Here in Western Nebraska, we had -20 F last night. It is currently -8. I learned to put anti-gel in with every fill of diesel fuel, summer and winter. It doesn't cost much, and that way it is always at full strength. For example, if you add 5 gallons of fuel and put the correct amount in for 5 gallons, but there was 3 gallons already in the tank that wasn't treated, when it mixes in the tank you are considerably understrength. Also, I hook up a battery maintainer to the battery. It will keep the battery at full charge all the time. As the cold drains some of the charge, it will turn on and bring the charge back to full. The recharging will also slightly warm the battery. Be sure that you have the correct weight of engine oil for the temperature as what the owner's manual calls for. Good job Tractor Mike. Thank you.
Just wanted to point out that there is a product called "Hot Shot's Secret Diesel Winter Rescue Emergency De-Icer and Quick Thaw" additive (among others) that can help with an already gelled system. However, it is NOT a pour it in and forget it solution to the problem. You will pour it into your tank, where it can de-gell the fuel in the tank, but you still need to pull your fuel filter and treat it directly with the emergency solution. As Mike already stated, you are FAR better off to have previously treated your diesel with an anti-gelling additive well before any cold weather.
Diesel 911 is pretty often used to ungel fuel. Just hope you didn't run the starter because then you'll need a new filter. Most likely you'll need one anyway, but better to try and dose the filter. As far as I'm aware the gel is actually paraffin wax falling out of solution from the diesel fuel.
Another thing I do to help is to place heat lamps under the tractors, battery, oil pan, engine/fuel tank area, and hydraulic fluid tank or filter. Place them under it for a few hours before you plan to use it. Also, cycling the plugs helps. Turn ignition on until plugs turn off. Do not crank. Turn on it again for another cycle and turn off. Then one more cycle and at end, start. If battery is weak and won't crank, there are a couple non jumper cable or battery trickle charger options. One is a Autowit super capacitor. 800 amps or Oz rescue mate 1,000 Amp super capacitor both sold on Amazon. They work by draining weak battery's remaining charge, as low as 2 volts needed. It will then step up that voltage to about 13.5 at their respective Amp limit and full dump at max amps back into the battery to jump it. Think trickling water into a bucket, weak battery, then taking full bucket of water, charged super capacitor, and in one massive dump, re- jump the battery. Each 12 volt battery needs one pack. So say a semi truck with 4 12 volt batteries at 1,000 CCA each. 4 packs will send 48 volts at 4,000 amps to jumpstart the truck. Done this several times, works great. On a diesel before jumping leave key all the way in on position. Whether or not glow plugs cycle, the pack will do it if needed. Once that's done, crank to start. Repeat as often as needed from same battery as each try leaves it a bit stronger to repeat over and over till started. A massive advantage to super capacitor is they have no battery Inside to keep charged so you can store them indefinitely uncharged, and its ready when hooked to weak battery as loow as 2 volts. If you have a running vehicle you can quick charge itby hooking clampl to that battery and in about 3 to 5 seconds its full and take it to the weak battery. This method just saves time.
Hey Mike it happened yesterday up here NW Ontario. -13°F. An obvious symptom is cranking with no visible exhaust, or fuel smell once it's cranked a bunch. Up here it's Diesel 911 to the rescue. Great video. Merry Christmas 🎄
Perfect timing! I'm sitting here staring to see the trees, and the below zero Missouri winds are making the trees dance. I thought about putting cordboard around the tractor, then build a fire under it. Did that as a teenager and it seemed to help.
Have a Merry Xmas and happy holidays, stay safe and warm!! I just insulated my pump house last weekend. We got down to around 10F according to the weather apps but my Fluke IR meter read down to negative 19F, I don't know if that was a bit of wind chill or what was going on. I'm a little north of Seattle and in the teens is rare for us so going negative is unheard of. I got a light on a thermostat to help keep it warm but I put a heat lamp in for good measure.
Wind chill has no affect on a thermometer. Wind chill is a "what it feels like" temperature to a mammal. Actual temperature is measured at 4 feet above ground level by meteorologists. There can be a several degree drop in that 4 Feet to the ground level.
Mike, that is all great advice. Last week I ran my tractor below 1/4 level to allow the new and treated fuel to be in the system. I think that you mentioned it last year and I am glad that your advice/tips are staying with me lol. Thanks for the cold weather household pipe info also. Merry Christmas to you and your family Sir
A story back in my past. I was raised with smaller gasoline based tractors and not with diesel trucks so really no experience with gelling of diesel fuel. I had heard that diesel needed additives to prevent gelling, but again no diesel experience, when I bought my first compact diesel tractor. I put off treating the fuel till the last minute, I did treat the fuel prior to temp drop, and I did run the tractor for a bit. To this day, I do not know if I did not run it long enough to circulate the treated fuel through the fuel delivery system or did not mix enough for the fuel present. My fuel tank was a liquid, but the tractor would not start. Several folks told me the smaller lines from the tank to the injectors had gelled up preventing the tractor from starting. As is typical for Southeast Missouri, a few days later and it warmed up and the tractor ran fine and never again a problem.
I'm south of you in Muskogee Oklahoma it's 2 thruesday and 6 degrees and temperatures are still falling we use diesel power service in the gen sets semis and tractor with great success
Central Maine here and our weather is coming Friday into Saturday. Calling for lots of rain initially Friday and then a quick freeze Saturday with temps in the teens. 60-70 mile per hour winds and probably lots of power outages. I run Howes Diesel Treat and anti gel year round in my tractor. Never had an issue yet. Anyway, have a good weekend.
NY resident, I put the antigel in the diesel from October to May (double dose). My Kubota B7800 that lives outdoors has a block heater, but I've never had to plug it in. With a 10 count on the glow plugs in the coldest weather and it has always started quickly. I do run road diesel because here in NY dyed offroad cost more than the road diesel (I have no idea why), so I may not even need the anti-gel, but the way I see it, it's cheap insurance.
Thanks for the tips Mike! Some people aren't aware of this info! If I purchase diesel before the treatment is put in the gas stations tank, I'll put Sea Foam in the fuel can, and according to them it prevents this issue, plus it's good for the engine.
I got some anti gel product that's called 911. That comes in two flavours. One is a white bottle that you add to the tank top prevent gelling. The other is a red bottle that is supposed to dissolve the geled fuel. I use the white bottle even though the pump fuel is the winter mix and have never needed the red stuff. I'm in upstate NY and it's gotten down to 0° so far. When it gets that cold I try not to start the tractor if I can help it. It's in an enclosed unheated barn but it's still pretty cold in there. It's just after Christmas and the temps are supposed to get up in the high 30s to low 40s this week. Have a Happy New Year and stay safe!
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I'm glad you posted this video because I am from Louisiana and we seldom get low temps like they are predicting. I just went treat my tractor fuel. Thank you.
In nd I use #1 diesel with anti gel, either Howe’s or diesel fuel supplement. Keep the tractor plugged in.(block heater). I’ve never left a battery maintainer on, I usually just give it a jump if needed. (-55 f windchill last night)
We've never had to use it, but we keep a bottle of Power Services Diesel 911 on the shelf to de-gel diesel fuel should that ever occur. According to their label on the bottle, it will "restore fuel flow to engines caused by gelled or frozen fuel filters". Whether it actually works as advertised, we can't say, but we feel it's wise to keep it on hand. We generally treat all our fuel with anti-gel (and anti-biologic), we also only buy diesel from a station that specifically states what their diesel fuel has been treated to. The station we use starts listing the enhanced level of anti-gel in their diesel starting in October each year. It generally starts at about -10, and peaks in January and February with treatments to -45. By the way, we don't have a heated or attached garage. The diesel truck is parked outside, and the tractor is parked in an unheated, un-insulated shop, and we live in North Idaho. Temperature this morning (Thursday) was -10, with a 25mph wind-equating to nearly -40.
When I bought my tractor, I got a good advice from the mechanic there. He said before the winter is over, go fill a container of diesel at the station, marked it "Winter" and don't touch it until next fall. It will be the first fill you'll do then and you'll be sure your tractor has treated diesel for the start of winter.
I always add a Hot Shots fuel treatment to my 5 gallon diesel fuel cans starting in the fall so I never have a problem. Parking both my tractors in the garage helps also.
I’m in South Carolina, and here it’s suppose to get down to 10°F and windchills below 0. We really ain’t use to it around here! I’ve got 2 heat lamps, one for my chickens and the other for my well pump.
I have a hundred gallon tank on a pallet and I add a double dose of the anti-gel additive to the tank when I take it down and fill it up with the red dyed diesel. We had that cold snap here too, 2 days below zero, made it down to 15 below, 20-40 mph winds and hard packed drifted snow that I had to clear off of a half mile of road. I had a cab or the road would have stayed blocked.
Most of the time I've had fuel problems it has been due to moisture freezing. I have used gas line antifreeze. In a small tank you might not want to use a whole little bottle. It worked for 39 years out running a semi. One winter my truck froze up at home. I put a tarp around the truck to block the wind and turned the space heater on for about half hour. Started like summer.
I have had issues with the water separator in my interim tier engine over the yrs. I went out of my way and made sure it was in good shape and my fuel was well treated a week before the cold weather we now have. Still barely made it through moving the few inches of snow we got Thurs after the temp had dropped. What I now suspect is giving me issues is a clogged tank screen John Deere doesn't tell you about and is a normal maintenance item too. Engine is now starved for fuel and can't purge the system of air and move fuel from the tank into the fuel separator. These new engines hate any moisture in the system and the cold, not just the extreme cold. A block heater is a must under 20F. Good thing my non-tier sub compact doesn't mind this weather.
I live in Canada and if the desiel gels up you can do it in the cold. Take the fuel fileter off and dump out the gell fuel pour some "desiel 911" into the filter and top up the rest with desiel and reinstall the filter. I also put some into the fuel tank as well to prevent it from happening again. It's always worked for me on job sites when something won't start or stopped running because it was so cold. Ps. I Use a little bit of "kleen-flo" in every tank I put in my tractor weather its summer or winter and I have never had it gel up in the 10 years I've owned it. My tractor stays outside and it gets colder than -40c for people in the USA that's -40f.
Good topic and timely….I got in habit of putting fuel treatment in both diesel and gas jugs before I fill them. Doesn’t matter if I’m going to burn it up that same day/week or not.
Mike a couple of points. With this extremely cold weather, let your hot water side drip (slight stream of water). Hot water will freeze quicker than cold water. Also at least to the point of the water heater feed point hot water will also run the cold water. While under your sinks (kitchen, bath and utility areas is conditioned air, go ahead and open cabinet doors if present. Remember pets and other animals if you have them-they are warm blooded as well and will be affected by the wind just as you are.
Well as a retired certified CAT&CUMMINGS knuckle buster I was asked many moons ago when GM brought out their first diesel car & pickup what I thought about it.? My standard reply was the American public isn't ready for a diesel. What the average diesel owner doesn't realize or know is when it comes to sub temps there's a lot in play and it's not just gelled fuel. When you crank it over you just sucked freezing air in the engine that has NO IGNITION SYSTEM!!! First requirement is a good battery #2 a good starter #3 properly operating glow plugs #4 a properly treated fuel system with BIO CLEAN AND ANTI GEL ADDITIVES #5 a block heater. ( in some it is standard equipment ) I remember years ago got called out to jobsite to start a 903 Cummins in a crane. I had the oiler pull the air filters and built a fire with cardboard boxes and newspapers and spun her over she fired up with bits of burning paper and cardboard spuing out the exhaust. To this day I have never used starting fluid on a diesel. I was told that on the smaller diesels it can and will stretch the head bolts!?!?!????
Another thing I do to help is to place heat lamps under the tractors, battery, oil pan, engine/fuel tank area, and hydraulic fluid tank or filter. Place them under it for a few hours before you plan to use it. Also, cycling the plugs helps. Turn ignition on until plugs turn off. Do not crank. Turn on it again for another cycle and turn off. Then one more cycle and at end, start. If battery is weak and won't crank, there are a couple non jumper cable or battery trickle charger options. One is a Autowit super capacitor. 800 amps or Oz rescue mate 1,000 Amp super capacitor both sold on Amazon. They work by draining weak battery's remaining charge, as low as 2 volts needed. It will then step up that voltage to about 13.5 at their respective Amp limit and full dump at max amps back into the battery to jump it. Think trickling water into a bucket, weak battery, then taking full bucket of water, charged super capacitor, and in one massive dump, re- jump the battery. Each 12 volt battery needs one pack. So say a semi truck with 4 12 volt batteries at 1,000 CCA each. 4 packs will send 48 volts at 4,000 amps to jumpstart the truck. Done this several times, works great. On a diesel before jumping leave key all the way in on position. Whether or not glow plugs cycle, the pack will do it if needed. Once that's done, crank to start. Repeat as often as needed from same battery as each try leaves it a bit stronger to repeat over and over till started. A massive advantage to super capacitor is they have no battery Inside to keep charged so you can store them indefinitely uncharged, and its ready when hooked to weak battery as loow as 2 volts. If you have a running vehicle you can quick charge itby hooking clampl to that battery and in about 3 to 5 seconds its full and take it to the weak battery. This method just saves time.
JD 2032R: if it's below 45 the battery [500] won't start the engine. The only battery sold with a new unit is that 500 amp battery. The brackets to hold down the battery aren't suited for a larger amp battery [cost is a factor for a bigger battery]. I now use a portable battery jumper to give extra amps when it is cold. The pre-warmer works but won't heat enough to turn the engine. Just live with it.
Another cold weather issue I run into every winter up here in upstate NY. The foam in the seat hardens in the cold weather which won't allow the safety switch to make. I have no choice but to jump it out until the warmer weather returns. Otherwise will not allow the starter to engage. Hope this might solve some mysteries for someone.
I’m in SE Pennsylvania with a Kubota L3010. I shop around and buy 30 gallons of diesel fuel at a time, usually red diesel although the local heating oil distributor just closed down his small customer red diesel pump. I’ll have to find another supplier or use pricier highway diesel. I put the maximum dose of anti-gel in each five gallon container when I fill it. That way I don’t have to keep track of which diesel fuel was bought in summer and which was bought in winter and so on. It’s cheap insurance. Around here it will drop below 10° maybe twice or three times all winter. However, if I can’t plow my 800’ long driveway I’m marooned. Again, anti gel is cheap insurance.😮
Batteries are another big problem on cold tractors! Often corrosion builds up between battery posts and cables and cables to starter posts such that they use more of the cranking power trying to jump the corrosion. Polishing those connections and applying die-electric grease will inhibit the corrosion later and make starting a cold tractor much more pleasant.
My tractor is in the shop all the time, and I keep fuel treatment in the fuel all year round so there isn't a chance for it to gel up...I only go through maybe 8-10 gallons a year so its not a huge issue for me. I don't need my tractor in the winter, so it just hibernates through the winter anyways for the most part, I go out and start it once in a while if I remember to.
Our dog Smooch. She's out there whenever I shoot videos and creeps into the background once in a while. Best dog I've ever owned and she's by my side most of the time.
Last week my 1975 gasoline tractor wouldn't start in the cold.... it also didn't start when it warmed up later that day. 😂😂😂 The wire going to my fuel solenoid broke. Fired right up after putting a new connector on it.
Mike you guys always blame Canada for the cold. I live in NS. Canada and am sitting at a balmy plus 10 c today and will be there until after Christmas LOL. PLUS 10 C =50 F
A few years ago, was at Ft Leonard Wood when we had one of these cold spells. We typically burned a military grade diesel (JP-8)in all our equipment (Trucks. Tow vehicle, aircraft, etc). One Sunday morning, with temps of a 0 F high , every piece of equipment was gelled up, had a bear of a time getting everything in the heated hanger. Come to find out that the officer who ordered the fuel at the Pentagon didn't get winter fuel for Missouri because it's a "southern" state......
From a meteorological standpoint, t's hard to determine whether we're in the south or north because we can get extreme weather from both places. It can definitely get cold here and we can have a lot of snow but it's been a while since that happened.
Someone mentioned batteries below and I think the term is *"cranking amps"* or I guess that would mean *"electrical discharge power when you need it"* would be the biggest reason your tractor isn't ahem *"turning over to the point where combustion occurs regularly"* ahem so yes, always check your battery connections and wheel out the wheeled charger you picked up at Sears 40 Years ago and make sure your Battery is topped off before trying to draw all of that power into the *"starting system."* obviously if you have a glow plug system let that pre-heater work too! *"don't just try and start your tractor like you would your car."* keep the machine sheltered in best way possible spot on with that...in particular out of the wind in this storm 2022 ... then I would not even try until late afternoon even in an emergency then let the engine and systems all be warmed up by said engine heat...fuel is way down on the list of worries in the Tractor business although I do think there is *"farm fuel diesel"* versus diesel fuel bought at a truck stop absolutely. It's actually a great thing when the weather gets really cold to run your tractor just to keep all of the fuel and lubricants moving as absolutely true *EVERYTHING* will gel up come cold time...but these systems are all built to run hot so run at peak efficiency ahem *"when running"* ahem when cold so later afternoon to midnight I would argue. But of course absolutely spot *"seek a shelter for your machine"* whether that be a garage or barn or certain side of said structure with a tarp over that to keep as much water intrusion from out of the machine as is humanly possible. All major permanent damage in any system is ... again spot on... *with water* as frozen water even as droplets hither and yon can do enormous and permanent damage to everything because of the odd way water behaves when frozen for an extended (24 Hour) period of time. But yeah, belts pullies hydraulics ... ironically all work *GREAT* in the cold but only after proper warming with heat lamps a great idea absolutely should some spring come loose or some such triviality yielding total disaster and a lot of cursing and cussing bleeding knuckles broken tools on and on it goes...all because what your working on is unbeknownst to you very *WET* as that's all ice is...frozen water....so yes absolutely *"DRY THAT THING OFF WITH A HEAT LAMP"* true dat because literal application of *"work"* defined as *"applying the friction force."* Well once that ice suddenly you are reverting that into liquid state..
Power service 911 will degel your fuel. Would need to fill fuel filter with 911 also to make it work however I run #1 fuel and double dose of diesel fuel supplement per manufacture instructions. Was -60 here this morning.
Hey tractor mike I have a question, My kiotick35 tractor with treadle peddle fluid level is right and clean ,so when I start the machine on cold start push the rpm up then I push down on the treadle peddle it will not go forward or reverse for about 5 seconds, then its good to go no more problems, Is this anything to worry about. Thanks in advance for your help , Jeff
It's -2 F as I watch this. I've had anti-jell in my tank since the day I brought it home. Easier to keep it in and not try to remember if it has it or not.
my fuel isn't gelled its not cold enough. if i get my tractor running its only for a few seconds to a minute. last weekend i started the tractor up in the shed and drove it out to plow the driveway and it stalled in the driveway and i cant get it to stay running long enough to move it. today it snowed 8-10 inches and i had to call in for work. I'm loosing pay because i cant plow my driveway. it takes 2-3 hours to shovel the driveway manually. its extremely exhausting. i cant even get to the store to buy any helpful products or food today.
Just an update on my machine. A $12.73 fuel tank screen that Deere doesn't tell you exists on the larger tractors and requires regular service/cleaning becomes clogged and shuts you down. Requires draining the fuel tank to service too.
No, I almost felt sorry for the Broncos this year, but then I remembered the Elway years and that all went away. If we couldn't beat him on the field, we're sure embarrassing him as a front office guy. Did you enjoy last night?
Here in Western Nebraska, we had -20 F last night. It is currently -8. I learned to put anti-gel in with every fill of diesel fuel, summer and winter. It doesn't cost much, and that way it is always at full strength. For example, if you add 5 gallons of fuel and put the correct amount in for 5 gallons, but there was 3 gallons already in the tank that wasn't treated, when it mixes in the tank you are considerably understrength.
Also, I hook up a battery maintainer to the battery. It will keep the battery at full charge all the time. As the cold drains some of the charge, it will turn on and bring the charge back to full. The recharging will also slightly warm the battery.
Be sure that you have the correct weight of engine oil for the temperature as what the owner's manual calls for.
Good job Tractor Mike. Thank you.
Just wanted to point out that there is a product called "Hot Shot's Secret Diesel Winter Rescue Emergency De-Icer and Quick Thaw" additive (among others) that can help with an already gelled system. However, it is NOT a pour it in and forget it solution to the problem. You will pour it into your tank, where it can de-gell the fuel in the tank, but you still need to pull your fuel filter and treat it directly with the emergency solution. As Mike already stated, you are FAR better off to have previously treated your diesel with an anti-gelling additive well before any cold weather.
Diesel 911 is pretty often used to ungel fuel. Just hope you didn't run the starter because then you'll need a new filter. Most likely you'll need one anyway, but better to try and dose the filter. As far as I'm aware the gel is actually paraffin wax falling out of solution from the diesel fuel.
Always used power service for 40 some years.
Another thing I do to help is to place heat lamps under the tractors, battery, oil pan, engine/fuel tank area, and hydraulic fluid tank or filter. Place them under it for a few hours before you plan to use it. Also, cycling the plugs helps. Turn ignition on until plugs turn off. Do not crank. Turn on it again for another cycle and turn off. Then one more cycle and at end, start. If battery is weak and won't crank, there are a couple non jumper cable or battery trickle charger options.
One is a Autowit super capacitor. 800 amps or Oz rescue mate 1,000 Amp super capacitor both sold on Amazon. They work by draining weak battery's remaining charge, as low as 2 volts needed. It will then step up that voltage to about 13.5 at their respective Amp limit and full dump at max amps back into the battery to jump it. Think trickling water into a bucket, weak battery, then taking full bucket of water, charged super capacitor, and in one massive dump, re- jump the battery. Each 12 volt battery needs one pack. So say a semi truck with 4 12 volt batteries at 1,000 CCA each.
4 packs will send 48 volts at 4,000 amps to jumpstart the truck. Done this several times, works great.
On a diesel before jumping leave key all the way in on position. Whether or not glow plugs cycle, the pack will do it if needed. Once that's done, crank to start. Repeat as often as needed from same battery as each try leaves it a bit stronger to repeat over and over till started.
A massive advantage to super capacitor is they have no battery Inside to keep charged so you can store them indefinitely uncharged, and its ready when hooked to weak battery as loow as 2 volts. If you have a running vehicle you can quick charge itby hooking clampl to that battery and in about 3 to 5 seconds its full and take it to the weak battery. This method just saves time.
Hey Mike it happened yesterday up here NW Ontario. -13°F. An obvious symptom is cranking with no visible exhaust, or fuel smell once it's cranked a bunch. Up here it's Diesel 911 to the rescue. Great video. Merry Christmas 🎄
That's COLD!!! Merry Christmas to you and good luck keeping warm!
Perfect timing! I'm sitting here staring to see the trees, and the below zero Missouri winds are making the trees dance. I thought about putting cordboard around the tractor, then build a fire under it. Did that as a teenager and it seemed to help.
Have a Merry Xmas and happy holidays, stay safe and warm!!
I just insulated my pump house last weekend. We got down to around 10F according to the weather apps but my Fluke IR meter read down to negative 19F, I don't know if that was a bit of wind chill or what was going on. I'm a little north of Seattle and in the teens is rare for us so going negative is unheard of. I got a light on a thermostat to help keep it warm but I put a heat lamp in for good measure.
Wind chill has no affect on a thermometer. Wind chill is a "what it feels like" temperature to a mammal. Actual temperature is measured at 4 feet above ground level by meteorologists. There can be a several degree drop in that 4 Feet to the ground level.
Merry Christmas to you too Mike!!
Xclnt Mike. Magnetic block heaters, heat lamp, heat guns on froze hydraulics. Howes' diesel treat changed my winter days for the better!
To answer the question in the title. Because you were smart and said it can wait for another day.
Merry Christmas Mike!!!!!!!
Mike, that is all great advice. Last week I ran my tractor below 1/4 level to allow the new and treated fuel to be in the system. I think that you mentioned it last year and I am glad that your advice/tips are staying with me lol.
Thanks for the cold weather household pipe info also. Merry Christmas to you and your family Sir
Merry Christmas to you!
A story back in my past. I was raised with smaller gasoline based tractors and not with diesel trucks so really no experience with gelling of diesel fuel. I had heard that diesel needed additives to prevent gelling, but again no diesel experience, when I bought my first compact diesel tractor. I put off treating the fuel till the last minute, I did treat the fuel prior to temp drop, and I did run the tractor for a bit. To this day, I do not know if I did not run it long enough to circulate the treated fuel through the fuel delivery system or did not mix enough for the fuel present. My fuel tank was a liquid, but the tractor would not start. Several folks told me the smaller lines from the tank to the injectors had gelled up preventing the tractor from starting. As is typical for Southeast Missouri, a few days later and it warmed up and the tractor ran fine and never again a problem.
Did you preheat your glow plugs? When it is cold, you have to preheat the plugs to permit combustion.
Great job Mike. Stay Warm.
Merry Christmas Mike! Thanks for all you do.
Same to you! You are welcome!
I'm south of you in Muskogee Oklahoma it's 2 thruesday and 6 degrees and temperatures are still falling we use diesel power service in the gen sets semis and tractor with great success
Central Maine here and our weather is coming Friday into Saturday. Calling for lots of rain initially Friday and then a quick freeze Saturday with temps in the teens. 60-70 mile per hour winds and probably lots of power outages. I run Howes Diesel Treat and anti gel year round in my tractor. Never had an issue yet. Anyway, have a good weekend.
Great Public Service Announcement!
Great advice Mike thanks for sharing take care and Merry Christmas
Thanks, you too!
Great advice, Mike! Thanks for posting this "just in time".
Merry Christmas Steve. Think the Chiefs can run the table this year?
@@TractorMike It's a tough field with some really good teams coming our way in the AFC. I like our chances though!
NY resident, I put the antigel in the diesel from October to May (double dose). My Kubota B7800 that lives outdoors has a block heater, but I've never had to plug it in. With a 10 count on the glow plugs in the coldest weather and it has always started quickly. I do run road diesel because here in NY dyed offroad cost more than the road diesel (I have no idea why), so I may not even need the anti-gel, but the way I see it, it's cheap insurance.
Thanks Mike. Merry Christmas!
Same to you!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Mike & Family........
Same to you!
Thanks for the tips Mike! Some people aren't aware of this info! If I purchase diesel before the treatment is put in the gas stations tank, I'll put Sea Foam in the fuel can, and according to them it prevents this issue, plus it's good for the engine.
Great info Mike thanks,Merry Christmas to you and your family
Same to you!
I got some anti gel product that's called 911. That comes in two flavours. One is a white bottle that you add to the tank top prevent gelling. The other is a red bottle that is supposed to dissolve the geled fuel. I use the white bottle even though the pump fuel is the winter mix and have never needed the red stuff. I'm in upstate NY and it's gotten down to 0° so far. When it gets that cold I try not to start the tractor if I can help it. It's in an enclosed unheated barn but it's still pretty cold in there. It's just after Christmas and the temps are supposed to get up in the high 30s to low 40s this week. Have a Happy New Year and stay safe!
Tractor Mike
Thanks for the reminder, when we built our house we put shutoffs on the inside of the basement to shut off the outside faucets,
That's a great idea. I would do that if we ever build.
Thanks, Mike, I did just that for my 3320 John Deere, starting last winter. Runs like a charm in this cold Michigan winter.
Good tips stay warm Merry Christmas see you next week.
Thanks, you too!
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I'm glad you posted this video because I am from Louisiana and we seldom get low temps like they are predicting. I just went treat my tractor fuel. Thank you.
You are welcome. Merry Christmas!
Good information! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Same to you!
In nd I use #1 diesel with anti gel, either Howe’s or diesel fuel supplement. Keep the tractor plugged in.(block heater). I’ve never left a battery maintainer on, I usually just give it a jump if needed. (-55 f windchill last night)
We've never had to use it, but we keep a bottle of Power Services Diesel 911 on the shelf to de-gel diesel fuel should that ever occur. According to their label on the bottle, it will "restore fuel flow to engines caused by gelled or frozen fuel filters". Whether it actually works as advertised, we can't say, but we feel it's wise to keep it on hand. We generally treat all our fuel with anti-gel (and anti-biologic), we also only buy diesel from a station that specifically states what their diesel fuel has been treated to. The station we use starts listing the enhanced level of anti-gel in their diesel starting in October each year. It generally starts at about -10, and peaks in January and February with treatments to -45. By the way, we don't have a heated or attached garage. The diesel truck is parked outside, and the tractor is parked in an unheated, un-insulated shop, and we live in North Idaho. Temperature this morning (Thursday) was -10, with a 25mph wind-equating to nearly -40.
When I bought my tractor, I got a good advice from the mechanic there. He said before the winter is over, go fill a container of diesel at the station, marked it "Winter" and don't touch it until next fall. It will be the first fill you'll do then and you'll be sure your tractor has treated diesel for the start of winter.
I always add a Hot Shots fuel treatment to my 5 gallon diesel fuel cans starting in the fall so I never have a problem. Parking both my tractors in the garage helps also.
How much per 5 gallons?
I’m in South Carolina, and here it’s suppose to get down to 10°F and windchills below 0. We really ain’t use to it around here! I’ve got 2 heat lamps, one for my chickens and the other for my well pump.
I have a hundred gallon tank on a pallet and I add a double dose of the anti-gel additive to the tank when I take it down and fill it up with the red dyed diesel. We had that cold snap here too, 2 days below zero, made it down to 15 below, 20-40 mph winds and hard packed drifted snow that I had to clear off of a half mile of road. I had a cab or the road would have stayed blocked.
Very nice explanation
Most of the time I've had fuel problems it has been due to moisture freezing. I have used gas line antifreeze. In a small tank you might not want to use a whole little bottle. It worked for 39 years out running a semi. One winter my truck froze up at home. I put a tarp around the truck to block the wind and turned the space heater on for about half hour. Started like summer.
I have had issues with the water separator in my interim tier engine over the yrs. I went out of my way and made sure it was in good shape and my fuel was well treated a week before the cold weather we now have. Still barely made it through moving the few inches of snow we got Thurs after the temp had dropped.
What I now suspect is giving me issues is a clogged tank screen John Deere doesn't tell you about and is a normal maintenance item too. Engine is now starved for fuel and can't purge the system of air and move fuel from the tank into the fuel separator.
These new engines hate any moisture in the system and the cold, not just the extreme cold. A block heater is a must under 20F.
Good thing my non-tier sub compact doesn't mind this weather.
I live in Canada and if the desiel gels up you can do it in the cold. Take the fuel fileter off and dump out the gell fuel pour some "desiel 911" into the filter and top up the rest with desiel and reinstall the filter. I also put some into the fuel tank as well to prevent it from happening again. It's always worked for me on job sites when something won't start or stopped running because it was so cold. Ps. I Use a little bit of "kleen-flo" in every tank I put in my tractor weather its summer or winter and I have never had it gel up in the 10 years I've owned it. My tractor stays outside and it gets colder than -40c for people in the USA that's -40f.
Good topic and timely….I got in habit of putting fuel treatment in both diesel and gas jugs before I fill them. Doesn’t matter if I’m going to burn it up that same day/week or not.
Merry Christmas Mike.
Thanks Paul, same to you!
All good info, as usual, Mike! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family, and all of your subscribers/viewers! 😁👨🚒
Same to you!
Mike a couple of points. With this extremely cold weather, let your hot water side drip (slight stream of water). Hot water will freeze quicker than cold water. Also at least to the point of the water heater feed point hot water will also run the cold water. While under your sinks (kitchen, bath and utility areas is conditioned air, go ahead and open cabinet doors if present. Remember pets and other animals if you have them-they are warm blooded as well and will be affected by the wind just as you are.
Good information.
Well as a retired certified CAT&CUMMINGS knuckle buster I was asked many moons ago when GM brought out their first diesel car & pickup what I thought about it.?
My standard reply was the American public isn't ready for a diesel.
What the average diesel owner doesn't realize or know is when it comes to sub temps there's a lot in play and it's not just gelled fuel. When you crank it over you just sucked freezing air in the engine that has NO IGNITION SYSTEM!!! First requirement is a good battery #2 a good starter #3 properly operating glow plugs #4 a properly treated fuel system with BIO CLEAN AND ANTI GEL ADDITIVES #5 a block heater. ( in some it is standard equipment )
I remember years ago got called out to jobsite to start a 903 Cummins in a crane. I had the oiler pull the air filters and built a fire with cardboard boxes and newspapers and spun her over she fired up with bits of burning paper and cardboard spuing out the exhaust.
To this day I have never used starting fluid on a diesel.
I was told that on the smaller diesels it can and will stretch the head bolts!?!?!????
Another thing I do to help is to place heat lamps under the tractors, battery, oil pan, engine/fuel tank area, and hydraulic fluid tank or filter. Place them under it for a few hours before you plan to use it. Also, cycling the plugs helps. Turn ignition on until plugs turn off. Do not crank. Turn on it again for another cycle and turn off. Then one more cycle and at end, start. If battery is weak and won't crank, there are a couple non jumper cable or battery trickle charger options.
One is a Autowit super capacitor. 800 amps or Oz rescue mate 1,000 Amp super capacitor both sold on Amazon. They work by draining weak battery's remaining charge, as low as 2 volts needed. It will then step up that voltage to about 13.5 at their respective Amp limit and full dump at max amps back into the battery to jump it. Think trickling water into a bucket, weak battery, then taking full bucket of water, charged super capacitor, and in one massive dump, re- jump the battery. Each 12 volt battery needs one pack. So say a semi truck with 4 12 volt batteries at 1,000 CCA each.
4 packs will send 48 volts at 4,000 amps to jumpstart the truck. Done this several times, works great.
On a diesel before jumping leave key all the way in on position. Whether or not glow plugs cycle, the pack will do it if needed. Once that's done, crank to start. Repeat as often as needed from same battery as each try leaves it a bit stronger to repeat over and over till started.
A massive advantage to super capacitor is they have no battery Inside to keep charged so you can store them indefinitely uncharged, and its ready when hooked to weak battery as loow as 2 volts. If you have a running vehicle you can quick charge itby hooking clampl to that battery and in about 3 to 5 seconds its full and take it to the weak battery. This method just saves time.
JD 2032R: if it's below 45 the battery [500] won't start the engine. The only battery sold with a new unit is that 500 amp battery. The brackets to hold down the battery aren't suited for a larger amp battery [cost is a factor for a bigger battery]. I now use a portable battery jumper to give extra amps when it is cold. The pre-warmer works but won't heat enough to turn the engine. Just live with it.
Another cold weather issue I run into every winter up here in upstate NY. The foam in the seat hardens in the cold weather which won't allow the safety switch to make. I have no choice but to jump it out until the warmer weather returns. Otherwise will not allow the starter to engage. Hope this might solve some mysteries for someone.
I’m in SE Pennsylvania with a Kubota L3010. I shop around and buy 30 gallons of diesel fuel at a time, usually red diesel although the local heating oil distributor just closed down his small customer red diesel pump. I’ll have to find another supplier or use pricier highway diesel.
I put the maximum dose of anti-gel in each five gallon container when I fill it. That way I don’t have to keep track of which diesel fuel was bought in summer and which was bought in winter and so on. It’s cheap insurance.
Around here it will drop below 10° maybe twice or three times all winter. However, if I can’t plow my 800’ long driveway I’m marooned. Again, anti gel is cheap insurance.😮
Batteries are another big problem on cold tractors! Often corrosion builds up between battery posts and cables and cables to starter posts such that they use more of the cranking power trying to jump the corrosion. Polishing those connections and applying die-electric grease will inhibit the corrosion later and make starting a cold tractor much more pleasant.
Yep I just had my well pipe blow just the other day , but it was a tree root under ground pushing on the pipe . Boy was that a mess .
My tractor is in the shop all the time, and I keep fuel treatment in the fuel all year round so there isn't a chance for it to gel up...I only go through maybe 8-10 gallons a year so its not a huge issue for me. I don't need my tractor in the winter, so it just hibernates through the winter anyways for the most part, I go out and start it once in a while if I remember to.
Just curious, what is the big black critter behind you at the wood line at about 6.33 on the video?
Our dog Smooch. She's out there whenever I shoot videos and creeps into the background once in a while. Best dog I've ever owned and she's by my side most of the time.
I just posted a video of me starting my tractor at -15 no problem. Glow plugs did not even have be preheated. 👍
We had down to -38F in NW Montana, luckily neither my tractor nor my car gelled up but it did kill my car battery.
Last week my 1975 gasoline tractor wouldn't start in the cold.... it also didn't start when it warmed up later that day. 😂😂😂 The wire going to my fuel solenoid broke. Fired right up after putting a new connector on it.
Mike you guys always blame Canada for the cold. I live in NS. Canada and am sitting at a balmy plus 10 c today and will be there until after Christmas LOL. PLUS 10 C =50 F
That's a part of Canada I'd like to visit. Thanks for the conversion...had to learn how to do that on a recent trip to Toronto.
A few years ago, was at Ft Leonard Wood when we had one of these cold spells. We typically burned a military grade diesel (JP-8)in all our equipment (Trucks. Tow vehicle, aircraft, etc).
One Sunday morning, with temps of a 0 F high , every piece of equipment was gelled up, had a bear of a time getting everything in the heated hanger.
Come to find out that the officer who ordered the fuel at the Pentagon didn't get winter fuel for Missouri because it's a "southern" state......
From a meteorological standpoint, t's hard to determine whether we're in the south or north because we can get extreme weather from both places. It can definitely get cold here and we can have a lot of snow but it's been a while since that happened.
@@TractorMike Lol, I generally figured on at least 1 big snow and 1 extreme cold
Someone mentioned batteries below and I think the term is *"cranking amps"* or I guess that would mean *"electrical discharge power when you need it"* would be the biggest reason your tractor isn't ahem *"turning over to the point where combustion occurs regularly"* ahem so yes, always check your battery connections and wheel out the wheeled charger you picked up at Sears 40 Years ago and make sure your Battery is topped off before trying to draw all of that power into the *"starting system."* obviously if you have a glow plug system let that pre-heater work too! *"don't just try and start your tractor like you would your car."* keep the machine sheltered in best way possible spot on with that...in particular out of the wind in this storm 2022 ... then I would not even try until late afternoon even in an emergency then let the engine and systems all be warmed up by said engine heat...fuel is way down on the list of worries in the Tractor business although I do think there is *"farm fuel diesel"* versus diesel fuel bought at a truck stop absolutely.
It's actually a great thing when the weather gets really cold to run your tractor just to keep all of the fuel and lubricants moving as absolutely true *EVERYTHING* will gel up come cold time...but these systems are all built to run hot so run at peak efficiency ahem *"when running"* ahem when cold so later afternoon to midnight I would argue. But of course absolutely spot *"seek a shelter for your machine"* whether that be a garage or barn or certain side of said structure with a tarp over that to keep as much water intrusion from out of the machine as is humanly possible.
All major permanent damage in any system is ... again spot on... *with water* as frozen water even as droplets hither and yon can do enormous and permanent damage to everything because of the odd way water behaves when frozen for an extended (24 Hour) period of time.
But yeah, belts pullies hydraulics ... ironically all work *GREAT* in the cold but only after proper warming with heat lamps a great idea absolutely should some spring come loose or some such triviality yielding total disaster and a lot of cursing and cussing bleeding knuckles broken tools on and on it goes...all because what your working on is unbeknownst to you very *WET* as that's all ice is...frozen water....so yes absolutely *"DRY THAT THING OFF WITH A HEAT LAMP"* true dat because literal application of *"work"* defined as *"applying the friction force."*
Well once that ice suddenly you are reverting that into liquid state..
Power service 911 will degel your fuel. Would need to fill fuel filter with 911 also to make it work however I run #1 fuel and double dose of diesel fuel supplement per manufacture instructions. Was -60 here this morning.
.Merry Christmas 🎄
Thank you, Merry Christmas to you!
Hey tractor mike I have a question, My kiotick35 tractor with treadle peddle fluid level is right and clean ,so when I start the machine on cold start push the rpm up then I push down on the treadle peddle it will not go forward or reverse for about 5 seconds, then its good to go no more problems, Is this anything to worry about. Thanks in advance for your help , Jeff
Jeff, I'm not sure, I've not heard of that before.
It's -2 F as I watch this.
I've had anti-jell in my tank since the day I brought it home. Easier to keep it in and not try to remember if it has it or not.
my fuel isn't gelled its not cold enough. if i get my tractor running its only for a few seconds to a minute.
last weekend i started the tractor up in the shed and drove it out to plow the driveway and it stalled in the driveway and i cant get it to stay running long enough to move it.
today it snowed 8-10 inches and i had to call in for work. I'm loosing pay because i cant plow my driveway. it takes 2-3 hours to shovel the driveway manually. its extremely exhausting.
i cant even get to the store to buy any helpful products or food today.
Just an update on my machine.
A $12.73 fuel tank screen that Deere doesn't tell you exists on the larger tractors and requires regular service/cleaning becomes clogged and shuts you down. Requires draining the fuel tank to service too.
All new tractors have just car batters in them, summer time start only,
Heated water buckets . Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas!
It probably won't start because it's a Hoyt Clagwell
There’s an even deeper question, why operate your tractor when it’s too darn cold?
Agreed! If we didn't have hungry horses I sure wouldn't be out there :).
I was a bit concerned....seeing your tractor colors....however the Chiefs hat brought me back....you are not a godless heathen Broncos fans.
No, I almost felt sorry for the Broncos this year, but then I remembered the Elway years and that all went away. If we couldn't beat him on the field, we're sure embarrassing him as a front office guy. Did you enjoy last night?
Just start the pony motor and warm everything up! ….😊
My Kubota always starts, and its never plugged in. I live in Canada so you know it gets cold here.