Winterizing Your Tractor

Reader Contribution by Billy Clark
Well, it’s that time of year. The trees are almost bare or completely so, depending on where in the country you are. Some areas are experiencing their first snowfalls of the season, and it’s only 7 weeks till CHRISTMAS !! Time to prepare the summer tools of your trade for a long winters nap, especially the fossil fuel powered ones.

Some folks may use their tractors during winter. If you have numerous livestock to feed, or snow to plow, the tractor might be in operation anywhere from a couple times a week to once every couple weeks. If this is the case, your winterizing operations may be minimized.

If possible, store your tractor under a shed, or cover. A simple cover helps considerably with temperature extremes as well as protecting the seat, paint, and wires and hoses from the grueling effects of sun and bitter cold. If covered with plastic make provisions for it to breathe a little. Plastic covers can sweat and cause their own problems without air circulation.

Make sure the antifreeze is up to the necessary rate for your area. Use an antifreeze tester, available at any auto parts store to check the freeze point of your water/ethylene glycol mixture. It’s simple to use, just remove the radiator cap, insert the tube a few inches into the mixture, squeeze and release the bulb, and wait to see how many of the little balls float in the mixture. The more that float, the lower your freezing point. Testers usually come with a chart printed on the side, or on the packaging of the unit which will tell you what temperature you’re protected to. Remember, you need to be protected to the lowest expected temperature plus 10 degrees or so, not the average low temp.

The antifreeze is also a corrosion inhibitor; it keeps everything in your cooling system from rusting. The freeze protection is still there as long as it’s not diluted, but the corrosion protection wanes after a few years. I would recommend “freshening” the antifreeze at least every 3 years.

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