cold weather staring

[timberjack 450]

I just bought a 648 g111 and I was wondering if there are any cold weather start kits I could put on it.

[br389]

We have a g3 also and the one thing I can say is tarp it at night and invest in a salamander.. we get to the wood lot about a hour earlier and throw the heat on it and she starts right up.... they come with a either bottle but we unhooked it because we dont want to get the engine addicted to it

[lumberjack48]

 I used a propane tank heater for 16 yrs, the motor never cools off. Hook up after work, in the morning walk over an push the starter button, its that easy. The coldest day i started was -52 air temp not wind chill, the ole S8-IH power shift, 3-53 Detroit popped right off.

A shot or 2 of ether doesn't hurt, let it turn over 4-5 times, then give it a shot, saves the starter and batteries.

Before the tank heater i used spit-swappers

[Mountain_d]

There was a good discussion about this a few months ago in this form. Some we're using Epson heaters and I think the other was a Wabasco? Do a word search in this form.

[Mark K]

I cover my skidders every night. Believe it or not, it makes a difference.  I have my portable welder on my truck. I use that to power my salamander. Half hour the other day at -21 and she fired up. Colder than that we leave them running all night. Cold is just as hard on the hydraulics and powershift as it is on the engine.

[JDeere]

Install an Espar heater for $1,200.00 and if it goes to even -40*F your machine will start like it's July. I got so tired of tarps, salamanders, booster cables, battery packs, ether etc., etc., not to mention the lost time. I only wish I had done it years ago. Guys up here have them on skidders, trucks, bunchers and cranes. How many hours over a cold winter can you afford to waste time starting equipment?

[Mark K]

I don't think those heaters will work on a duetz? Not sure if I can put one on an oil line as they are oil cooled.

[BargeMonkey]

 After all the fighting, jelling and lost time dealing with the cold this winter one of those espar heaters is in the works. What do you guys think of those G3 648's you have ?  Single or dual arch ?