Being new to owning any industrial machine, such as my 1988 John Deere backhoe 310c, I'd like to ask everyone what do you do to get your machine ready for the winter time? either to store it for the winter, or to be using it. because over here in New England USA winter is coming and I'm curious if there is more to whats in the manual with checking the coolant that people like to do... So if you would like to share your long time hard earned tips and tricks that might not be a typical regiment done each year with getting your machine ready for the winter, please feel free to share.... or even with getting your machine checked out and maintained up to date for performance for the severe heat of the summer, I'd like to hear from you, especially you seasoned veterans, I'm sure you've learned a thing or two the hard way from experence... Things like the hydraulic fluid and wet brakes for starters is what I'm new to with owning a machine with that kind of mechanics, and with going thru my first winter it would be nice to have a heads up with knowing how it might react and what to look for to be concerned, like weather to keep operating the unit, or not to use it, or if its just too cold at certain temps and to keep it shut down to avoid beating it up, etc.... I'll be in temps mostly around 20's and 30's and sometimes it does dip into the single digits, and rarely over here in my part of the USA does it goes below 0º, but it does and has in some years, mainly with the wind chill... So I'm not sure if I should keep my factory stock engine block heater plugged in all winter? or, should I plug it in only in a few hours before I want to start it in the cold weather? thanks.... Joe
i would say fuel conditioner,not sure if you have winter blend in england,keep the dirt and mud shoveled off as much as you can,make sure your bucket is clean as possable at end of the shift,as for plugging it in i don't have that luxury and let her warm up before you throw the coals to her.
I guess any kind of diesel fuel conditioner that don't let it gel in the cold?
1) Make sure your shop is ready for winter equipment woes. I put RV antifreeze in the hot water pressure washer. Insulate and or heat tape water pipes. 2) I run Schaeffer 9000 5-40 full synthetic engine oil during the cold months, seems to make cold starts a little easier on the battery, also had problems with high oil pressure during cold startups in my craptastic skid steer that went away after the switch (would deform oil filter). 3) Get a block heater set up, and consider a small electric space heater in the cab for early morning comfort.
Our backhoe plows commercially every winter along with normal work. Every fall and spring we change all the driveline fluids regardless of hours. change the axles and transmition fluid. Change the engine fluid as scheduled each 250hours. We use powerservice diesel conditioner. Put a little in the tank of each machine and mix it in the transfer tanks on the trucks. Check all the fluids, grease as required, check air pressure in tires, clean/replace air filter, maybe a fuel filter. As far as the plow, check it for cracks, put new fittings on, paint it, and maybe flip the cutting edge. Hope this helps.
great info guys. . . .perfect 4 me who has no clue about winterizing.i read up on this operator from germany who acually calls his backhoe with his cell phone in the winter months from his home wich starts his machine up. . .so by the time he arrives to the site hes ready to go!has anyone heard of this tecnology?i would say it would be itertwind with some sort of g.p.s tracking system.
Do not go overboard on thr fuel cond. - if you do add a lub. such as marvel mystery oil. A Freeze Plug block , with a good engine thermostat should warm engine up to start in 20 min to 1 hour in your condtions I suggest you test this before you need it. Some use a timer to turn on if they suspect they are going to need
Around here we install a diesel burning onboard heater.(Webasto) You programme it the day before, and it starts heating the coolant and the cabin a number of hours before you arrive. Your German friend got a cellphone card in his machine and electronics that when recieving the call starts her up. Most likely also a system where it works on a little hydraulic load to heat it up quicker. I would have changed motoroil and others spesified by the produser.(use synthetics in the winter) Then drained the fueltank and changed fuel filters. Drain the tank on monday morning, so the water has sunk to the bottom of the tank. If there is a waterfilter in the fuel line, drain and change that too.(Tier III engines) Controll the batteries for acid level and give them a good charge. Grease/lubricate all the hidden points so they run smothly in the cold. Its important to use good diesel in the cold, water is the first problem because it freezes first. Then the wax in the diesel starts freezing and making problems, cerosene is used to lower the temps for when wax starts freezing. Here we have up to 40% cerosene in the diesel in the coldest areas. Adittives is helping, but when u starts using it, you must remember it all the time. Another advice is to fill the tank each evening to prevent condense on the inside.(Water) The block heater normaly only needs a couple of hours to heat up the engine.(of course depending on outside temps) A programable switch reduses your electricity bill.
Try to warm machine up complely, even if just moving out of the way.On some machines the alt. does not have enough capacty--so when your done let it run at high idle, with all elec. assy. shut down A cold spell may require Kero. to be added to fuel Rarely but does happen snow will pack rad. grille while you plowing - so if you if get into a banking watch temp gauge.
Snow in the radiator, hum never considered that One Welder. Then again, I am 'bout 10 miles fro the Gulf of Mexico as the crow flies so it probably won't be a concern Love your signature. Good way to approach life. Later, Pel
Good stuff! I need to read the shop and repair manuals again on my 88 JD 310c backhoe, I don't see any or remember reading anything about any kind of water/fuel separators located on or for my backhoe. So I'm worried if water did get in the fuel system would anything break or blow up? I ask that question because back in the day (1978) when Chevy modified the 350 gas engine block into a diesel engine for cars and small trucks it was typical for the fuel delivery pump that pushed fuel to the injectors to break, it's internal shaft cracked right off making for a $$BIG$$ dollar repair when water got in the fuel system, I guess water don't compress like diesel fuel.... then of course after that happened a water separators was installed... ointhead So I really don't have any idea if I should be concerned if I can have damage and problems if water did get in the fuel for any of the heavy machinery ... I know water freezing in the diesel fuel line is no fun. So mean while until I can install some kind of water separator, or learn more about this I'm keeping the fuel tank filled right up to the top, plus with the additive to avoid any problems. because I'll hardly use it in the winter. I don't think my backhoe is any good in the snow especially in my yard I already bought the engine oil, its the Amsoil Synthetic 15W-40, I forgot about the winter when I bought it, but then I'm not really going to use the hoe in the cold winter... What I'll do is to have the engine block heater plugged in before I start it if I do want to use it in the cold. unless someone see's different to suggest not to start it once with that 15W-40 engine oil? I will say its great to have the cab with heat, very nice I guess any good quality auto antifreeze is okay to use? I didn't see if John Deere sold anything special? I've learned about different types of antifreeze on my own, such as with what I've seen over the years with wear, its that most antifreeze will have an aggregate type material in it, and some don't have it, both for their own specific reasons, but I seen either way they both do good and bad, so it depends what you rather fix and service all the time.
Hit a pile of snow - it may block airflow threw rad. Pushing or loading a lg.bank, or snow pile can get slippery. Sometimes you drive into the bank with bucket raised to get space for momentum to back out
Joe, this isn't specific to winter use, but it is specific to your 310C. You should go to your Deere dealer and get a 3-way coolant test kit. Not only does it test the freezing/boiling point of the coolant, but it also checks the molybdate level in the coolant - that is the anti-cavitation coolant additive that the 310C needs since it has liners. They also sell the additive, ofcourse. I'm testing my 310C tomorrow. If neglected, the cast block can develop pinholes in it, allowing the coolant to enter the oil. You know what that means. Cavitation damage was a real problem on the older IH 7.3 engines used in the F-series trucks. Winter-grade grease is a handy thing to buy a case of, if you are in the cold like we are. That way, your grease gun will not have to spend the night on the woodstove to work. I use 0-W40 oil year round. John
Another operator brought up a good point to me 2 winters ago I never really thought about as simple as it was. Pins take more of a beating in the cold than hot. The steel is brittler and it shrinks so more play. So keep up with the grease.
Hmm, lots of good info here guys, thanks from a new back hoe owner.
This is the great info I like to hear, thank you Deere John! Where I live its not much of a town to find others to talk with that own backhoes and such, mainly operators that don't take much interest in maintaining them. I'll go to the dealer and get that coolant kit your talking about. I would think the prior company did the same with the coolant. I kind of thought my backhoe is not much use to remove snow the way it don't get around too good in the mud and my driveway is a little bit of a hill, so I think its more trouble than its worth to use it to move some snow, especially my driveway it not that long. I'll just do things like keep it plugged in when it gets real cold and start it once in a while to just make sure its going to be okay to start next year, because I really don't want to deal with my backhoe not starting next year.... I'm not sure if thats sort of common where after the winter they sometimes don't start because of certain things that the winter cold affects???
Yeah Joe - backhoes in general with the standard front buckets are not the best for plowing for these reasons: 1) the bucket is linked directly to the angle of the rear axle - so off camber plowing is not done neatly 2) the float does not work well for plowing - the front end will still lift, making the steering a wee bit of a challenge 3) the bucket is small 4) the front end will "skate" on the cutting edge, meaning you want to go ahead, and the slope of the ground will carry the edge and the machine to the side. 5) the whole machine generally does not want to steer as soon as the cutting edge hits the ground - you have to lift up on the edge just enough to give the tires the weight they need to influence your direction. All that said, ours gets used as backup to two pickups with Boss vee plows. The backhoe does not usually see any snow plowing, but lots of bank pushing and lifting older banks higher. Mine will start down to about 5-8 degrees F, at which point it needs help. I think I said I run 0-W40 in the engine year round, and that helps. For lots of plowing with a backhoe, a pusher box, snow bucket or snow blade is the ticket. Just not the standard front bucket. Key word there is "lots". For your driveway, by all means, plow it with the backhoe - that will do it and you more good than harm. I wouldn't keep yours plugged in all the time - just make sure the coolant is good to -45 degrees, let it freeze with the weather and thaw it with the block heater when you want to use it. You are pretty far south, so I don't think I need to tell you about tiger torches and tarps. Be careful about what fuel you put in it now that it is November. Make sure it is Number 1 diesel, and that there isn't alot of Number 2 (summer) fuel in it to start with. I barely limped home last winter when my memory failed and I found myself with a tank full of fuel from a drum that I thought was winter grade, but was summer grade. I have a number diesel generators, and I only use Number 1 diesel and 0-W40 oil in them too - year round. Nothing worse in January than telling Momma and the kidlets "OK, we're fine now - I got the diesel generator running - we have 3 days worth of fuel in the tank" only to have the lights (and furnace and TV) go out in 3 minutes when the wax plugs the filter and ends your heroism. Back to being a no-good bum! Hope this helps - oh - and watch when you are plowing that wet, heavy snow at just below freezing - backhoes are kind of like a cow on skates - the tires have little fine tread to put to the task; it is mainly their weight that gets the job done. I clipped two pictures in - one showing how much snow we had accumulated in March relative to an E-350 Ford van, and the other is me parking the backhoe to protect my new generator shed from 30" x 40 feet of snow sliding from my shop's steel roof. I had to dig out all the snow piled there from the last time the snow slid, and use the boom to save the shed. It covered the boom when it slid, but the shed was OK. I never figured that distance would be a problem, but I moved the shed that summer. John
Tire chains might help you out Joe. You should just touch your cutting edge enough to the asphalt so that it scrapes. To much unneccesary force wears the cutting edge faster and like already said you take more weight of the front end. You can turn fine and still scrape the road if you feather the bucket.
Just use the independent rear wheel brakes to steer with...
Wow Deere John, you're place gets weather just like where my Brother lives, he is way up North in Fort Kent Maine right on the Canada Boarder. its some beautiful land up your way, I wish I had some land like that... nothing like that here in CT. Thanks DJ about the snow plowing, and with the way my loader bucket will handle, and the way my hoe will respond and react below freezing, I'd slide right into the street if my driveway turned into a sheet of ice.... But other than that if handling my hoe in the snow is any indication to being like handling the same way when I'm in soft wet dirt thats practically all water, but not quite soupy mud yet, I think I'll leave the hoe parked for the winter if its something like that Also like "Dig-Up" posted saying to split the brake pedal to steer it in the snow is what I was doing for the mud, because with the "fall" weather here now the dirts getting muddy at times, so I'm splitting the pedal a lot to steer it. I agree with you DJ that the hoe handles like a cow on skates, wow are they dangerous, especially if you don't respect it or know the limits of what you're backhoe can do safely..... because when I'm operating it with the brake pedal split while in the mud the hoe feels like I'm on a bouncing elephants back steering it by pulling on its ears So if I end up keeping my backhoe that all depends, like if my brother-in-law gets me some jobs once in a while it will justify keeping it longer and to get them equipment features to handle snow like your teaching me DJ. ......then I'll get chains like you were saying "JS580SL". Thanks everybody, its a great help to keep learning what help my backhoe needs as well as what I can do for my backhoe to make it better and more suitable for each specific needs... No place else better to go than right here, so thank you all very much. QUESTIONS: 1. I guess I'll need to load test each battery by disconnecting them, perhaps only one will be weak? 2. I get my diesel fuel from Shell, I didn't notice if there was any ratings on the pump such as #1 (Winter) or #2 (Summer), should I be able to see what its rated for? I think I seen what the % was for sulfer... Being I'm in CT it don't get cold like in Canada, maybe they provide only one diesel fuel type? I should go talk with the dealer and some hoe owners if it differs from Canada?
Hi Joe - on the fuel, I think the refineries blend the fuel based on both the time of year and region into which it will be sold. I guess what I didn't say is that I buy a year's worth of generator fuel in November/December, and fill the other diesel equipment now to make sure it is winter hardy. I was going to mention steering with the brakes, but I was merrily plowing away 8 years ago, backing up in 2nd gear full pin, and realized I was heading straight for my shop. I mashed the brake, and because I was using the rear tires to help steer, I only hit one pedal and managed to lock only one wheel. The result was putting the hoe through the wall of my shop. At least it was my wall. Now, I don't use the individual wheel brakes for plowing anymore. I do have a set of chains for the front wheels, but I've never used them. Cold, dry weather is much friendlier to plow snow that mild, wet snow, and mostly they are not needed. John