Christmas or New Years day. My darned competition would not go out, as a result I was able to pick up quite a few new accounts. Got so that the guys with anything to feed depended on me to start blending in early OCTOBER, Depending on the account, we started out at 75% #2- 25% #1 and anything after the 1st week of Nov at least 90% #1 bal #2. Many insisted on straight #1.

(quoted from post at 13:31:50 02/14/16) You don't have straight #1 in your loader tractor when that kind of temperature is possible????

Living in northern ND I cannot even IMAGINE that!

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A farmer/trucker friend from midway up in Saskatchewan told me they have either summer or winter fuel. He had not heard of mixing varying amounts of #1 with #2. What do the rest of you Canadians say about it?

Any time I have to start a tractor when it's that cold I like to take the 100,000 btu Reddy Heater and let it run pointed at the tractor "from a safe distance" and it only takes about ten minutes to make a HUGE difference with how things will run and start.

My little Kubota Loader tractor started this morning. It was -6 degrees here when I started it. I use it everyday in the winter. I change the fuel filter before the start of winter weather and clean the fuel bowl every couple months on it. I add Power Service to my bulk fuel tank during the winter months.

I had a problem a few years back when I didn't change the filter for over a year and got a little lax on cleaning the fuel bowl. I went through what you did today and its no fun. I have a bigger Kubota on the feed grinder I use once a week and do the same with that one. The coldest weather I can remember starting one of them was -19 degrees. I do plug them in sometimes if time will allow prior to using them in the real cold weather although they will both start without plugging them in. I just figure its a little easier on them.

Don I just find it hard to believe guys with livestock would not have tractors plugged in ready to go. It sounds like you depend on one tractor to run on a daily basis. Once it is cold I have a minimum of two or three tractors at each place we feed ready to go 24/7. I do not know when I may need something in an emergency so I figure the small cost of the extra electric, verses the wear and tear on trying to start cold equipment, a small price for readiness. This also extends to tire chains when snow/ice is the norm.

I know many dairy guys that have stations barns do not have to use tractors everyday but I sure would not sleep well without knowing I COULD use them if I need.

Back when dad milked cows the 4010 diesel was on the manure spreader and even though it was inside it was plugged into a timer so he did not have to be concerned about unnecessary electric usage. He spread manure late in the morning and the heater ran maybe an hour and a half. The others were easy starting gas tractors. I am surprised that more farmers do not have a timer setup available if needed. It helped that dad had a set routine as to when he did things. I guess if a guy does not then that makes plugging in the tractor a little more problematic in terms of electric usage versus convenience of start up.

Had blended fuel in my pickup and it gelled up when we hit a real cold snap about 20 below for a week I did not have antigell in the fuel when it's gets that cold I always double up the antigell and usually never have a problem we had a really warm winter up until that cold snap now I know some people around here think that fuel companies will protect us and there's never a reason for fuel additives but I've never had a problem until I quit using it. and I know other people will say I've ran a diesel for 50 years and never had to use an additive well good for them but I'm not going to be stuck beside the freeway while I wait for the fuel companies to come ungell my truck

Ive been very lucky, my Kubota has never failed to start even at -25 f even though it doesn't have a block heater. 2 of the 4 glow plugs are bad now and the battery is 14 years old so I'm sure it's gonna let me down some morning. The old international we had used to gell all the time and wouldn't start below freezing unless it was plugged in. Sometimes if you towed it so the filters faced south on a sunny day it would thaw out enough after gelling if you could reach it with a cord for the coolant heater.

True, dad uses the 1600 to get feed from the bag on a daily basis and to push manure every so many days. Without it, no other tractor can do it's job. If the 1600 won't start, he'll just get some small squares out of the hay mow and feed them dry hay until I look at it and get it going again (very rare occurrence).

As far as breaking through the pile, that was more of a freak thing. The 1855 was plugged in for about an hour by the time I got there and although it cranked a little slow, the gear reduction starter on it proved itself and spun it fast enough to get it going. Only used the preheat button for about 25 seconds, when it says to use it for atleast 40 seconds in the cold like this.

Tire chains, yea we need them on the 1600. The 1855 doesn't really come out to play in the winter so it's not ever an issue. The 285 has chains on it, and dad's last loader tractor (a Massey 165) had chains, but we haven't picked up a set yet. I really need to just fix up the 165 so he can use it again but it's on the back burner.

Donovan from Wisconsin

(quoted from post at 17:24:37 02/14/16) Anything north of interstate 80 should have 75 to 100% number 1 fuel in it this time of year. Anti gell does not work. I know from experience. I owned a fuel business for 15 years, and spent many hours out along roads, in feed lots, back in pastures filling tractors and along highways filling trucks because someone's brother in law of grandpa's great grandson told them that mouse pee would keep them going. I got calls 24-7 most of them seem to come on Christmas or New Years day. My darned competition would not go out, as a result I was able to pick up quite a few new accounts. Got so that the guys with anything to feed depended on me to start blending in early OCTOBER, Depending on the account, we started out at 75% #2- 25% #1 and anything after the 1st week of Nov at least 90% #1 bal #2. Many insisted on straight #1.

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You need to find a better product I've ran straight number 2 as cold 20 below and not gelled up quite a few times