How to start power tillers in frosty weather

Preparing a power tiller for winter

Proper preparation of the machine before the winter period is of great importance for extending the service life of a power tiller on the farm. Many beginning farmers make big mistakes in this case, leaving the machine in unsuitable conditions for the winter, or trying to start it in sub-zero temperatures without prior preparation. As a result the main mechanisms of the equipment suffer increased wear and tear, and inevitably break down at the most inopportune moment.

The advantages of a modern power tiller are its versatility and high performance. If you have the right attachment, you can also actively use the machine in the wintertime to clear large amounts of snow or other domestic tasks.

At the same time improper use of a power tiller in winter, especially its incorrect starting significantly reduces the service life of the main mechanisms of a machine. So what to do. In order to avoid typical mistakes when starting a “cold” power tiller?

First of all you need to understand the type of cooling system provided in its design. Machines that are equipped with an air system, it is easier to store and start in the winter. they do not need rapid freezing antifreeze and constant check of the radiator. However, the air-cooling system has a disadvantage. the engine with it heats up faster, and hence cools down faster, which will not allow you to take long breaks when working in winter.

Many power harvesters need to pre-insulate their engines for winter operation. To this end, can be used as branded covers, and various improvised means. blankets, plaids and other fabric products. It is especially important to provide good insulation in conditions of severe frost, up to.20 ⁰C. If the temperature does not drop below 5-10 ⁰C, you can skip this step.

The place in which the single axle tractor is stored also plays an important role. If you plan to use the machine extensively in winter, it is best to choose a heated room. a garage or other domestic building.

If you use your power tool extensively in winter, it is essential to make sure you fill the gearbox with oil. Synthetic oils are better for winter applications because they retain their most important properties longer than mineral oils at sub-zero temperatures. It is best to use lighter oils which do not become thicker in frosty conditions.

If you follow these rules, it will be easy to start your machine. Start the agricultural machine in winter in the same sequence as in any other time of the year. The only difference is to let the engine idle for at least 15 minutes. during this time the engine is warmed up and will be ready for work. To learn more about starting a power tiller in winter, watch this video.

How to start your power tiller after the winter

Before you start the single-axle tractor after a long winter downtime, you need to carefully prepare it. First of all, it is necessary to take the equipment out of the garage and inspect it. there should be no corrosion spots on the metal surfaces of the agricultural machine, the appearance of which can be provoked by high air humidity. If there is corrosion, you will need to remove it, treat the problem areas with a special rust converter and paint the areas.

• Drain old fuel from the tank and remove old gearbox grease. The last one should be thoroughly washed and dried. Next you’ll need to fill up with fresh fuel and new transmission oil;
• flush the fuel pipes, make sure they didn’t lose their tightness and there are no cracks on their walls;
• remove all the filter elements, wash them thoroughly in clean petrol, dry them and put them back. Damaged filters must be replaced;
• Remove and disassemble the carburetor, blow it out with compressed air or flush it with gasoline. After that completely dry parts of fuel assembly should be assembled and installed;
• check the drive belts. because of the high humidity their surface may be cracked. in this case the elements must be replaced immediately;
• Disassemble and inspect the cylinder head of the power unit. if any burrs or rust have appeared on the walls of the unit, they will need to be removed;
• take out and check the spark plug. it must be free of limescale and tar deposits. if not the spark plug should be cleaned and dried. After that you need to vent the engine by pulling the starter rope sharply a few times;
• check the ignition system clearance and re-set it if it has been disturbed;
• Check the controls and make sure the throttle and brake cables are correctly tensioned for operation;
• Remove, charge and reinsert the battery if the power tool has one. At this stage you must also check the terminals and contacts of the electrical wiring: they must not show any signs of oxidation;
• Check the tire pressure and inflate the tires as instructed in your power tool manual;
• Inspect the undercarriage of the power tiller and tighten the loose bolt fasteners;
• Check the mechanism for connecting attachments and trailed equipment.

Only after these steps are complete may the machine be started.

To start the agricultural machine with a gasoline engine, it is necessary:

• Fully open the petrol tap. At the same time, the fuel intake lever should be in the “Start” position and the clutch lever in the “Disengaged” position;
• Perform pumping with the hand starter by pulling its cable sharply several times;
• Move the ignition lever to the “On” position and pull the starter rope a few more times;
• As soon as the engine of the power tiller is running you need to quickly move the choke lever to the operating position.

If the gasoline power tiller is equipped with an electric starter, all the operator has to do is turn on the ignition and press the engine start button.

The diesel single axle tractor is a little more difficult to start.

• Unscrew the tap designed for the fuel supply, gradually unscrewing each regular connection from it;
• As soon as the fuel reaches the nozzle, you must open all the taps in the design and set the throttle lever in the middle position;
• Press and hold the decompressor until the fuel is pumped to the cylinder;
• Release the decompressor and start pulling it gently until it stands in its original position;
• Press in the decompressor again and at the same time pull the starter rope quickly.

After starting the power unit, you need to give it time to fully warm up. this may take 5 to 10 minutes. It is important not to subject the single-axle tractor to prolonged high loads, because after the winter its moving parts should have time to warm up and be covered with a continuous oily film.

A few pro tips

Every responsible car owner performs certain actions before winter service. In addition, he must start his machine correctly:

First check the condition of the battery. A charged battery has a voltage of 12.4-12.8 volts and an electrolyte density of 1.25-1.28 g/cc. Secondly, turn on the head lights for 15-20 seconds before turning on the starter. Then depress the gas pedal with the clutch pedal depressed and turn the ignition key. Third, if the engine starts, do not immediately release the clutch. After a while with the engine running, you should gradually loosen this pedal, adding gas at the same time. Fourthly, once the engine is running, there’s no need to break away suddenly

It’s important to let the car warm up for 10 to 15 minutes. Only after that can you hit the road

By following certain rules for operating a car in the winter, every driver will be able to start his car even in the coldest temperatures.

Warm me up, master

Some cars may be equipped with an engine preheater. What this device does is clear from its name. The heater is especially recommended if you want to start the diesel engine in severe frost.

It is best to turn it on at least 60-90 minutes before a trip or the night before, if you know that in the morning it will be cold. Make sure you disconnect the engine preheater before you go.

How to start the car in freezing temperatures

So, it is minus 30 degrees below zero outside, your car is frozen and does not start, all the ritual dances around it are over and there is no time to waste further. Most likely because of the frost and infrequent use of the machine, your battery is dead. Follow our tips to understand how to start the car in freezing temperatures quickly and correctly.

The car may not start due to poor contact between the terminals and the battery. This can happen not only in extreme cold, but also in any other weather. In any case it is better to check the connection first of all. To do this, open the hood of the car and with wrenches (usually a 10-mm open-end wrench is suitable) tighten the battery terminals one by one to the limit. If these manipulations turned out to be enough, that the car would start. luck is on your side! But if the car when you turn the ignition key still does not start, then your battery is really dead.

Tip 2. Move the battery to a warm place

If time is tolerated (if not, read tip number four) you can unscrew the battery and take it to a warm room to “warm”. Depending on the room temperature it will take 30 minutes to three hours to warm up a frozen battery.

Attention! Never try to warm the battery by force heat sources, it is dangerous to your health and battery performance. Only gradual warming at room temperature is appropriate here.

How to start the engine in severe frost?

Starting the engine at low temperatures has its own characteristics. After overnight parking you need to “wake up” the battery. For this turn on the high beam for 20-30 seconds. After that, with the depressed clutch pedal, turn on the starter. If after the first attempt the engine does not start, a one-minute pause is made and the attempt is repeated. Usually the engine is started immediately and then warmed up before starting to drive.

If the engine does not “come to life” after the third or fourth attempt, you will have to take emergency measures related to recharging the battery and additional heating of the coolant and engine oil. the engine is often started after replacing the spark plugs “flooded” with fuel.

To ensure trouble-free starting the car in severe frosts, it is necessary to carry out some preparation of your car for operation in the winter period.

For this is mandatory:

• check the level and density of the electrolyte in the battery and bring it to the maximum permissible for a particular climate zone;
• the battery is fully charged, thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt with warm water and soda, terminals are cleaned and a thin layer of grease is applied;
• Check the connection of the contact wires from the battery terminals to the starter and the body (mass) of the car;
• assess the condition and serviceability of the starter.

Another recommendation is to change spark plugs before the winter season. to set the gap in the spark plugs in winter, it is better to set it a little less than the nominal. This simple operation makes it much easier to start the engine in extreme cold. Visually it is necessary to check a condition of wires and candlesticks. they should be clean and without chips and cracks.

The fuel system also undergoes a certain winter preparation. For example, it is necessary to replace the fine fuel filter, the air filter, to check a condition of injectors in injector engines. It is important to fill the car with high-quality fuel. At sub-zero temperatures, even a minuscule amount of water will not allow the fuel to get into the combustion chamber and the attempts to start the engine will be futile. Before the winter season use engine oil with necessary viscosity and fluidity parameters for negative temperatures.

The determining factor for successful start of the engine is the presence of antifreeze preheater in the car. This simple device solves all the problems related to cold starting, but it needs 220 VDC power supply. In a severe frost it is connected for 1,5-2 hours to the household socket and provides warming up of the cooling system and engine oil to the optimum plus temperatures. After that start the engine in a normal, standard mode.

Such variant is practically inaccessible for the city dwellers, who leave their cars at the block of flats. Therefore, it is now successfully replaced by a car alarm system with feedback, which allows you to perform the engine auto-start on a timer or under other, defined by the program conditions.

What to do, if nothing helped

If all the above has been done, but the vehicle still does not start, you should look for the cause in other places. For example, as a quite probable variant, it may be the problem with the spark plugs. The spark plugs may well be dirty, or the same. simply of poor quality. They should be checked with all possible care, cleaned of sludge and other possible impurities, or if necessary. replaced by the proper ones.

In the video below you can see how to correctly start the car engine in frosty weather.

In some automobile stores there is a specialized product on sale, i.e fuel additive, when adding which, in conditions of low temperatures, a fast start is possible. Such substances are placed in the carburetor of the vehicle, and. in the fuel system (depending on the instructions of the vehicle) and provide a much better and faster start of the power unit in the car.

Every motorist should remember a simple truth. it’s forbidden to hold the starter for more than twenty seconds at a time. If the car does not start after three to five attempts, you need to wait five minutes and try again. When nothing helps and more than a dozen attempts have been made, it is better to apply to an auto service center or start searching for the reason.

Recommendations for starting individual models of power tillers

To start the single-axle tractor brand “Neva”, you need to do the following steps:

• Turn the ignition switch to the “ON” position;
• Close the choke and open the gas cock;
• Set throttle control to ¾ of full throttle;
• Pull the starter rope;
• Open the choke (if it’s cold it’s better to open it gradually over a minute).

To start the Patriot, follow these steps:

• Move the throttle grip to its maximum position;
• Pull the cable hard several times to purge, then sharply and briefly to start the engine;
• Adjust the throttle grip.

You can start a single-axle tractor brand “Ural” in the following way:

• Put the shift knob in neutral position;
• Open the gasoline tap;
• Close throttle valve almost up to stop and close choke valve (if engine is not cooled down, choke valve does not need to be closed);
• Start the engine with the cord.

To start and operate your power tiller, follow the instruction manual. This helps prevent damage and extend the life of your machine.