How do cattle survive a polar vortex?

[Silver]

Went from -52 this morning to -46 right now. Tractor coolant heater been plugged in for 24 hours. Won't start. Got the buzz box given' her 225 amps to make her a little frisky, but she barely wants to roll around. I don't think even giving her a whiff of alcohol will get her to going. Wind is just howling at about 40 miles/hr. -61 in Grand Forks, ND right now.

That's getting chilly for sure. That wind just sucks the heat out of everything faster than you can put it in. Up until this winter we never had a shop, but the parachute and Herman Nelson were life savers. Can be tricky to get chute in place in the wind, but once on and secured to the ground it's just like a shop.

 

[Nesikep]

I can attest to how a heat gun in the intake of a tractor helps it start.. I actually cut a bung into it with a cap I can remove, I put the heat gun in, turn it on high, and when everything there is warm I'll crank it over, it starts and idles nicely then, no need to rev.

Got an oil pan heater? I haven't used them but I hear good things about them, same with battery warmers.. If you can bring the battery inside overnight on a charger you'll probably have much better luck.

A trick I heard a logger do is pour water on an engine.. if you have a hose near enough that'll flow at all, the water will turn to ice, but that does warm the engine

a couple lengths of chimney pipe and a tiger torch under it will help, though in those temps you probably will freeze the propane bottle before you get any heat going


Aaron, I've been hearing all about your weather from the gal in Minnesota... she lives in a trailer, there's ice in her #$% coffeepot in the morning, water bottle by her bed is frozen solid.
She just bought a heated blanket... without a doubt, she's tougher than I am.

 

[ez14.]

Went from -52 this morning to -46 right now. Tractor coolant heater been plugged in for 24 hours. Won't start. Got the buzz box given' her 225 amps to make her a little frisky, but she barely wants to roll around. I don't think even giving her a whiff of alcohol will get her to going. Wind is just howling at about 40 miles/hr. -61 in Grand Forks, ND right now.

got a torpedo heater?

No. Tractor is outside near building, so getting any heat to stay outside of the block is futile. People say windchill doesn't affect machinery, I say BS. I have no problem starting at -30 without wind. But with this wind, everything is DOA. I don't need to use it today, but I definitely will need it tomorrow.

yeah the difference between keeping a tractor in a unheated barn and keeping one outside is huge. A torpedo heater should work good even outside and if you need to you can cover the tractor with a tarp and put the heater under there

 

[Son of Butch]

Come on Saturday come on... heard It's suppose to be above 32 here on Saturday... can't get here soon enough!

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Last year I switched to a 0W oil in my tractors and between that and a block heater and trickle charger on the battery haven't had any trouble starting at -30 actual temp. Knock on wood.

I've heard of guys draining the oil out and putting it on the woodstove then hurrying and dumping it in the tractor to help it crank easier.

 

[Nesikep]

I think one of these would be the ticket in really cold climates
https://thermex-systems.com/engine-heaters/

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I have covered tractor with a tarp and run a heater under tarp.

 

[Son of Butch]

Well we were 3 degrees short last night of breaking the 1887 record.
Taking a leak this morning it hit me... hey in 1887 everyone had outhouses... brrr brrr.

 

[W.B.]

Well we were 3 degrees short last night of breaking the 1887 record.
Taking a leak this morning it hit me... hey in 1887 everyone had outhouses... brrr brrr.

You guys in MN always gotta be first. It warms me a bit that we aren't the coldest at least.

 

[bball]

I can attest to how a heat gun in the intake of a tractor helps it start.. I actually cut a bung into it with a cap I can remove, I put the heat gun in, turn it on high, and when everything there is warm I'll crank it over, it starts and idles nicely then, no need to rev.

Got an oil pan heater? I haven't used them but I hear good things about them, same with battery warmers.. If you can bring the battery inside overnight on a charger you'll probably have much better luck.

A trick I heard a logger do is pour water on an engine.. if you have a hose near enough that'll flow at all, the water will turn to ice, but that does warm the engine

a couple lengths of chimney pipe and a tiger torch under it will help, though in those temps you probably will freeze the propane bottle before you get any heat going


Aaron, I've been hearing all about your weather from the gal in Minnesota... she lives in a trailer, there's ice in her #$% coffeepot in the morning, water bottle by her bed is frozen solid.
She just bought a heated blanket... without a doubt, she's tougher than I am.

Tell me more about this Nesi. Am I following you correftly here, I can take my air filter out and put a heat gun in there for while and this will aid in starting? Have the block heater and an oil pan heater going already, but she runs rough for the first 60 seconds. Had everything fed real well, before this hit, but will need to feed this afternoon. Its a heat wave right now at 14 degrees F :banana:

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

We made it up to 17F, started out at -14F.
And, no, they don't all survive. Lost a 4 day old calf. Went around and checked the newborns night before last (night of the really bad winds). Any calves that had not found the calf shed, we put the pairs in for the night. Must have missed this calf, or he came out & didn't go back in. Found him yesterday morning, stiff as a board, still alive. Lost him today.
NOW is the time to have a set of twins!!! Had 5 sets last year. Got 20 calved out so far since 1-1. 11 on "deck" ready.

 

[Nesikep]

I can attest to how a heat gun in the intake of a tractor helps it start.. I actually cut a bung into it with a cap I can remove, I put the heat gun in, turn it on high, and when everything there is warm I'll crank it over, it starts and idles nicely then, no need to rev.

Got an oil pan heater? I haven't used them but I hear good things about them, same with battery warmers.. If you can bring the battery inside overnight on a charger you'll probably have much better luck.

A trick I heard a logger do is pour water on an engine.. if you have a hose near enough that'll flow at all, the water will turn to ice, but that does warm the engine

a couple lengths of chimney pipe and a tiger torch under it will help, though in those temps you probably will freeze the propane bottle before you get any heat going


Aaron, I've been hearing all about your weather from the gal in Minnesota... she lives in a trailer, there's ice in her #$% coffeepot in the morning, water bottle by her bed is frozen solid.
She just bought a heated blanket... without a doubt, she's tougher than I am.

Tell me more about this Nesi. Am I following you correftly here, I can take my air filter out and put a heat gun in there for while and this will aid in starting? Have the block heater and an oil pan heater going already, but she runs rough for the first 60 seconds. Had everything fed real well, before this hit, but will need to feed this afternoon. Its a heat wave right now at 14 degrees F :banana:

If the air filter is close to the engine intake that might work, but what I did was weld a pipe nipple into one of the air inlet pipes of a size the heat gun could fit into, then once it's started and warmed you take the heat gun out and put the cap on.
can use glow plugs at the same time, but not ether!

 

[gcreekrch]

We waited 35 years for a heated shop. Sure enjoy going out and starting every morning without spending hours warming the tractors up first.

We do have two other tractors at other locations on our place in unsheathed, insulated buildings, the sun seems to warm the buildings a bit and keeps the inside temp a few degrees warmer. Also, I have seen nothing that starts in cold weather like our JD 7400 and 7200. Have started them at -40 with a little help from jumper cables and ether. Not often have they let me down.

 

[Bovine breeder]

If the air filter is close to the engine intake that might work, but what I did was weld a pipe nipple into one of the air inlet pipes of a size the heat gun could fit into, then once it's started and warmed you take the heat gun out and put the cap on.
can use glow plugs at the same time, but not ether!

I have to say, I was inspired by this as well and tried to start my tractor here in Ky on our 0 degree day with -20 wind chills. It's an indirect injected motor and usually does fine starting in "cold" for me. 15-20 degrees. This day I had jumper cables on it, let the glow plugs cycle consistently while I was charging the batteries, and I used a propane torch to heat the intake manifold. I tried to blow warm air in the intake pipe, but I think it as too far from the engine to help. No dice. Cranked and cranked but just white smoke. Couldn't get it to hit.

 

[Nesikep]

In my experience I've found direct injected engines start better. Can you take the rubber hose off right at the intake and put a heat gun there?, connect it back up after it fires up?
The tractor I use this trick on is a 1965ish Ford County.. no glow plugs or anything.. usually an ether pig below about 40