# Blowing in extreme cold



## grayhairedfreak (Oct 15, 2018)

Sorry if this is another dumb newbie question.


Weather here in Middle America this weekend calling for blowing and drifting snow, with temps down to -5F and windchill at -25F. I have my Deluxe 24 in the garage but does it require any additional warm up or care in using when it's that cold? I've tried to run the auger a few minutes after finishing so I think I have that part figured out.


Any tips are appreciated! TIA.


----------



## 132619 (Nov 20, 2018)

welcome newbie , 
know your kind of cold out there, the type that diesel trucks don't get up enough heat to warm the cabs'


stored in the garage , i'd let it warm up a bit before going full steam slow down the ground speed let it do it's work


----------



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I agree with 33 Woodie, I'd let it sit for a minute, until the choke is on 0 or 1 then go, using a lower gear and going slower is always a good idea.


----------



## DriverRider (Nov 20, 2016)

33 woodie said:


> welcome newbie ,
> know your kind of cold out there, the type that diesel trucks don't get up enough heat to warm the cabs'
> in the garage , i'd let it warm up a bit before going full steam slow down the ground speed let it do it's work



:crying: Yeah I have been in my fair share of trucks where the ice on floor of cab stays ice all day.


I let all my machines warm up just above idle for as long as ten minutes some days. Cool down just as important summer or winter for longevity of machinery.


----------



## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Can you wait until it warms up to 35?


----------



## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

DriverRider said:


> :crying: Yeah I have been in my fair share of trucks where the ice on floor of cab stays ice all day.
> 
> 
> I let all my machines warm up just above idle for as long as ten minutes some days. *Cool down just as important* summer or winter for longevity of machinery.


What do you mean by this? Is there some kind of recommended shut down procedure when finished blowing snow?


----------



## SimplicitySolid22 (Nov 18, 2018)

What the boys have said!


Here is some tips:
 Common Cold Weather Snow Blower Problems  
Posted on January 29, 2014 by SnowBlowerSource 
Leave a Comment 

.
*With the polar vortex refusing to stay in its own backyard, snow blower owners are facing a new set of problems: snow blowers that take one look at the cold weather and decide it’s too frosty to go to work. Here are some troubleshooting tips to coax your snow blower to start.*

*Fuel Shutoff Valve*

Sometimes, the most frustrating problems are the ones with easy solutions staring you right in the face. In this case, a non-starting snow blower could be as simple as making sure the fuel shutoff valve is in the “ON” position. Another place to check is the throttle; it should be positioned to three-quarter speed or higher. If either has happened to you, don’t worry. Nobody saw.
.

*Gas Tank*

Just like you’d be grumpy if you had to go to work in the frigid cold on an empty stomach, so, too, is your snow blower. Make sure the tank never gets too empty, topping it up just a little bit each time you use it.
If you’ve stored it and are taking it out for the first time this winter, one problem may be the volatility of the fuel. Adding fuel stabilizer to the gas _before_ storing it is the easiest way to combat “lazy” volatility. But if it’s a hindsight problem, simply drain the system through the carburetor and then add new fuel and stabilizer.
*And remember to always check the oil.*
*Spark Plug*

Remove the spark plug and look for one of two things: the right gap size, and an absence of fuel (the spark plug should be dry.) If it’s the latter, turn the engine over a few times to get rid of fuel in the spark plug hole, clean off the spark plug and put it back in (a new one may be required.)
As for how to check for a correct gap and adjust an incorrect one, 



 offers a step-by-step tutorial.
*Non-Engaging Starter*

Manual or electric starters can be a little finicky, which is why having an optional electric starter is a pretty good idea: there’s always a backup plan in case one starter doesn’t work. If that’s not the case, applying safe heat is a quick solution, but the problem will likely flare up again once the temperature drops.
.

*Manual Starter*

Snow blowers with manual starters have a metal “dog” (or metal tab) that’s susceptible to freezing, so remove the starter to find the “dog.” The pulley doesn’t have to be removed, just the center screw so lube can reach the pivot area. Just make sure not to use grease because it’ll gum up in cold weather.
*Electric Starter*

Sometimes, the starter gear can get frozen to the shaft, resulting in a spinning sound with no engine turnover. To combat this, first thaw with safe heat, and then put a light coating of lube on the gear shaft. Some snow blowers don’t require you to remove the starter, as you only need a spray lube with a nozzle extension on the shaft, but others do.




Here are some more:
From DIY Network

*1. Buy fresh gas.* Leftover gas from summer lawnmowing won’t cut it for snowblowing. Winter gas has a more volatile blend, which means quicker snowblower starts.
*2. Use additive.* Modern gas has a short shelflife. Old gas is actually one of the top reasons that small engines won’t start. Make gas last with a fuel stabilizer—but only add the prescribed amount. Too much, and the stabilizer gums up the snowblower carburetor. Too little, and gas gums up the carburetor.

*3. Get enough gas.* Blowing through deep snows burns through fuel quickly. Our small 1-gallon gas can works well for summer mowing, but our winter delivers frequent and sometimes large snowfalls. We found we needed a larger gas can to keep the snowblower going, especially when the big storms hit.

*4. Clear obstacles.* Before snow starts, scout your snowblowing area for objects that could jam the auger: frozen newspapers, holiday light or extension cords, a dog cable, rocks or garden hose. If stone mulch borders an area you snowblow, mark the edges so you don’t accidentally move into the gravel. In regions with heavy snowfalls, plan ahead and insert markers into soil before it freezes.

*5. Adjust height.* Skid shoes (also called skid plates) control how close the auger comes to snowy surfaces. Double-check these prior to cold weather. We had to make a last-minute adjustment--which required getting down on hands and knees--in a 40-degree garage. That's a cold task we don't relish repeating. If a skid shoe becomes cracked or worn, replace it.

*6. Plan your attack.* Think about the pattern you’ll follow to move snow and where you’ll put it. We tackled our first snowblowing during a windy blizzard, so quickly learned to work with the wind. The best place to blow snow is onto your lawn. Avoid blowing it too close to the house, and don’t forget to clear a spot near the end of the driveway for placing garbage cans.

*7. Harness the sun.* Time snowblowing to take advantage of solar power. Our driveway gets morning sun, so we try to clear snow before the sun gets too high in the sky. That way, the sun melts any remaining snow and gets us to bare concrete—and safer footing—sooner.

*8. Start your engine.* Always start the engine outside—or just inside an open garage door. For an electric start, keep a properly rated extension cord handy. We didn’t realize this for our first start. Our cords hang on a peg board—on the wall opposite from where we store and start the snowblower. With two cars in the garage, traversing from snowblower to extension cords presents an intense obstacle course. In future, I’ll move a cord over near the snowblower before winter arrives.

*9. Get out early.* If the forecast predicts large storm totals, start blowing before snowfall finishes. This saves gas and wear on your machine, since blowing small amounts is easier. If you clear the driveway before the plows come through, take time to blow snow along the road edge heading toward your driveway to reduce what the plow will deposit.

*10. Work as a team.* When dealing with deep snow or a tall plow lump, I knock down snow with a shovel so my husband can easily throw it with the snowblower. I love a bent-handle snow shovel for moving snow, but that bend doesn’t provide the necessary downward force for knocking down deep, cold-hardened snow. Use a shovel with a straight handle for best results.

*11. Clean up after.* After shutting off the engine, grab a broom to whisk snow off the blower. Use a clean-out tool or something similar to remove any snow from the chute. Knock snow off outside to avoid a wet and messy garage floor. Remove snow around the base and top of the chute so it doesn’t freeze into position.

*12. Buy a boot dryer.* In areas with frequent heavy snowfalls, a boot dryer pays for itself in the first storm. It means you can head out, blow snow for Round 1, come inside to warm up, dry your boots and gloves, and have toasty, dry gear to put on when you head out again. It's also super handy for drying mittens and hats after friendly snowball fights!


----------



## SimplicitySolid22 (Nov 18, 2018)

This is improving performance by Ariens website:


As always, review the safety information and the instructional details in your operator’s manual before performing service or adjustments.*1. Adjust snow blower scraper blade*








Depending on frequency of use, contact with your pavement can wear a scraper bar. As it wears, it won’t clear snow as effectively, however, it can be adjusted to compensate for wear.


Carefully tip your snow blower back so its weight rests on the handlebars and secure the unit so it will not tip unexpectedly. [see photo of service position]
Loosen scraper blade hardware at the bottom of housing.
Pull the scraper blade down as far as possible.
Tighten the scraper blade hardware.
After adjusting your scraper blade, you'll need to adjust your unit’s skid shoes. If your scraper blade is worn too far, you can get a replacement at your local Ariens dealer or online at parts.ariens.com.
*2. Adjust snow blower skid shoes*

The position of the unit's skid shoes regulates the gap between the scraper blade and the clearing surface. As the scraper blade wears or is adjusted, the skid shoes will need to be reset so an effective clearing gap is maintained.


Position a spacer under the left and right sides of the scraper bar.
Use a 1/8-inch-thick spacer if clearing paved surfaces
Use a 1/2-inch-thick spacer if clearing gravel surfaces

Loosen all skid shoe hardware.
Position skid shoes against clearing surface.
Tighten skid shoe hardware.
If you prefer non-abrasive skid shoes to standard steel skid shoes, you can find them at your local Ariens dealer or online at parts.ariens.com​.
*3. Snow blower tire pressure recommendation*

Underinflated tires can affect how your snow blower drives. To help ensure the unit maintains grip and drives in a straight line, inflate the tires to adequate, equal tire pressures. On Ariens® Sno-Thro® models, there is no tire pressure recommendation other than the pressure range listed on the tire sidewalls.
*4. Adjust snow blower chute cable*








*Adjust chute deflector*
All newer Ariens Sno-Thro models are equipped with an identical chute deflector, or chute cap lever that controls the height of snow discharge. If the deflector doesn't stay at its selected height, tighten the nut on the chute deflector lever under the dash panel.
If the deflector doesn't follow its full range of travel, adjust the chute cable nuts on the deflector.


To adjust the deflector lower, loosen the lower nut and tighten the upper nut.
To adjust the deflector higher, loosen the upper nut and tighten the lower nut.
After adjustments are made, test the lever to make sure the deflector follows its full range of travel.
*Adjust chute rotation*
If the discharge chute doesn't remain in the desired direction while throwing snow, adjust it. Depending on the snowblower model, the discharge chute rotation will be adjusted in one of two ways.
*Ariens Compact and Deluxe models:*


Tighten the nut under the discharge chute gears.
Test discharge chute rotation and repeat adjustment, if necessary.
 *Ariens Platinum and Professional models:*
If discharge chute does not stay in position:







​


Remove chute gear cover.
Loosen rear adjustment nut and tighten forward adjustment nut until lock arm engages gear teeth.
Test discharge chute rotation and repeat adjustment, if necessary.
Reinstall gear cover.
 *If discharge chute does not rotate freely:*


Remove chute gear cover.
Loosen forward adjustment nut and tighten rear adjustment nut until there is no cable slack and lock arm engages gear teeth.
Reinstall gear cover.
*5. Adjust snow blower auger cable*

If your snow blower's throwing ability is diminished, the issue could be resolved with one or two simple adjustments. Remember, details and illustrations for the procedures can be found in your operator’s manual.
*Check auger clutch cable*


Check for slack in auger clutch cable that extends from the right clutch lever to the rear of the frame.
Loosen the jam nut on the cable adjustment barrel and turn barrel down until slack is removed.
Tighten jam nut against adjustment barrel.
 *Adjust idler position*
If the auger cable is already taut or has just been adjusted, you may need to reposition the idler on the attachment arm.


Rotate unit into the service position and remove the bottom cover. [See photo of service position]
Check the distance between the attachment idler arm roller and the frame.
Loosen the adjustment nut on the attachment idler (located under the belt cover) and reposition the idler.









​ *6. Adjust snow blower drive cable*

If your snowblower isn't driving correctly, it could be corrected by adjusting the drive clutch cable, which extends from the left clutch lever to the rear of the unit’s frame.


Loosen jam nut on the adjustment barrel of the drive cable.
Turn the adjustment barrel down to shorten cable slack.
Tighten the nut against the adjustment barrel.
*7. Adjust snow blower track*

Snowblower track tension should be within specification and equal. If your track snow blower is pulling to the left or right, adjust the track tension.


If snow blower drives to the right, tighten the left track adjuster
If snow blower drives to the left, tighten the right track adjuster


----------



## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

I didn't know that excessive fuel stabilzer can gum up a carb. I'll be more measured the next time I add some. I added a dollop more than called for last couple of times. Dam. I should probably be adding some SeaFoam or something to hopefully lessen any gumming up caused by the stabilzer use. Thanks for that info.


----------



## DriverRider (Nov 20, 2016)

barney said:


> What do you mean by this? Is there some kind of recommended shut down procedure when finished blowing snow?



It is known as stabilizing equipment temperatures before operation and prior to shutdown. No equipment operator starts a cold machine and proceeds immediately working it to its' limits and operators manuals also state to let temps stabilize prior to shutdown. Be happy your pilot of the plane you fly in follows procedure. Operators get to know their machines and when they balk at abuse.

Could be the reason why all my machinery is still ticking away after 55yrs with original engines and others' in the scrapheap after 20yrs, do you think I carry it too far with a few minutes of idle time?:smile2:


----------



## rslifkin (Mar 5, 2018)

In any weather, I give it 3 - 5 minutes at idle after startup, then gently bring it up to full RPM and let it run there for 30 seconds or so before putting it to work. Before shutdown, I pull it back to idle and give it a minute or so.


----------



## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Keep in mind that wind chill does not affect your machine, just mainly your skin.


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

My '71 Ariens is missing its primer button, (most of the time, a non-issue) but when its unusually cold, 20F (-7C) and below, I give it a squirt of starter fluid straight into the carb before starting, seems to help with starting.

Scot


----------



## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

SimplicitySolid22 said:


> What the boys have said!
> 
> 
> Here is some tips:
> ...


Great advise, thanks!


----------



## Cold1 (Dec 20, 2017)

grayhairedfreak said:


> Sorry if this is another dumb newbie question.
> 
> 
> Weather here in Middle America this weekend calling for blowing and drifting snow, with temps down to -5F and windchill at -25F. I have my Deluxe 24 in the garage but does it require any additional warm up or care in using when it's that cold? I've tried to run the auger a few minutes after finishing so I think I have that part figured out.
> ...


Aaaahhhh…… snowblowing in cold weather - gotta love it...... :dry:


My experience is about the same as others': Depending on your engine, you may want to prime it a bit more to start in cold weather. The 306 in my 28SHO seems to like one extra squirt of primer if the temp is below 0°F. Once started, you may need to back the choke off a little more slowly as the engine warms up. Probably also a good idea to give it a little longer warm-up time before tackling the snow. The controls, especially speed selector are kind of stiff in the cold, but will loosen up pretty well to normal once you've been blowing for a few minutes. Other than those things, I don't find blowers are affected by the cold very much, or maybe I've just gotten used to it over the years. I think the operator is bothered a lot more than the machine - and it seems the grayer my hair gets, the more I'm bothered by it.:grin:


----------



## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

barney said:


> What do you mean by this? Is there some kind of recommended shut down procedure when finished blowing snow?


What I've been doing for years is simply turning the fuel supply valve to off when I'm done. Set the engine to idle (not all of them have that setting now, don't worry about it if not) and let it run out of the fuel in the carburetor and fuel line. This lets the engine cool down slowly thus avoiding thermal shock and drains the carburetor bowl so you'll be a lot less likely to have problems starting again in a few weeks or a month. It'll run for about three to five minutes with no load, exactly what you want it to do.

It seems to work for me, no issues starting again later.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

RIT333 said:


> Keep in mind that wind chill does not affect your machine, just mainly your skin.


Why do you say this? I won't affect your machine at startup, since it's at the ambient temperature, if stored outside. 

But windchill will affect anything that's warmer than the ambient temperature, cooling it down more quickly. So while running, the engine would "feel" the windchill. 

Also, for the other discussion, running for a few minutes before shutdown helps cool the engine. While running under a heavy load, the engine is generating a lot of heat. It is dissipated by the flywheel moving air across the engine's cooling fins. If you suddenly shut it down right after it's been working hard, the inside of the engine is still quite hot, but you eliminate the cooling from the airflow, so the engine stays hotter. But, if you let it run for a few minutes with no load, before shutting down, you give it time to remove this extra heat from engine, and you bring the whole thing down to a lower, more-even temperature.


----------



## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

RedOctobyr said:


> Why do you say this? I won't affect your machine at startup, since it's at the ambient temperature, if stored outside.
> 
> But windchill will affect anything that's warmer than the ambient temperature, cooling it down more quickly. So while running, the engine would "feel" the windchill.
> 
> Also, for the other discussion, running for a few minutes before shutdown helps cool the engine. While running under a heavy load, the engine is generating a lot of heat. It is dissipated by the flywheel moving air across the engine's cooling fins. If you suddenly shut it down right after it's been working hard, the inside of the engine is still quite hot, but you eliminate the cooling from the airflow, so the engine stays hotter. But, if you let it run for a few minutes with no load, before shutting down, you give it time to remove this extra heat from engine, and you bring the whole thing down to a lower, more-even temperature.



Yes - it will get down to ambient temperature faster in the wind, but it will not drop below ambient. Whereas, your skin will act like it is at the wind-chill temperature.


----------



## Ferret (Oct 4, 2016)

Someone mentioned letting your snowblower warm-up in the garage before using. 


BAD IDEA!


----------



## 132619 (Nov 20, 2018)

he stores it in a garage, so i'm sure anyone with brains knows enough to push a machine out the door first .


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@barney


I have used Seafom, as well as Stabil, in all my gas cans for all my small engines for years, summer and winter. I never had a problem with starting anything.


----------



## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

I always idle mine while brushing the snow off it prior to going back into the garage, and then baxk it in under power at idle. Engine seems to last forever this way, and takes zero extra time.


----------



## russ01915 (Dec 18, 2013)

The only effect wind chill has on inanimate objects, such as car radiators and water pipes, is to more quickly cool the object to cool to the current air temperature. Object will NOT cool below the actual air temperature.

WHAT IS WINDCHILL?
How cold it “feels” outside isn’t just about temperature! You also need to consider the speed of the wind. As the wind speed increases, the body is cooled at a faster rate causing the skin temperature to drop. The combination of cold temperature and high wind could create such a severe cooling effect that your flesh would actually freeze.


WINDCHILL TABLE
Wind
Speed
(mph)


----------



## bbwb (Oct 25, 2018)

russ01915 said:


> The only effect wind chill has on inanimate objects, such as car radiators and water pipes, is to more quickly cool the object to cool to the current air temperature. Object will NOT cool below the actual air temperature.
> 
> WHAT IS WINDCHILL?
> How cold it “feels” outside isn’t just about temperature! You also need to consider the speed of the wind. As the wind speed increases, the body is cooled at a faster rate causing the skin temperature to drop. The combination of cold temperature and high wind could create such a severe cooling effect that your flesh would actually freeze.
> ...


Correct, wind chill only affects living objects. The charts were developed in WW2 to provide a comparison as to how cold it felt when the cold was being pushed around by the wind.
For those that don't believe the theory, if you put a fan in the freezer that is set to zero degrees, will it get colder...no.
It will however cause warmer items to reach the ultimate cold temp (zero degrees) faster.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

bbwb said:


> Correct, wind chill only affects living objects. ...
> It will however cause warmer items to reach the ultimate cold temp (zero degrees) faster.


I would propose broadening the statement to "windchill only affects objects that are warmer than the ambient air temperature". Living objects fit this, but so do running engines, or things you brought outside from a warmer indoor environment, etc. The wind will cool all of those down more quickly, trying to bring them down to the air temperature.


----------



## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Not really true . . . a fair amout of wind chill is evaporative cooling of skin, which cannot happen with metal no matter the temp. As others have noted, wind chill is the effective temp seen by skin, not a rate of cooling. -10 is -10 no matter how fast you get there, but with chill, skin could effectively be seeing -25 . . .


----------



## DHS (Dec 31, 2018)

DriverRider said:


> It is known as stabilizing equipment temperatures before operation and prior to shutdown. No equipment operator starts a cold machine and proceeds immediately working it to its' limits and operators manuals also state to let temps stabilize prior to shutdown. Be happy your pilot of the plane you fly in follows procedure. Operators get to know their machines and when they balk at abuse.
> 
> Could be the reason why all my machinery is still ticking away after 55yrs with original engines and others' in the scrapheap after 20yrs, do you think I carry it too far with a few minutes of idle time?:smile2:



Everything I have seen recently says to NOT let an engine idle until it warms up. Cold engines, especially carbureted, run very rich when cold which causes raw fuel to run down the cylinders and wash oil off the cylinders and rings. The goal is to warm the engine as quickly as possible which means putting a load on the engine. Add to this people leaving chokes on too long which causes an even richer mixture and more raw fuel running down the cylinders. Current conventional wisdom is as soon as the engine is running smoothly to put a moderate load on the engine to get it up to operating temp as soon as possible. My 1950s era aircraft engine operating manual says full power can be applied as soon as the engine accelerates smoothly which is a couple of seconds after start. The three manuals for our BMWs adamantly state to not let a cold engine idle but to moderately drive away immediately in order to get it to operating temperature as soon as possible.


----------



## rslifkin (Mar 5, 2018)

Not idling to warm up is good practice for a car where you can easily run it under light load at moderate RPM during warm up. But for equipment like a snowblower, I go for getting it un-choked as quickly as it'll tolerate and give it some warm-up before use. When there's a foot of snow in front of the bucket, you're going to put quite a bit of load on it right away, which isn't ideal for a cold engine. And I wouldn't want to run it up to 3600 with stone cold oil either. 

Letting it warm up does cause a little extra fuel dilution in the oil, but most air cooled engines get their oil hot enough under load that the fuel will boil off before you're done blowing unless you've got a tiny driveway. Newer engines tend not to be tuned as rich anyway, which also makes it less of an issue. Plus, the cylinder walls start to warm up pretty quickly on a small air cooled, so it doesn't take long before most of the fuel past the rings concerns are gone.


----------



## northframingham (Jan 6, 2018)

I always add Sta-Bil Marine Formula and a little Sea Foam to ALL my gas cans!


----------



## DriverRider (Nov 20, 2016)

DHS said:


> Everything I have seen recently says to NOT let an engine idle until it warms up. Cold engines, especially carbureted, run very rich when cold which causes raw fuel to run down the cylinders and wash oil off the cylinders and rings. The goal is to warm the engine as quickly as possible which means putting a load on the engine. Add to this people leaving chokes on too long which causes an even richer mixture and more raw fuel running down the cylinders. Current conventional wisdom is as soon as the engine is running smoothly to put a moderate load on the engine to get it up to operating temp as soon as possible. My 1950s era aircraft engine operating manual says full power can be applied as soon as the engine accelerates smoothly which is a couple of seconds after start. The three manuals for our BMWs adamantly state to not let a cold engine idle but to moderately drive away immediately in order to get it to operating temperature as soon as possible.



All my engines will fully come off choke within 10-40 seconds after starting and at that point it will have its' normal air/fuel mixture so none of this washing you write of. BMW and your recent conventional wisdom is taking the politically correct green position of reducing greenhouse gases by not idling an engine, what age are your BMWs that would have a carb? To "moderately drive away immediately" is an obvious admission from BMW regarding cold machines to be used sparingly until up to temperature at the expense of a normal warm-up.:smile_big:


----------



## DHS (Dec 31, 2018)

DriverRider said:


> All my engines will fully come off choke within 10-40 seconds after starting and at that point it will have its' normal air/fuel mixture so none of this washing you write of. BMW and your recent conventional wisdom is taking the politically correct green position of reducing greenhouse gases by not idling an engine, what age are your BMWs that would have a carb? To "moderately drive away immediately" is an obvious admission from BMW regarding cold machines to be used sparingly until up to temperature at the expense of a normal warm-up.:smile_big:


Well then, might you explain the same suggestions from Continental Motors from 70-80 yeas ago. Not too many greenies around back then.


----------



## IDEngineer (Oct 16, 2018)

rslifkin said:


> Not idling to warm up is good practice for a car where you can easily run it under light load at moderate RPM during warm up. But for equipment like a snowblower, I go for getting it un-choked as quickly as it'll tolerate and give it some warm-up before use. When there's a foot of snow in front of the bucket, you're going to put quite a bit of load on it right away, which isn't ideal for a cold engine. And I wouldn't want to run it up to 3600 with stone cold oil either.


I'll second these comments.

1) On a normal gasoline car engine, I start and let oil pressure come up, then drive at modest speed for the first 1-2 miles. This isn't just good for the engine, it also lets the transmission and the rest of the drivetrain warm up. We live within ~1 mile of a 60 MPH highway but if the vehicle is cold we take a level side road that adds another ~1.5 miles at ~35 MPH before asking the drivetrain to accelerate to a full 60 MPH. It is true that letting a car engine idle for too long isn't recommended, but it's also not recommended to slam it with a heavy load when stone cold.

2) On diesel engines (such as the 5.9L Cummins in my Dodge 3500), I start and let it warm up for a couple of minutes before moving it since the engine has far more thermal mass than a typical gasoline engine these days. Also, the ECU knows when the engine is cold and will autonomously raise the idle from its norm of 750 to around 1000 RPM to prewarm the engine, and it knows far more about actual engine conditions than any user guesstimates. Then I drive at modest speed as with gasoline cars in #1 above. (I also have engine block heaters in my diesels so even in cold weather they don't generally start from a stone cold condition.)

3) On a snowblower, I _*definitely*_ let it warm up for several minutes at around 1/3rd idle before asking it to run under heavy load. My usual practice is to let the snowblower engine warm up while I'm using the snow shovel to handle all the nooks and crannies, the front porch, etc. That generally takes a few minutes and then the snowblower is ready to go.

The one use case that bothers me is larger generators. We have a 7KW generator to power the house during outages (all heat sources are natural gas so 7KW is more than enough to run everything like normal) and it runs at a fixed 3600 RPM all the time, regardless of load. Asking that engine to run at max RPM immediately makes me cringe every time I start it. I understand why it has to be that way (to maintain 60Hz) but still. I mollify it somewhat by storing the generator indoors so it always starts from room temperature, and let the engine warm up for several minutes before putting any (electrical) load on it.

With respect to this whole psuedo-green "engine idle adds pollution" nonsense... those folks need to consider the entire cradle-to-grave footprint of the engine. Properly prewarming (and postcooling) an engine vastly prolongs its life, which is FAR more ecologically respectful than stupidly shortening its life and then requiring a replacement engine. The _*manufacturing*_ of the engine has a significant ecological footprint that these oversensitive "eco-warriors" conveniently ignore or forget. Speaking only for myself, I prefer to maximize my TOTAL efficiency - financial AND ecological, not to mention time spent on maintenance - by buying good equipment and then properly using and caring for it so it lasts as long as possible. THAT is the most "ecologically sensitive" way to behave, thank you very much.


----------



## SHVLHEAD (Feb 12, 2017)

Welcome to the forum GHF...glad to see a fellow Husker come aboard.

Ditto what most the boys have been saying...3-5 min. after start-up and away we go. On a few occasions I start her up, return inside to suit up and by time I return she's ready to go.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

IDEngineer said:


> The one use case that bothers me is larger generators. We have a 7KW generator to power the house during outages (all heat sources are natural gas so 7KW is more than enough to run everything like normal) and it runs at a fixed 3600 RPM all the time, regardless of load. Asking that engine to run at max RPM immediately makes me cringe every time I start it. I understand why it has to be that way (to maintain 60Hz) but still.


Fortunately, many generators nowadays have an auto-idle control, which drops the engine speed down if there is no electrical load on the generator. My Generac from ~2000 had that, it was nice. It really doesn't save much noise or gas, since a single small light bulb counts as an electrical load, forcing it to jump up to 3600 RPM, for 60 Hz. But it's a nice feature for letting the engine warm up, and cool down.


----------



## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

IDEngineer said:


> I'll second these comments.
> 
> 1) On a normal gasoline car engine, I start and let oil pressure come up, then drive at modest speed for the first 1-2 miles. This isn't just good for the engine, it also lets the transmission and the rest of the drivetrain warm up. We live within ~1 mile of a 60 MPH highway but if the vehicle is cold we take a level side road that adds another ~1.5 miles at ~35 MPH before asking the drivetrain to accelerate to a full 60 MPH. It is true that letting a car engine idle for too long isn't recommended, but it's also not recommended to slam it with a heavy load when stone cold.
> 
> ...



Not sure on yours, but most big gennie installations I have worked on, the exercise timers I thought let the engine run for a bit prior to applying load (if setup to test under load). Running with no load isn't too much stress regardless of speed . . . 



Of course, in a real emergency, you want it online ASAP, **** the engine!


----------

