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Short run times on a diesel

G

GregCO

Member
I have a newer Branson utility tractor that I use for taking care of my small hobby farm. So far zero problems with it after nine years of service. Starts great in the cold even though I never plug it in and preheat it. During the summer it is used for mowing and loader work cleaning pens and gets good and hot and runs for a hours at a time. During the winter it sees less action unless it snows and then I clear the drive or whatever. Lately I have been using it to move hay and feed critters and it may only be running for 15 to 20 minutes. Are the short running times an issue on the newer diesels? I may start it and let it run at about 1100 rpm for a few minutes and then open the throttle and get feeding done. Exhaust pipe is not wet like it is slobbering, but I still wonder it it is washing fuel past the rings until it is good and hot in the cold. What do you guys think? Oil is changed once a year in the spring, but I may have only put maybe 200 hours on it in a year.

Thanks,

Greg
 
You aren't going to hurt anything as long as the temp comes up for awhile to evaporate the internal condensation. Cardboard or something similar in front of the radiator helps keep the temp up in the winter. Jim
 
When I have to start my diesel tractors in the winter, I run them for at least an hour, one is on the manure spreader, the other I use for snow removal and bringing in firewood. I plug in both for at lest 2 hours. Now years ago I was told a diesel runs best when it up to temp, ideling them don't hurt them,ect, now I heard that long idel times wernt good for them.?? I'd at least let your tractor get up to temp if you can. But that's just my opinion.
 

Idling is, in general terms extremely hard on a diesel because it won't come up to temp, rings don't expand, cyl walls wet wash and crankcase oil gets diluted, which is of course bad for bearings. However, modern diesels are made with a lot of controls to reduce the effect. To be easier on you tractor give it a two minute warm up, work it fairly hard, then shut it right down, Unless of course it is turboed and then you need to cool the turbo before shut down.
 
(quoted from post at 22:23:38 11/15/13) I have a newer Branson utility tractor that I use for taking care of my small hobby farm. So far zero problems with it after nine years of service. Starts great in the cold even though I never plug it in and preheat it. During the summer it is used for mowing and loader work cleaning pens and gets good and hot and runs for a hours at a time. During the winter it sees less action unless it snows and then I clear the drive or whatever. Lately I have been using it to move hay and feed critters and it may only be running for 15 to 20 minutes. Are the short running times an issue on the newer diesels? I may start it and let it run at about 1100 rpm for a few minutes and then open the throttle and get feeding done. Exhaust pipe is not wet like it is slobbering, but I still wonder it it is washing fuel past the rings until it is good and hot in the cold. What do you guys think? Oil is changed once a year in the spring, but I may have only put maybe 200 hours on it in a year.

Thanks,

Greg
Click to expand...
ou don't have enough troubles to worry about. Just use it.
 
You should have asked nine years ago, most would have said you would ruin it. Now nine years later you are the expert if it is doing fine after this long do not change a thing.
 
I once lived across the street from an OTR truck driver. I noticed one time when he let the truck sit for 10 days or so over Christmas, he fired it up and let it idle for about 4 hours before he hit the road with it. But he may have had other "distractions" before going back on the road.
 
I have done the same thing with my kubotas in the winter for years with no problems. Although I trade them off every seven years or so with only a couple thousand hours on them.
 
Greg Been selling Kubotas for years and a lot are operated as you do for short periods. Never a problem that I know off. I am sure warming one up ever now and then would help but I think you are all right as you are doing.
We used to have an elderly man that lived 600 miles away and only came around a couple a times a year. He would pay the shop to go out to the farm and start his (baby) as he call it. We would go out about the first of December and let it run 15 minutes or so. He would call ever year.
 
I am only using mine to feed hay every few days but I let it run at moderate rpms before I head out and during the work. I keep it running until the temp gauge moves to the low side of the normal temp window and stabilizes. Do the same with the '07 Branson, '63 Ford and '65 Ford.

Mark
 
My neighbor has a 6.4 Ford that he does short trips mostly. Has the EGR plug up. I told him to haul it another 20 miles and have it removed. He was afraid to. I had a chip, exhaust, and air cleaner done on my 6.7. I thought they were doing the EGR but didn't. When I get time that is going also because I can hear it dumping fuel all the time. I would like to use the DEF tank for extra fuel storage. That 28 gallon tank doesn't go far especially when the empty light comes on with 10 gallons still in it.
 
Thanks everybody. The older I get the less I enjoy carrying hay around. Figured I would ask in case there was something that may be an issue later on.

Greg
 
buickanddeere, cold is anywhere from 30's on down to negative temps during the coldest part of the winter.

Thanks,

Greg
 
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