Tier 4 final

[PrivadoMason]

Right, I've got one working right now to keep my horse's water tank from freezing solid. It can get in the teens or well below zero here in WY this time of year. Depending on the temp, I'll have it timed to come on about 2AM and go off 7 or 8AM. If you Google "Intermatic timers" they show quit a few of what they offer. The one I have for my pickup plugs directly in the garage wall socket then the extension cord from the block heater plugs into the bottom of the timer. You can set them for any number of hours and any time of day or night. You DO have to make sure it's rated for the amperage that your heater uses.

That's helpful piece of hardware. I have a question for you, do you think it's illegal for me to deactivate my reverse alarm (not remove it). Could i be risking a citation from OSHA (i hate them...)? I have been wondering this for a while now. It's a bit annoying to have that thing blaring all the time (I can see its advantages mostly safety wise but im not really a safety sally, more of a common sense ken). Thanks as always !

 

[JDWY]

That's helpful piece of hardware. I have a question for you, do you think it's illegal for me to deactivate my reverse alarm (not remove it). Could i be risking a citation from OSHA (i hate them...)? I have been wondering this for a while now. It's a bit annoying to have that thing blaring all the time (I can see its advantages mostly safety wise but im not really a safety sally, more of a common sense ken). Thanks as always !

Funny you should mention that. The alarm on my NH is the most obnoxious loudest thing I ever heard. Sounds like a painful grunt. I'm on 5 acres out of town surrounded by other 5+ acre parcels in a quiet area with only maybe 10 vehicles going by per day. With the skid steer so computer controlled, I was scared to disconnect the alarm wires so I took some fiberglass insulation and a cutout piece of plastic that fit correctly and zip tied it around the alarm speaker. With earplugs on and in the cab I now can't hear it at all. However, if I was using the machine for a friend or whatever off my property or road I'd worry about the liability if something happened due to no backup alarm. By the info in your signature, looks like you do much outside commercial work so I don't know. They make removable and reusable zip ties so you could do what I did and then have the alarm blasting away depending on the job you're on. Or do what I did with less fiberglass insulation and at least quiet it down a bit. Before retiring I was around a few OSHA deals and I bet you're right, you would get a citation if caught without an audible alarm.

 

[PrivadoMason]

Funny you should mention that. The alarm on my NH is the most obnoxious loudest thing I ever heard. Sounds like a painful grunt. I'm on 5 acres out of town surrounded by other 5+ acre parcels in a quiet area with only maybe 10 vehicles going by per day. With the skid steer so computer controlled, I was scared to disconnect the alarm wires so I took some fiberglass insulation and a cutout piece of plastic that fit correctly and zip tied it around the alarm speaker. With earplugs on and in the cab I now can't hear it at all. However, if I was using the machine for a friend or whatever off my property or road I'd worry about the liability if something happened due to no backup alarm. By the info in your signature, looks like you do much outside commercial work so I don't know. They make removable and reusable zip ties so you could do what I did and then have the alarm blasting away depending on the job you're on. Or do what I did with less fiberglass insulation and at least quiet it down a bit. Before retiring I was around a few OSHA deals and I bet you're right, you would get a citation if caught without an audible alarm.

I know a myriad of contractors that remove them entirely but I rather be a bit annoyed than receiving a citation. (Man those guys are butt sores!). Now I'm not to sure that it would throw a code or something, hmm I might try it and see if it does anything. I'll get back to you if it breaks anything.

 

[JDWY]

I know a myriad of contractors that remove them entirely but I rather be a bit annoyed than receiving a citation. (Man those guys are butt sores!). Now I'm not to sure that it would throw a code or something, hmm I might try it and see if it does anything. I'll get back to you if it breaks anything.

Who knows, with so much electronic controls maybe it won't start with the back alarm disconnected. I see you and another guy were discussing the anti theft feature, that's something I wasn't aware of either. Don't think mine has it, there's no mention of it in the owner's manual.

 

[PrivadoMason]

Who knows, with so much electronic controls maybe it won't start with the back alarm disconnected. I see you and another guy were discussing the anti theft feature, that's something I wasn't aware of either. Don't think mine has it, there's no mention of it in the owner's manual.

Well my Dad was telling me the other day that some how our older LX865 had this feature. I just don't now how it was that they input the code, I have yet to test the back up alarm theory been working so much lately and happy early holidays to you!

 

[JDWY]

Well my Dad was telling me the other day that some how our older LX865 had this feature. I just don't now how it was that they input the code, I have yet to test the back up alarm theory been working so much lately and happy early holidays to you!

Same to you and don't work too hard. Not a cloud in the sky and the sun's beating down and reflecting of the 3+ inches of snow so bright you'd go blind without sunglasses. However it was 12 BELOW zero at dawn.

 

[PrivadoMason]

Same to you and don't work too hard. Not a cloud in the sky and the sun's beating down and reflecting of the 3+ inches of snow so bright you'd go blind without sunglasses. However it was 12 BELOW zero at dawn.

Woah 3 inches, we haven't had it snow that much here yet! We haven't had temperatures that low either I think maybe in the mid 20's (which is cold enough for me!)

 

[JDWY]

Woah 3 inches, we haven't had it snow that much here yet! We haven't had temperatures that low either I think maybe in the mid 20's (which is cold enough for me!)

Yeah, it's 3° above right now and we now have a total of 5-6" so I plugged in the block heater a while ago. Maybe dump it over the pasture fence before the wind comes up and we get the 3' to 8' drifts like last winter. Half the area was snowed in so bad some people were house-bound for a week.

 

[PrivadoMason]

Yeah, it's 3° above right now and we now have a total of 5-6" so I plugged in the block heater a while ago. Maybe dump it over the pasture fence before the wind comes up and we get the 3' to 8' drifts like last winter. Half the area was snowed in so bad some people were house-bound for a week.

Woah!, We didn't even work today because it was "too cold" (well if a diesel can cold start i don't think it was too cold ????) who knows what'll happen if it ever gets that cold down here! Well I hope you had a great Christmas and have a even happier New Years!

 

[JDWY]

Woah!, We didn't even work today because it was "too cold" (well if a diesel can cold start i don't think it was too cold ????) who knows what'll happen if it ever gets that cold down here! Well I hope you had a great Christmas and have a even happier New Years!

Hope you had a good Christmas too! I learned a lesson the hard way about these Fiat diesels. OK, first we had that 12° below zero morning, the next day with a high of only 4° above so my engine was abnormally cold. I found that 2-2 1/2 hours with the block heater plugged in wasn't nearly long enough. And then with the boom down you can't get anywhere near the engine to check the heater plug wiring or anything else. You can't even get the side panels off. I phoned the station where I bought the off road fuel and they verified it was winterized so that wasn't the problem. I plugged the block heater back in and let it set for another hour and it finally fired up so I could move some snow. These babies are evidently cold blooded. Bad part is every brand of diesel engine is different. Where I worked before, we maintained a fleet of Case front end loaders and on a 110° day in August you had to hit the glow plug button or they wouldn't start. Wish there was more info here on the everyday use of these NH machines. Around my area everything's just about 100% Bobcats. When I put it back in the shed/barn yesterday I had the boom up and safety locks out before I shut it off.

 

[PrivadoMason]

Hope you had a good Christmas too! I learned a lesson the hard way about these Fiat diesels. OK, first we had that 12° below zero morning, the next day with a high of only 4° above so my engine was abnormally cold. I found that 2-2 1/2 hours with the block heater plugged in wasn't nearly long enough. And then with the boom down you can't get anywhere near the engine to check the heater plug wiring or anything else. You can't even get the side panels off. I phoned the station where I bought the off road fuel and they verified it was winterized so that wasn't the problem. I plugged the block heater back in and let it set for another hour and it finally fired up so I could move some snow. These babies are evidently cold blooded. Bad part is every brand of diesel engine is different. Where I worked before, we maintained a fleet of Case front end loaders and on a 110° day in August you had to hit the glow plug button or they wouldn't start. Wish there was more info here on the everyday use of these NH machines. Around my area everything's just about 100% Bobcats. When I put it back in the shed/barn yesterday I had the boom up and safety locks out before I shut it off.

In all honesty you should probably get a bobcat instead, according to you bobcat is prominent in your area so I am assuming dealer presence is high (I'm assuming). So machine issues wouldn't be a problem because dealers could fix those issues.... my lx has never struggled for cold/hot starts and it has 5500 hours. Our dealer is less than 2 to 3 miles out.

 

[JDWY]

In all honesty you should probably get a bobcat instead, according to you bobcat is prominent in your area so I am assuming dealer presence is high (I'm assuming). So machine issues wouldn't be a problem because dealers could fix those issues.... my lx has never struggled for cold/hot starts and it has 5500 hours. Our dealer is less than 2 to 3 miles out.

Good point but too late now. And yes, the Bobcat dealer is about 3 miles from our place but I don't think he had anything used. After the snowbound last winter, my wife (mostly) got on the internet searching for a skid steer. Short story, she found our NH at the Bobcat dealer up in Billings, MT. The salesman was real down to earth, really nice guy, seemed more like a dealership mechanic than salesman. Said the machine was in great condition and he had been using it for snow removal around the dealership. He was right, and I didn't tell him as bad as the winter was down here he could have sold 5 more for twice the price. Other than replacing the door micro switch it's been trouble free. Next severe cold spell I'll just plug the block heater in for at least 5 hours and hopefully no problemo.

 

[JDWY]

Good point but too late now. And yes, the Bobcat dealer is about 3 miles from our place but I don't think he had anything used. After the snowbound last winter, my wife (mostly) got on the internet searching for a skid steer. Short story, she found our NH at the Bobcat dealer up in Billings, MT. The salesman was real down to earth, really nice guy, seemed more like a dealership mechanic than salesman. Said the machine was in great condition and he had been using it for snow removal around the dealership. He was right, and I didn't tell him as bad as the winter was down here he could have sold 5 more for twice the price. Other than replacing the door micro switch it's been trouble free. Next severe cold spell I'll just plug the block heater in for at least 5 hours and hopefully no problemo.

Left the block heater plugged in all night and it was still fairly hard to start, the temp was up to 4° above. The block heater evidently works because I can faintly hear it sizzling (like the one in my Ford). When it warms up a bit in a few days I'm going to check out the engine pre-heater (air intake heating grid). Don't have a clue how often or how gradually they fail, but wouldn't be surprised if that's not the problem. Do to work, I've dug through countless truck/equipment shop manuals but this FPT (Fiat) engine manual was a waste of money. A crude Italian to English translation and even cruder very basic engine specs. They refer to a rod or main bearing as a "bush". Word to the wise, NOT a good investment.

 

[Ivan]

Left the block heater plugged in all night and it was still fairly hard to start, the temp was up to 4° above. The block heater evidently works because I can faintly hear it sizzling (like the one in my Ford). When it warms up a bit in a few days I'm going to check out the engine pre-heater (air intake heating grid). Don't have a clue how often or how gradually they fail, but wouldn't be surprised if that's not the problem. Do to work, I've dug through countless truck/equipment shop manuals but this FPT (Fiat) engine manual was a waste of money. A crude Italian to English translation and even cruder very basic engine specs. They refer to a rod or main bearing as a "bush". Word to the wise, NOT a good investment.

If you have glow plugs check them also

 

[JDWY]

If you have glow plugs check them also

Yep, that's what I was referring to above. From what I see and read in the Operator's Manual it doesn't have glow plugs, just an intake heating grid like the small Cummins engines. In fact the manual refers to it as the engine pre-heater. It's 0° outside right now so I won't be diving into it today. Supposed to be about 40° in a couple days, then I'll check the grid circuit with a test light plus resistance and whatever else. There's fuses and circuit breakers on a panel up in the headliner. Wish there was more people on the internet with these particular engines to get advice from, maybe in extreme cold they can't be expected to start. A friend of mine was working in the oil fields in ND a few winters back and he said he had to let his Ford diesel idle day and night if he expected it to keep running while out on an oil rig.