Residual Heat during this "lockdown"

[Bob_VT]

My lovely wife has been working from home which means the thermostat in the house is kept higher during the day. I have a set-back electronic model and have been using the over-ride and more woodstove fires too. More wood and oil consumption during this lockdown.

My garage usually gets heat from the two cars that would be entering daily but, since it is work from home - not so much. Our two cars would normally generate enough residual heat to maintain the garage above freezing - but not recently. I got up this morning and the garage was at 25 degrees and I flipped on the oil burner out there to get it up above freezing.

This week has been cold and below zero for over a week and a half. We are anticipating about a foot of snow starting tonight and I told the wife since she is not using her car I would swap places with the car and the ATV (with plow) to accommodate easier snow moving. I will probably plug in the block heater on my JD too just in case the weatherman is wrong and the anticipated snow goes from a foot to 2 feet or more.

Stay safe-stay healthy - I am getting a lot of my reloading projects out of the way too.

 

[alldodge]

I change from heat pump to propane fire places when things go below 40*. The pumps are high efficiency but still cost less to use the FP's.

Don't know about your JD but I found out my Dodge should not be plugged in and left on, draws a lot of current. Its designed to be turned ON a hour or so before stating to give it a bit of heat.

 

[ahicks]

On the topic of block heaters being left turned on, used to have a small airplane. Found out the hard way why you don't leave a block heater turned on, even if it wasn't expensive to run.

Rust. The crankshaft, where it emerges from the block, has an oil seal. That oil seal needs a smooth surface to seal to. The crank is all nice and toasty inside the block, but where it emerges, in this sensitive area where the crank seal runs, forms condensation - which leads to rust - which leads to oil seals that cannot seal - which leads to VERY expensive to replace crankshafts.....

ANOTHER lesson learned the hard way.....

 

[poconojoe]

Yeah, I hear ya!
It's been snowing here in Mount Pocono, P.A. for a couple days now. Very cold all last week and continuing. Low of 6 (F) high of 16 (F).

I went out twice with the snowblower and when I look out there, it doesn't look like I did anything.
We must have gotten 3 feet so far and it's still snowing.
Oh, did I mention I also do my 83 year old mother-in-law's snow too?

And I have to go around the houses too just in case we get an oil or propane delivery. So much fun !@#$%^&!

The worst is the wind blowing the snow in your face. You can't direct the snowblower to shoot the snow far or you'll get it blasted back in your face. So you have to shoot it low and away from you.

 

[southkogs]

Our low will 28º a little later tonight ... then back into the 40s tomorrow ... I'm getting cold just reading your posts!

 

[poconojoe]

We got hammered with snow in the northeast. Here in Mount Pocono, PA, we got 3 feet and it's still snowing.

 

[Bob_VT]

Yup this recent "noreaster" had the correct pattern however, we were fortunate to be on the edge of it. Did not get the snow that NJ, PA, CT and NY got ......... I feel like it was about time we got the least snow.

No I do not leave the JD plugged in with the block heater since it only takes a couple of hours to heat up. I do leave a battery tender on it 24/7

 

[alldodge]

This is what I used the last time (years ago) before I got my tractor. Found out the hoe is not great on a slick road, to much weight and not enough grip. Thing started to slide and pucker factor was going on. So far we have not had a need to even shovel

 

[Bob_VT]

Yes, I have run backhoes........... I chained up the rear loaded wheels on the JD because sliding is not fun. If I ever really need too I, can chain the front wheels too. On a positive note the front tires are brand new and it's 4wd. When I was a road commissioner I used to chain one front wheel and the rear duals The chain up front would allow me to steer.

If we had a consistent volume of snow I had considered a 3 point snow blower but for now I am doing fine.

Jealous when I see an enclosed cab which can be heated!

 

[ahicks]

Re: heated cabs. We sold a place in Gaylord Mi. (Northern Lower) to get the house in Fl. that we have now. The Gaylord area gets an average of 150" of snow a season (snowmobile and skiing paradise), so as a homeowner, you needed to either know somebody with serious snow removal equipment, or you need to own your own. I bought a commercial tractor w/loader that had a ratty, rattly old cab on it on the cheap. Worked great, we quickly became friends, but it was NOT pretty! When winter came around, the loader would pile snow on either side of the driveway, and the area between those banks on either side would FILL with snow the next time it snowed. With a 600' driveway, that was NOT cool! Then came the 3 point mounted 7' snow blower. They are the plan, but you had better have shelter from that snow blowing around while it's in operation! It would blow snow into the next county, BUT, God help you if a gust blows it back on you! Even with the cab, you would have to get out and wipe the windows off as even without heat, the tractor machinery and hydraulics would warm the interior and glass enough to keep the windows warm enough to melt snow.

 

[southkogs]

I feel so inadequate. I have a scoop shovel and a broom.

 

[harringtondav]

I've been pondering a smaller utility tractor, or compact utility tractor for our river house. There are 21 properties on our +- 1/2 mile private road.

We pay $150 in club dues for road maintenance and upkeep on an old snaggletooth S10 P/U that moves the snow. One or two full time residents clear the snow. We and two another neighbors are at the end of the road where the grade drops 6' over a 40' run. The S10 can push the snow down, but can't make it back up. So the snow piles up across the road in front of our three houses. ...Normally not a big deal since the three of us normally shut our places down over winter.

This winter we've been spending 3-4 days/week there working on projects. Still not a big deal since we snow blow a path across one yard to clear parking. But someday we and the bottom neighbor plan to move in year around. When this time comes it will take a tractor to clear these last three houses. I doubt I'll be able to talk the club into buying a tractor, and my two neighbors tend to be a little stingy.

I'm thinking a 40 hp 4WD tractor can handle it. Loader w/dozer blade and a three point blade should do it. I retired from Deere's UT/CUT division. Periodically they auction off their used durability test machines. Hopefully the will get me in w/o costing too much.

 

[ahicks]

I feel completely spoiled saying this, but I have 2 hydrostatic compact 4x4 tractors w/loaders and 60" belly mowers. John Deere 755 is here in Fl (that I bought not running really cheap), and the Mi tractor is a newer Kubota B2610 I bought new quite a while ago. These are medium/small tractors. Not the smallest compacts, but not the biggest compact. Hp on both is low 20 something. Love them both. JD is a little heavier, but it's got a damned electric clutch on the mower PTO that I just hate. Even when the mower is engaged with the tractor just idling, it just sends a shock wave through the drive system with a big bang. This vs. a conventionally clutched (like a BIG tractor might have) PTO on the Kubota.

I use them both like a wheelbarrow. The Kubota is used for a little dirt road maintenance, which it does really well. PLENTY of tractor for this purpose. 7' york rake is used to smooth/repair potholes for the length of our road (200 yds or so), loader (60") works great for smaller pot holes. I used to do some snow removal, but that stopped when I turned snowbird (they are now forced to fend for themselves). Both make awesome mowers with very little trimming required. HIGHLY recommend a belly mower over other types. Others cannot possible come close.

My biggest excuse to justify their existence lately (other than mowing) is for their ability to give me a hand loading, unloading, and installing outboard motors. If it were not for that, they would likely be replaced with ZTR's. -Al