question Zetor / ZTS cold starting in Ireland.

[diyfarmer]

Ireland just had a very cold spell of weather for us. In Ireland we don't really get prolong cold winter weather, with snow and temperatures in the minuses by day and severe minus temperatures at night. But this week gone has been the exception, with 24cm of snow and as low as -8 by night and -2 at 1pm and it has lasted for 8 days. Thankfully today there is a change and milder weather has brought a thaw and the warmer temperatures has melded most of the snow, but will take time to get rid of it all.

I know this is still probably only minor snow and cold compared to a lot of Europe and parts of America, but us in Ireland aren't used to this type of cold weather. We hadn't this much snow since 2010.

I use 3 tractors when I feeding my cattle. My loader tractor is a 1992 Case 895, it has no heaters or cold start button, just turn the key and it starts. 1990 Zetor 8111 chops beet, it has no heater or cold start button, same just press the starter button and it was away. and my HSX 140 works the tub feeder, it has glow heater and it started as well no problem either. Just to add all my tractor are kept in doors by day/night.

This brings me onto my question. I see people on facebook, talking about cold starting tractors and how bad some of the newer zetors are in the cold weather. I was wondering how do they start in countries where low temperatures start in November and continue until end of March?

 

[ridge]

Ireland just had a very cold spell of weather for us. In Ireland we don't really get prolong cold winter weather, with snow and temperatures in the minuses by day and severe minus temperatures at night. But this week gone has been the exception, with 24cm of snow and as low as -8 by night and -2 at 1pm and it has lasted for 8 days. Thankfully today there is a change and milder weather has brought a thaw and the warmer temperatures has melded most of the snow, but will take time to get rid of it all.

I know this is still probably only minor snow and cold compared to a lot of Europe and parts of America, but us in Ireland aren't used to this type of cold weather. We hadn't this much snow since 2010.

I use 3 tractors when I feeding my cattle. My loader tractor is a 1992 Case 895, it has no heaters or cold start button, just turn the key and it starts. 1990 Zetor 8111 chops beet, it has no heater or cold start button, same just press the starter button and it was away. and my HSX 140 works the tub feeder, it has glow heater and it started as well no problem either. Just to add all my tractor are kept in doors by day/night.

This brings me onto my question. I see people on facebook, talking about cold starting tractors and how bad some of the newer zetors are in the cold weather. I was wondering how do they start in countries where low temperatures start in November and continue until end of March?

I have 3 newer Zetors and they started no problem. A good battery is a must on any engine in cold weather. Can fit a block heater to have an electric element to warm engine in cold climates.

 

[diyfarmer]

A good battery

My Case has the same battery for the last 10 years, and it starts the easiest. My HSX is my newish tractor and it has the battery replaced about 4 years ago. And it started no bother either. People were talk on facebook about Proxima been hard to start. My sisters car wouldn't start one of the real cold mornings and she had it going the evening before and it was indoors.

 

[ridge]

My Case has the same battery for the last 10 years, and it starts the easiest. My HSX is my newish tractor and it has the battery replaced about 4 years ago. And it started no bother either. People were talk on facebook about Proxima been hard to start. My sisters car wouldn't start one of the real cold mornings and she had it going the evening before and it was indoors.

Have 2015 and 2016 proximas and a 2013 hsx, all on first day batteries and all are easy enough starters. Didn't get that bad frost here as up the country.

 

[Joachim]

It's actually quite simple - a flame start system has been available as an option since the UR1 series, and the Zetor 8520 to 10540 also had one.

The flame glow plug is installed in the intake manifold and is thus surrounded by the intake air. A glow plug is heated to red heat in around 20 seconds via the electrical connection. The control unit then opens a solenoid valve when starting, so that a small amount of diesel fuel flows into the flame plug and ignites on the glow plug; air is present in the intake manifold. The fuel burns, generating heat that heats up the intake air, but of course also consumes a small amount of the oxygen in the intake air. This means that the cold engine draws in pre-heated air and the starting process is made easier.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeDvCVS38hk

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkgmXiFFqCc

No problem starting even at -25°C.

 

[diyfarmer]

No problem starting even at -25°C

And all the new tractors that were bought on our farm, a plug in heater was never offered as an option. I only ever saw one in the manual . We just kept the tractors indoors and cover the engine with a lump of carpet or an old blanket.

 

[ridge]

And all the new tractors that were bought on our farm, a plug in heater was never offered as an option. I only ever saw one in the manual . We just kept the tractors indoors and cover the engine with a lump of carpet or an old blanket.

I remember Cyril o' Sullivan saying one time that he retro fitted a glow plug to intake manifold of a crystal back in big freeze in 2010. I've a cousin who works for a john deere dealer in England and the fitted a few electric block heaters to tractors that time too.

 

[Joachim]

Mostly glow plug only works (if only one fitted in) only up to engines up to 3 litre. Above its much better to use a flame start system.

You can also install a water preheater in the Zetor . But they usually only have 500 to 1,000 watts and only heat the coolant and not the engine oil. It starts better with this, but it remains a cold start. It would be better to also heat the engine oil.

A friend with a Zetor 9540 says he has never had to use the flame start, and at temperatures of up to -14°C, which is typical here, he has never had any problems starting it even without a flame start and without glow plugs.

A lot depends on the battery and electrical system, which must allow a certain starter speed, and of course on the condition of the engine (compression , wear on the valves, piston rings, bushings) and also on the injection system.
If everything is really OK, then a Zetor will start at temperatures as low as -25°C without any additional aids. From -5°C it is of course easier with a flame start or glow plugs or engine preheating.

 

[diyfarmer]

If everything is really OK, then a Zetor will start at temperatures as low as -25°C without any additional aids.

Everything must be OK so on all my tractors as they all started without any additional aids or second batteries, in the minus temperatures. All change in Ireland today and it's +10 degrees C.

 

[cropgrower]

we use block heaters in Canada , great things , tractors will start straight up in -30C no problem

 

[diyfarmer]

tractors will start straight up in -30C no problem

Luckily I didn't have to suffer that amount of cold. And we haven't like them cold temperatures since that cold week in January.

 

[EamonnJKG]

I'm new to the group, just seen this post now. The Ursus I use which was my Father's is great to start in all weather. But he has another Ursus and a 8045, he wouldn't use them much anymore, but the 8045 is ok starting, but the Ursus would be a little on the harder side to start.
Also the Ursus I use had a different engine when he bought it 20 years ago before he changed it, and when he bought it the last man had a heater plug fitted, and it used to be a pig to start. It's odd how some are different to others to start and use in general.

 

[diyfarmer]

It's odd how some are different to others to start and use in general.

Tis indeed. I use 3 tractors to feed my cattle, but only are going everyday and the other is going every second day. They all start fine during that cold snap. But only 1 has a heater plug, the newer tractor, while the old ones just have to start from cold.

 

[EamonnJKG]

Tis indeed. I use 3 tractors to feed my cattle, but only are going everyday and the other is going every second day. They all start fine during that cold snap. But only 1 has a heater plug, the newer tractor, while the old ones just have to start from cold.

Yeah I've never seen the Crystal's with one until we bought that one with it. I've a 35 3 cylinder and had to put on it there last year because it would be slow to start without a bit of heat.

 

[Stephenmenhen10111]

I've always found our zetors 6945 & 10111 to start first go every time in any weather. My father always said if they didn't start due to how cold it was it was too cold to do anything. Even my 63 year old Nuffield 460 starts first go and that might only be started every few months. Worse tractors I've had for cold starts was a New Holland TM190 and Massey 399 which was odd as I have a loading shovel with a Perkins 6.372 (bored out 6.354) and starts in halve a turn.

 

[EamonnJKG]

Yeah it's odd how some yokes are different to start altogether. Some perkins engine i have heard can be a pig to start if they have a bit of wear on them.

 

[diyfarmer]

One of my 8111's only needs a sniff of the battery to start

 

[EamonnJKG]

One of my 8111's only needs a sniff of the battery to start

It's a gift when they're so easy started

 

[diyfarmer]

I which I could say the same about the other one.

 

[EamonnJKG]

I which I could say the same about the other one.

Yeah, is it bad? The Ursus I use is well used but was fairly well took care of, the gears and hydraulics are very number and free, whereas the Father's one has only about 1900 hours from new, and it's not near as nimble to use. It hasn't the front suspension either, the one I use is great on rough ground or on the lane too.

 

[diyfarmer]

It hasn't the front suspension either, the one I use is great on rough ground

Does it make a difference with the front suspension? I was wondering about fitting the front axle to my 40k 8111.

 

[EamonnJKG]

Does it make a difference with the front suspension? I was wondering about fitting the front axle to my 40k 8111.

Yeah I do think it's a good job. The man the Father bought it off years back drew a lot of turf and silage with it and said it was a great job. He bought I think it was a Ford of some sort after it, and said he felt the difference big time.

 

[Joachim]

If its nearly similar to the UR1 front axle suspension, then its realy good - much better then the one in the Belarus tractor MTS 50 eg.

 

[EamonnJKG]

If its nearly similar to the UR1 front axle suspension, then its realy good - much better then the one in the Belarus tractor MTS 50 eg.

Yeah I do like it. Funny story a long time back on the other Ursus with the ordinary axle like the 8011, the Father was trying to stop a runaway round bale and got it stopped with the front wheel. A few days later the steering was as heavy. He jacked the front of the tractor up, and down popped the bottom of the kingpin. The bale hitting it sheared it in half.

 

[diyfarmer]

The bale hitting it sheared it in half.

Must hit the tractor with some force. Want to be careful of where you leave out bales on hilly ground.

 

[EamonnJKG]

Must hit the tractor with some force. Want to be careful of where you leave out bales on hilly ground.

Yeah the man on the baler wasn't the usual fella. As the Father said it it happens again let it land in the ditch before doing that again

 

[diyfarmer]

I have my own round baler. My land is all flat, but I do bale for other people who have land where you would need to travel to with the bale to a safe place before opening the door.

Did you ever have to buy door glass for the Ursus ? They are a different size glass from a zetor .

 

[EamonnJKG]

I have my own round baler. My land is all flat, but I do bale for other people who have land where you would need to travel to with the bale to a safe place before opening the door.

Did you ever have to buy door glass for the Ursus ? They are a different size glass from a zetor .

No never bought the glass. The Father had to get a door for both of them when he bought them. There was only 1 door on them both. He put perspex on the bottom glass but lucky enough there was top glass on the door when he got them. Me and him to argue over me taking the door off in the summer time. I didn't know they were different glass to be honest. I would very rarely drive the 8045, it has a hedgecutter on it all the time, but I love the doors on the Ursus compared to the 8045.

 

[diyfarmer]

My HSX is the first zetor I owned out of the 20+ zetors I owned to have the doors opposite way opening.

On the Ursus the middle bar on the door is higher up, meaning the bottom section is taller on an Ursus than a Zetor, and the top is smaller. So you need to get them cut special to suit. The bottom door glass is only 45 euro for a Zetor.

 

[EamonnJKG]

My HSX is the first zetor I owned out of the 20+ zetors I owned to have the doors opposite way opening.

On the Ursus the middle bar on the door is higher up, meaning the bottom section is taller on an Ursus than a Zetor, and the top is smaller. So you need to get them cut special to suit. The bottom door glass is only 45 euro for a Zetor.

Oh right. Never even copped that ever. In fairness they're reasonable for parts compared to others. I haven't any newer tractors at all, but I hear people saying they can be unreal some of the stuff to buy.