Using glow plugs.

[JeepinMaxx]

On my little BX I use 5-6 seconds all year long including summer (Before the block heater 10 seconds in sub zero winter temps). The tractor fires up on the heat from compression, why not pre-heat the cylinders with the glow plugs? Less cranking time and quicker warm up for use... If it has glow plugs - use them!

 

[troverman]

The purpose of glow plugs is to assist starting, or make starting easier. If you've been running the tractor for an hour in the summer, and shut it off to take a 5 minute phone call...would you guys really hold the glow plugs on again for a few seconds? Nothing to gain...if the engine is already warmed up, even on a cold day...just restart the engine.

My B2920 starts perfectly fine without using the glow plugs during the warmer weather. When it gets cold, if you try to start it, it will crank much longer and start running rougher.

Using the glow plugs isn't "easier" for your battery, either. The glow plugs have a tremendous electrical draw. So if you can start without using pre-heat, that is actually easier for the battery unless the engine cranks excessively to start. The more you use your glow plugs, they also start to wear out. It will take a long time, but using them less extends their life expectancy.

If you have a modern emission-controlled DPF tractor, it is probably in your best interest to let the automatic timer turn off before starting.

 

[Jpatrick]

Some of the early Kubotas take a lot of glow plug when it's cold and it can be a really deep cycle on the battery. These glow plugs are wired in series and take a lot of current. In the winter, My L210 takes 120-180 sec glow plug preheat, this after being preheated with the torpedo space heater. On this and other models, you can crank it and if it fires on one cylinder, you can continue glow plug input to get the other(s) going.

In the summer it only takes 30-60 sec preheat, and then it usually just pops right off.

 

[Muzzy]

In sub freezing temps, block heater is plugged in for a few hours prior to crank over, then a good 5 count on glow plugs. Makes for an easy start up.

 

[GeoHorn]

The glow plugs do not heat the "head", they heat the air prior to being introduced to the cylinder so as to fool the system into believing it's summer instead of winter. (The fuel ignites more readily in warm air.)
The use of glow plugs in cold weather may actually be beneficial to the battery because it creats a HUGE demand that warms the plates prior to the start-effort and prepares them for producing large current necessary for the start.
My Owner's Manual says to use them 2-3 secs above 32F and 5 secs 32-23F and 10 secs 23-5F.
Apparently it is not fun colder than that as no suggestions are made below5F. LOL

My personal habit is to never use glow plugs above freezing and it kicks-off immediately on the first compression-stroke. Below freezing (experimenting) it takes about 5 revolutions before it starts....runs rough about 5 secs and then runs normal. If glow plugs are used 5 secs below freezing it starts on the first compression stroke again.

That's my 2-cents, and worth every penny.

 

[Gillie Dog]

My Owner's Manual says to use them 2-3 secs above 32F and 5 secs 32-23F and 10 secs 23-5F.
Apparently it is not fun colder than that as no suggestions are made below5F. LOL

Same our L2501 manual says............. It amazes me the technology of the new glow plugs versus how we had to run them long periods of time in the "old" days as compared to now.

GD