Whats the coldest temps outside you will run your Kubota?

Trev450r

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B2601, Z231KH, Woodland Mills WC68
Jun 17, 2021
21
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Canada
I live in Northern Alberta Canada, a few days ago I had to plow snow. I don't run a cab on my B2601, but it does get parked inside a heated garage. I was -33'c outside, 10'c warm from the days before. On my B2601 I do block off the rad with some cardboard to help with keeping the engine temp up a little. My B2601 did come with a block heater, but since I have room, it's parked inside. I have had to leave it outside at -20'c, with the block heater it fires up no problem at all.
 
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DaveFromMi

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L3901 RCR1260
Apr 14, 2021
610
530
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Indiana
50/50 coolant concentration assuming standard glycol mix is probably not sufficient for that area.
Mine is in an unheated garage and it started at -24°C the other morning after ~20 seconds of glow plugs.
 
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tinkerwitheverything

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bx2370-1
Jun 3, 2015
319
72
28
Manitoba
My BX sits in heated shop so no problems starting without glow plugs. Once outside well me in the homemade cab stays warm enough that no need for gloves or head gear. Cardboard in front of rad as well with 4-5" dia hole. Been blowing snow in -35 c plus windchill and Its been good.
 
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dirtydeed

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B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
Dec 8, 2017
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Wind Gap, PA
I live in Northern Alberta Canada, a few days ago I had to plow snow. I don't run a cab on my B2601, but it does get parked inside a heated garage. I was -33'c outside, 10'c warm from the days before. On my B2601 I do block off the rad with some cardboard to help with keeping the engine temp up a little. My B2601 did come with a block heater, but since I have room, it's parked inside. I have had to leave it outside at -20'c, with the block heater it fires up no problem at all.
I've been to Cold Lake a few times. Found out that it was appropriately named after being there once in February. un-friggin real.
 
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BobInSD

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L5740
Jun 23, 2020
361
123
43
South Dakota
I’ve had to use mine @ -20 F a couple of times. It sleeps in an un-heated, un-insulated outbuilding that is typically 10 degrees warmer than outside. I do use a block heater. I covered a good part of the radiator on my previous tractors, but was warned to not do that with my turbocharged Kubota.
 
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jimh406

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Kubota L2501 with R4 tires
Jan 29, 2021
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I don't usually run mine in Winter except to snow plow. We don't usually get snow when it is really cold, so my guess is the minimum temperature is somewhere near 10-20 F.

I do have a block heater, so I'd plug it in if it got much colder.
 
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Trev450r

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B2601, Z231KH, Woodland Mills WC68
Jun 17, 2021
21
14
3
Canada
50/50 coolant concentration assuming standard glycol mix is probably not sufficient for that area.
Mine is in an unheated garage and it started at -24°C the other morning after ~20 seconds of glow plugs.
My dealership sends all there Kubotas out with a 60/40 mix, pretty much everything I own that needs coolant is 60/40 we do see -50'c.
 
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bird dogger

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Kubota B2650 and lots of other equipment
Feb 24, 2019
1,602
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North Dakota
I've run my B2650 for hours at a time in -25 to -30°F actual outdoor temps. But that's after I first bought the tractor and found out it couldn't even warm itself up in those temps without some help in the form of winterfront covers. That led to my making the winterfront kits that fit a few different Kubota tractors.

The cardboard insert in the radiator did help a little, but that still leaves the hydraulic oil cooler out front in the cold. In those same cold temps, it also didn't keep the engine compartment itself warm. When it was -25°F with just a radiator insert in the screen location, my hydraulic oil started to thicken enough that I couldn't maintain rated PTO rpm for the snow blower (standing still with no snow loading).

The full winterfront kit solved all those problems....quick warm ups, nice normal engine temps, warm hydraulic oil/transmission, warm engine compartment and fuel, and no snow ingestion into the front air intake nozzle.

Here's a link to the B2601 Winterfront Kit with some pics and info.

If interested or have any questions.....just ask....or start a conversation.

We may not be in Alberta, but we're not too far from it.....or it's cold temps at times! :LOL:

David
 
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Mark_BX25D

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Bx25D
Jul 19, 2020
1,754
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Virginia
For me, it's not so much about the coldest temps outside I will run my Kubota. It's more about the coldest temps outside I will run ME!

Not a problem where I live. Single digits are the worst it gets. That's warm weather to some of you guys.
 
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ctfjr

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L3800HST
Dec 7, 2009
1,879
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central ct
It seldom gets down below 0F here. As Mark_BX25D said it not so much about the tractor at those temperatures. . .
When I was riding a motorcycle I used to go out down to about 15F. As time went on there was a direct correlation with my age and temps I would go out until I finally decided 40F was it.
On the tractor it has worked out pretty much the same way. Now there has to be a really serious reason to get me out there below 10F (and snow removal isn't one of them).
 

mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
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NW Montana
I run my tractors when I need to run them regardless of the temperature. I don't have a shed, barn or shop in which to store them at the moment but do use the block heaters before I run them. It was -30F last week and the MX fired up easily although the hydraulic pump was noisy for the first couple of minutes during warm up.

-30F is unusual based on the 9 years I've lived up here, but -10F to 25F is a typical range during the coldest months and I've never had an issue running any Kubota tractor under those conditions including a BX25, MX6000HST, MX6000HSTC and an M6060HDC. Both current tractors have cabs that will get so hot inside that I'm constantly turning the heat down which is a nice problem to have.

I run a good synthetic engine oil, specifically Schaeffer 9000 SynShield® OTR Plus Full Synthetic 5W-40
in all diesel engines. Does that make a difference? I don't know, but I use it based on the recommendation of the owner of DP-Tuner who makes/sells the chip and programmer I run in my F250. It's the only engine oil he recommends and it's what he uses in his personal truck. There are lots of good oils out there and many are considerably cheaper. Not trying to turn this into an oil debate, just relaying what I do.

 
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fried1765

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Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,843
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Eastham, Ma
I live in Northern Alberta Canada, a few days ago I had to plow snow. I don't run a cab on my B2601, but it does get parked inside a heated garage. I was -33'c outside, 10'c warm from the days before. On my B2601 I do block off the rad with some cardboard to help with keeping the engine temp up a little. My B2601 did come with a block heater, but since I have room, it's parked inside. I have had to leave it outside at -20'c, with the block heater it fires up no problem at all.
I never run any of my outdoor equipment below 40F.
Any colder than that I am already in FL.
 
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calibdovah

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L3410 GST
Nov 1, 2022
17
11
3
Louisiana,USA
I live in southern Louisiana and when the temps got below 0°Celsius my 20yr old tractor with a battery that doesn't have as much UMPH as it used to, the tractor didn't start. Yes, I could've jumped the batteries or put a new one, but it was too cold for a southerner like me to be out there. Not for me
 
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fried1765

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Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,843
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Eastham, Ma
I live in southern Louisiana and when the temps got below 0°Celsius my 20yr old tractor with a battery that doesn't have as much UMPH as it used to, the tractor didn't start. Yes, I could've jumped the batteries or put a new one, but it was too cold for a southerner like me to be out there. Not for me
Southern Louisana........great memories for me!
I went through Navy advanced flight training, was commissioned, and received my Navy wings, at NAS New Iberia!
 
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mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
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NW Montana
I've been sneered at on here for not having a barn for my tractor, but not everyone has that luxury. This is what I did last year, and I wish I had done it years ago.
Sneering is all they can do but you don't have to justify anything to a stranger on a forum. You do what's best for you. If you're ok with how you use and store your tractor then that's all that matters. Who wouldn't love to have a 100ft x 50ft heated shop? Heck, many of us would be happy with a 50ft x 25ft unheated pole barn.

I'll be starting on a couple of storage sheds/barns this spring. I need to get some stuff out of the weather. This past summer I was parking both tractors on the North side of the house under the eaves which kept the sun off them for the most part. I don't like the tractors being out in the weather in the winter, but I despise having them parked out in the hot summer sun!
 
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hedgerow

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Jan 2, 2015
278
246
43
Malcolm NE
Not a Kubota tractor as my MX6000 doesn't do much winter duty. It doesn't even have a block heater. My S-850 Bobcat skid loader has a Kubota engine in it. I have a heated shop but it doesn't stay in there. Normally winter projects in there. It stays in a unheated pole shed. It was air temp -35 degrees last winter here and it fired right up with the block heater plugged in on a timers. Used it a -20 last week to load some equipment on a trailer. Never missed a beat. Number one fuel and fully synthetic 5W-40 oil.
 
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