Do you use a block heater now? I think there is a optional transmission heater as well that you can install. When the tractor is idling, the fluid is being pumped so it will warm up some, but you will have to cycle everything to get the cold fluid to mix with the warm fluid.

 

After about 5 minutes run time, just dead head one of the funtions for a minute or so. Then cycle all functions.. dead head again and repeat. Pushing the fluid over relief wont hurt it and will warm the system pretty quickly.

 

I made a jumper hose with 2 male tips on it. Plug it into a Hydraulic outlet and put the SCV in detent and let the oil circulate for 10 minutes and the oil will warm up.

 

This isn't doing anything for you and is essentially just the same as leaving the SCV in 'neutral'. The fluid is already flowing through the valve and the rest of the system. Since you're not doing any work with it, the system isn't generating any extra heat. You're better off doing what xcopterdoc recommended and deadheading the hydraulics for short periods of time during warmup. Lifting the relief valve is work to the hydraulic system. Work generates heat. :good2:

 

My tractor is residing in an unheated shed. I leave the block heater running for 24 hours, and have a heavy movers blanket over the tractor hood. when I start the tractor, the hood is warm to the touch, and it seems that the hydro oil warms up, too. I do not have any cold oil banging when I do it like this. And we have it cold here, nights with -20º temps are pretty normal this winter.

 

There are a few options. Synthetic fluid will warm up much quick than standard fluid. Standard fluid will thicken up in cold weather which makes it harder to pump and circulate, which takes longer to warm up. Synthetic fluid does not thicken up in the cold, thus it will pump and circulate much faster which results in it warming up quicker in the winter weather.

You can get a magnetic heater and stick it somewhere on the tractor such as the bottom of the transmission. It will heat the fluid and this should help you.

They make small blankets that are maybe 6 - 12 inches square that can sit in the bottom of the oil pan or transmission pan. Not sure if you would get one of these inside of the transmission on your tractor, but I have heard of people mounting them on the outside on the bottom of the transmission. They basically work like an electric blanket. Many people will silicone them in place.

I live in NW WI where the winters are very cold and long. it's been sub zero here for 3/4 of the last month. My tractor sits outside parked in one of those shelter logic type tent garages that are made out of a large tarp on a metal frame. I personally use synthetic fluids and have no issues. 5 - 10 minutes of warming up in 0 degree weather and I have no issues. I have used the magnetic heater in the past on my old Ford tractor and that worked well.

 

I leave mine in a unheated garage, leave it warm up maybe 5 min. then raise & lower front blade or FEL a few times , by the time I get to front of house ready to use.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I do not have any heaters on anything at present. I think I will have to wait for warmer weather to try and glue any heaters on. Is changing all your hydraulic fluid something a mechanically inclined but hydraulic ignorant person can do properly? Do you have to remove all of the stock or is a little residual mixed with synthetic ok? It is easy to let your engine warm up but takes considerably longer with all the steel lines exposed/ heat transfer to warm up the hyd. fluid so a change to a non thickening sounds attractive to me.

 

If you're mechanically inclined, you can easily handle changing your fluid, no problem. When you do change the fluid, you change what you can. There's always some residual fluid. As long as you are changing the fluid with something compatible you're ok.

 

Are you using low viscosity hy-gard?

 

I am using whatever came in my tractor when I bought it with 80 hrs on it. How do you tell? My Gravely had a closed system I didn't touch it for 28 years and it worked fine, that is the extent of my hydraulics knowledge. I have been reading and learning on here but it sounds like a very expensive hobby to experiment with so I like to read, listen and learn a habit that drove my kids crazy over the years.

 

Isn't the Hy-Gard Low-Viscosity rated to -40*F (air temperature)?

 

[ Lifting the relief valve is work to the hydraulic system. Work generates heat. :good2:[/QUOTE]

Actually just the opposite.. That which is not generating work will generate heat. ie.. deadheading a cylinder.. no movement, no work.. heat. A large resistor in an electrical system.. less work, more heat. Also, any restriction will cause heat. Like the relief valve, fixed or variable orfice ect. Less flow, less work.. more heat. We saw a good example of this with the 5 series when the rockshaft reliefs messed up and the system was running over relief all the time. Melted the fuel tanks. No work being done, nothing moving.. lotsa heat. Anyway! thats my take on it! Sorry to disagree in part to what you said.
Oh and to add.. I guess in part, friction does produce some heat.. so in theory, you could just rub two tractors together.

 

Actually just the opposite.. That which is not generating work will generate heat. ie.. deadheading a cylinder.. no movement, no work.. heat. A large resistor in an electrical system.. less work, more heat. Also, any restriction will cause heat. Like the relief valve, fixed or variable orfice ect. Less flow, less work.. more heat. We saw a good example of this with the 5 series when the rockshaft reliefs messed up and the system was running over relief all the time. Melted the fuel tanks. No work being done, nothing moving.. lotsa heat. Anyway! thats my take on it! Sorry to disagree in part to what you said.

Lifting a relief or any pressure reducing valve always requires work. Work = heat.

One of the many benefits of installing variable speed drives on an pumps was to prevent a pressure regulating (relief) valve from lifting was to prevent wasted energy. If you pump a fluid pressure up to 3000 psi only to have it regulated down to 1500 psi, where does the extra work go that went into increasing the pressure? Heat.

Think of it this way......if you climbed a hill in your truck to 3000 ft and then descended to 1500 ft, what happened to all that energy expended to get to 3000 ft? It was dissipated as heat to your radiator as you went up the hill and in your brakes as you descended the hill. Now if you only climbed the hill to 1500 ft in the first place you don't burn the extra fuel or have to dissipate the extra heat (because there wasn't any wasted work.)

Make any sense?

 

Yup.. I think we both know how it works, but just saying it differently. . But variable disp pumps are a whole lot different than a gear drive, fixed disp open center system.

 

I use several methods

I have done alot of experimenting with cold starts and hydraulics up here in the tropics. I settled on one of those heat pads siliconed to the bottom of my transmission and the block heater. Both the plug ins are right together and I just plugged them into on of those 3 in one adapters and into my extension cord. That transmission full of hyro fluid is alot of mass to heat. All the pad does is provide some warmth to a small portion. Everything in the lines running up to the loader is cold soaked and moves like mollasses. If she's been real cold (-30 or colder) I put a bullet/torpedo type heater blowing on the tractor for an hour or so. Covering it with a tarp to keep the heat in a bit really helps or if it's in a shed great. Don't stay in there long or you'll get ill but leave a door open and let the heater do it's job on your tractor. Those portable bullet heaters are great for cars/trucks, tractors etc. If you live where it is cold they are a good way to heat all the extremeties of your tractor. An hour running a heater like that may save alot of heartburn in hydraulic repairs later.