Tractor use this winter

I would say like others only start in cold conditions if needed.
My JD M is 66 yrs old and a cold starter but it has been out a dozen times this winter plowing snow. So far probably 6 feet has fallen and the driveway is 400'.
My saving grace with this rig is it sits in the garage with a wood heater/electricity for battery charger etc. that i use when needed, like plow days.
When it was kept in the shed far from electricity i would put a bucket of coals under her belly to warm her up some before attempting to start it..

Here's how we plow. No cold starts or fluid changes required, and by the time I've harnessed up, they've warmed ME up! I used to wonder if I was wasting more time in harnessing vs. cranking a tractor, but after hearing so many stories of cold engines this winter, I think I will stick with my team! LOL!!

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Red Gate
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www.redgatefarmllc.com

I found that a regular electric heater worked for a garden tractor with a snowblower attachment. Pointed at the area near the starter, it not only fixed that being frozen once, but also heats up the entire engine area enough for easier starting. I set it up maybe 1/2 hour before starting the engine.

The heater is also useful for clearing out any ice that might be blocking the auger, and also the chute turning area, which gets frozen. For those the heater needs to be placed in the correct place, which doesn't really heat the engine.

My JD 720 2 cylinder diesel starts in any temp. No block heater, no glow plugs, no nothing. It was just built correctly.

I have a 7 foot snow blower on the 3 point hitch. I use it all winter.

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Im taking (hopefully) the blade off the front of my H, and parking the horse grader back where it belongs in the machinery lot.

Winter is over for us, I hope. Instead of 100% snow cover, we have 50% ice and 50% mud. This will be my last winter without tire chains! I don't need the tractor much in winter, but when I do, it is useless on our ice roads. Most townships have a plow and salt spreader, we must have a Zamboni.

As far as starting in very cold weather, I only had to do it twice. Two extension cords reach the shed, and the block heater works.