the worst luck!!!!

Well, when my Oliver 1750D is plugged in, even on days like these, it starts like she was just as if you were returning from lunch to start plowing again on a warm summer day. I finally have that "bargain" blower blowing half way decent. I figure today would be a good day to go around the neighbor hood and blow some peoples banks away, since it has a cab and heat and I have time. Day is all planned out out, right? Of all things the preheater must have developed a short inside because some time last night it tripped the GFI, and it continually trippes it. Must be a heating element issue or some thing in there. Been working fine all winter. I really do NOT feel like trying to replace it in -40 weather so I guess the old Oliver will have to sit until a warmer day. Of all the rotten luck. I cant sit in all day so I guess I'm gonna go do what I can where I can with the skidloader. Any one else care to share thier 'cold weather" suprises?

Well heres one idea... Left the 430 Case Diesel out in Woods for couple days , , Took a metal Dryer vent Flex Hose and run from Running tractor exhaust to Oil Dipstick for heat , ,,Run Jumper cables to charge very weak battery ,, Cut a little jag of wood for about Half Hour , 10+ temp , little whif of ether , and 430 cranked right up and was runnin .. Dad showed Me that trick over 40 yrs ago

Disapointing sure, worst Nah. Worst would be having a cardiac infarction when discovering your skid loader is stolen. see above. JimN

Just read about Solenoid stickin on the 3020 JD , My 4020 diesel Power shift was starting itself in the middle of the nite ,, CRAZY, Woke up 3 A.M. Heard the thing idling out back , Crazy , Wondered if I left it runnin while jumping off to take care of a emergency,,.. All this happened serveral yrs back when I was running for ReElection ,Thought, maybe My Opponet might be messin With Me, LOL! . Then ,in same week we were adjusting the planter and getting it field ready when the the 4020 just started itself Up ,, just siittin there right next to us,, . Crazy ... Turns Out We had changed the 4020 from 24 volt to 12 volt system Some 4 monthes before the 4020 began having its mid nite wakeup runs ,.. I bought the kit and had a neighbor Wizard do the work,,took it back to him and He diconnected a Solenoid that He deemed had No Purpose... All has been well for 3 yrs Now ,,Sure am glad are temps are only 18 + here in Beautiful Southern Ind.

So far so good. The starter really groaned on the 1550,but it started. Had to let it run for quite a while before the loader would work. I was a little afraid of the antifreeze in it. By the time I got back to it from starting other tractors,the temp was rising fast and the fan was blowing cold,but the temp stopped at the low end of normal. The 77 gas needed a shot of ether,but it started. The 1020 Deere started,but same as the 1550 on the loader. Had to let it run for a while. The balls were froze up in the energy free waterer. I figured if I thawed them with water,they'd be frozen again before the cows came up to drink,so I poured just a little chlorine bleach around them. Seems to have worked. If nothing goes any worse than this all week,I'll sure be relieved.

Dave...uh....you might try plugging in your tractor without the GFI....if tractor is outside, i definatly wouldnt put block heater on gfi.....See if it trips breaker....gfis are pretty sensitive.....Might just have a bad cord....

I was just finishing dinner last night when we got toned out for a chimney fire. When I got there with the ladder truck there was fire showing from a lot more than the chimney, and some people were awfully anxious for me to get my "stick" up there. Fortunately I was able to remember how to operate it(it had been about a month)and pretty quick I had some guys up there and the fire was out. The homeowners felt pretty lucky.

Yesterday morning I had to blow my yard out. 4430 started right up, let her warm up a half hour or so, and started blowing snow. Did my yard and driveway, blew out two neighbors. For -27 everything was going to good.

Got to the third neighbor, the ones that usually have 3-4 cars sitting in front of their garage. They had been shoveling out in front of the garage all winter and piling the snow off the edge of the apron. Well, yesterday all the cars were gone so I decided to blow the 4-5 ft bank away so they wouldn`t have to throw the snow over the top. Making the last pass and blew a shear pin. Seems the auger grabbed a piece of wood buried in the bottom of the pile. Good thing I was done anyway, cause all my shear pins were laying at home on my workbench. Oh, and while I was blowing out their driveway I disintigrated one of those little red plastic sleds.

When I got home I had to debate whether to put the shear pin in or do it once it got warmer out. I put it in, and I also had the great idea to actually put the rest in the toolbox on the tractor, thus eliminating the posibility of blowing another one..

Yesterday morning I had to blow my yard out. 4430 started right up, let her warm up a half hour or so, and started blowing snow. Did my yard and driveway, blew out two neighbors. For -27 everything was going to good.

Got to the third neighbor, the ones that usually have 3-4 cars sitting in front of their garage. They had been shoveling out in front of the garage all winter and piling the snow off the edge of the apron. Well, yesterday all the cars were gone so I decided to blow the 4-5 ft bank away so they wouldn`t have to throw the snow over the top. Making the last pass and blew a shear pin. Seems the auger grabbed a piece of wood buried in the bottom of the pile. Good thing I was done anyway, cause all my shear pins were laying at home on my workbench. Oh, and while I was blowing out their driveway I disintigrated one of those little red plastic sleds.

When I got home I had to debate whether to put the shear pin in or do it once it got warmer out. I put it in, and I also had the great idea to actually put the rest in the toolbox on the tractor, thus eliminating the posibility of blowing another one..

I spoke just a little too soon.I was sitting here watching the cows come up. They'd stick their noses out toward the waterer but wouldn't drink. I had to go over and knock the plug out and drain it. A few drank,but the rest are still coming up,smelling the stuff on the ground and walking away. Guess they'll get thirsty enough eventually.

Its warm here supposed to be in the middle 50s. YEA so much for the weatherman. Been cold foggy an wet yesterday and foggy already today. miserable weather would rather have 25 and the sun out than 50 an foggy.
Mark Twin once said " the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Fransisco" I believe that one I have been there in the summer.
Walt

PS I got my new satellite internet service up an running 1.2 meg download neat. Hughsnet

rrlund,

Use boiling water and it won"t make things worse. I have to use 1 pot each day on the inside of mine when it is -28 to -32 like it has been this week. I also take a hammer and tap off excess ice build up morning and night. Then 1 pot of boiling water around the ring to melt of any remaing ice so that I get a good seal between the ball and the lip.

well it's not as cold here in MD as in MN, bit it was about 19 F early this morning. Went out to barn to plug in heater plug for my MF 165 and came upon a fox laying on some square bales. It was dark and I thought it was a barn cat, so when it jumped a few feet past me to get out of barn I was a bit surprised so say the least. The MF 165 started up instantly - thank god for the heater plug. Loaded up a few round bales on my truck and had a hot coffee. Stay warm boys.

Winter just plain makes things tough. Last evening the S-10 was sitting just outside the shop and I decided to put it in the garage to get it out of the blowing snow. Hit the key and the starter wouldn't kick in. Went in the shop and drug out the charger, boosted the little pickup and it was enough to kick the starter in. Decided to run the pickup in the shop to look it over but the drift in front of the shop door had to be handled first. Instead of starting the loader up on a cold night I grabbed the shovel and went to work. The right shoulder went POP and the pain shot clear down to the wrist so the shoveling idea went out the window. Started up the trusty 630, let her run about a minute, pushed in the clutch and she died. Didn't have the choke out far enough. Hit the starter and just heard a growl. All this time the shoulder is hurting so bad just the weight of the arm hurt it. Went to the shop, got the charger and drop cord, lifted the charger (it's a big one) up on the tractor, boosted her and she popped right off. Right arm was so sore I had to lift it up with the left hand to get it on the hand clutch, but by then I was locked into battle and nothing was gonna stop me from getting that poickup in the shop.

After moving a little show the shoulder didn't hurt quite as bad, and I did get the pickup in.

All this because the *&&^%$ starter didn't want to kick in one time. It works great now and I'm gonna need it to get to the doctor today. All because a starter didn't kick in one time. Jim

Try to pass code with an outlet that isn't gfi...... I agree with you, but where can you install one any more?

--->Paul

Wife was in the shower last night, all soaped up, I heard some awful cussing, went to check on her and the shower had quit, no water. Well to my dismay I had to stumble out to the pumphouse and replace the heat bulb that warms the switch. Was'nt too bad only 3 feet of snow in front of the door and only about 15 below zero temp. 1/2 hour later momma was happy again. Whew that was a close one. LOL

It's a torn rotator. Doc. gave me some arthritis med. Physical therapy starts tomorrow. If no better in two weeks, then Xray & MRI. I'm sure a lot of you guys have been through this already. Jim

A GFCI can trip on nothing more than a dirty cord end that got wet. Make sure that the ends of both the extension cord (if you're using one) and the cord from the block heater are clean and dry, then reset the GFCI and try again. I've had one trip from nothing more than the road salt that accumulated on the engine heater plug on my diesel pickup.

Don't blame the GFCI, its just doing its job. Only problem is that it can't tell the difference between current flowing through you and current flowing through a dirty cord plug.

Keith

Use 2 bulbs.Install at different times ,gives you a better chance of having both fail at the same time.130 volt bulbs will last longer.