"Winter" question

[aaluck]

I mainly use my tractor for bush hogging. It stays under the pole barn most of the winter.

Is there anything I should do (or not do) for the winter? I try and start it and drive around for 10-15 minutes about once every two weeks and that's about it.

 

[GeoHorn]

Stop starting it and driving it around for 15 minutes ….unless you LIKE ADDING WATER to your crankcase. (Burning fuel adds water vapor to your crankcase unless you get it HOT for an hour or so. The high humidity will rust internal engine parts and may even stick a valve and bend a pushrod. BTDT.)
Put a battery maintainer on it.
Place a bright light inside the hood on a night-time timer to keep mice and raccoons out of the wiring.

 

[SDT]

I mainly use my tractor for bush hogging. It stays under the pole barn most of the winter.

Is there anything I should do (or not do) for the winter? I try and start it and drive around for 10-15 minutes about once every two weeks and that's about it.

If you live in cold climate you should add anti gell to the fuel before the onset of cold weather.

Fully charge the battery ever 4-6 weeks.

No need to start and exercise unless you want to do so.

SDT

 

[GreensvilleJay]

maybe add 2-5# air pressure in all tires, or raise onto blocks, to save the tires.

 

[retired farmer]

Check antifreeze.

 

[BruceP]

A quality BATTERY MAINTAINER!!

It may be wise to wipe the exposed hydro cylinders with an oil-soaked rag.


I also agree to stop the 15 minute drives.... Unless the the engine/hydraulics get hot enough to boil off water out of the crankcases, this is hurting more than helping.

 

[aaluck]

Place a bright light inside the hood on a night-time timer to keep mice and raccoons out of the wiring.

That's an excellent idea. Does that keep them out?

 

[Crash277]

Anything I store for winter/summer gets the following treatment.

fuel - premium gas with staybil, or diesel with anti-gel i make sure they are FULL so that there is minimal room for moisture to accumulate

all exposed metal gets wiped down with oil

battery either gets removed and brought into the house (in winter), or i plug it into a battery tender. i also have 1 solar charger that i used to use on my lawn mower but now i use it on my ATV

if its being stored. I dont start it, run or or use it unless absolutely necessary

 

[JerryMT]

I mainly use my tractor for bush hogging. It stays under the pole barn most of the winter.

Is there anything I should do (or not do) for the winter? I try and start it and drive around for 10-15 minutes about once every two weeks and that's about it.

Make sure the fuel tank is full to minimize condensation in the tank and treat with a good winter fuel treatment and run the engine to circulate the treated fuel through the fuel delivery system. Check the coolant for freeze protection for your climate. Might want to change oil and filter.

 

[ACDII]

Don't do anything with it unless you have a need for it. As above, add Fuel treatment, wipe the cylinders with a lube to avoid moisture and that's it. On the tractors, unless it has a keep alive function, which the Tier IV engines now have, once you turn off the tractor, there is zero battery drain. Leave it alone, it should be fully charged and will remain so until spring.

A fully charged battery in freezing temps will not discharge, but in a warm room, it will and would need to be maintained. I never used a maintainer on my B2410 and the battery lasted 16 years. In all that time I charged it once, I left a light on. I do the same for the Deep Cycle on my RV, never had a dead battery come spring, in this case I disconnect it fully due to parasitic drain from the solar charger.

If you are going to run it, make sure it gets good and hot, or water will build up.

 

[DustyRusty]

Stop starting it and driving it around for 15 minutes …......................................
Place a bright light inside the hood on a night-time timer to keep mice and raccoons out of the wiring.

That's an excellent idea. Does that keep them out?

No, but it does keep the mice warm, and it makes it a lot easier for them to navigate around the tractor to stash their excess food and bodily waste. They will also reproduce multiple times, so by the springtime, there will be a bumper crop of mice to deal with.

 

[skeets]

A couple of cats will help with the mice

 

[ACDII]

So if you put a Cat engine in, will it be rodent free?

 

[GeoHorn]

Mice and raccoons are nocturnal and do not like lights.

I also place “Tom Kat” rat bait out to make them sick and go seeking water to die elsewhere.

 

[DustyRusty]

Mice and raccoons are nocturnal and do not like lights.

I also place “Tom Kat” rat bait out to make them sick and go seeking water to die elsewhere.

The mice that run across the floor of my friend's shop weren't told that. Some of the techs are really good at stomping them to death. That doesn't deter the others from taking their chances to run across the floor. Mice are such slow learners!

 

[jyoutz]

Mice and raccoons are nocturnal and do not like lights.

I also place “Tom Kat” rat bait out to make them sick and go seeking water to die elsewhere.

Tom cat bait stations are the best way to keep the mice population low.

 

[chim]

Both my tractors are in unheated sheds. Sheds have those plastic rodent bait stations outside and glue traps inside. So far the only rodent problem I've had was something chewing through my Chevy 1500's hard plastic windshield washer line about 15 years ago. It was used daily but parked outside.

The Ford has gone for months without being started, but the Kubota gets used for snow removal, lifting stuff or something else fairly often.

All fuel is treated with anti-gel and biocide.

Never used any chargers on any tractors I've had since 1991 when I "graduated" from the 38" riding mower.

 

[RalphVa]

I mainly use my tractor for bush hogging. It stays under the pole barn most of the winter.

Is there anything I should do (or not do) for the winter? I try and start it and drive around for 10-15 minutes about once every two weeks and that's about it.

I'd just put the battery on a tender (remove if you don't have power there) and let it sit.

 

[Jchonline]

Fuel stabilizer/winterizer and battery minder if you dont run it much. I also like to do a full once over on the greasing/preventative maintenance so I dont have to do it in the Spring.

 

[BA76]

That's an excellent idea. Does that keep them out?

Wouldn't the light, a potential heat source, attract the mice? I can see it helping repel raccoons.