Cold weather starting
 

I have a 129 with the Kohler 12HP...before it got cold I changed the oil and used Shell Rotella straight 30 weight oil....it starts in this cold weather, but starts slugishly to turn...like a low battery ( battery is fully charged....load tested and good..I tried a different battery also and same thing) ...then catches after a few attempts and gets running....I am wondering if the if using straight rather than multi visc oil (5-30?) is causing it...any thoughts?...thanks in advance...Mark

Put a magnetic electric heater on the bottom of the hydro case.
You are cranking/pumping the cold oil in the hydro as well when you turn the key on a cold morning.
I know my gear drive cubs start lots easier than the hydros do when the temp drops.

I use 0-20 weight synthetic in my old 169 snow blower tractor in the winter. Starts way better with the old starter-generator. Been doing it for years. No mechanical issues. You'll be able to see all your leaks!

Thank you...think I will start with that mag heater..I will take a look on Amazon for one...or does anyone know of a source?

I've used 10/30 in my cubs for 40+ years without any issues particularly in the winter months, once in a great while they might have gotten a dose of straight 30 for the summer but I could count those times on one hand ! Oils are much better now than they were 50 years ago ! just my opinion !

I never gave it much thought because cold weather starting my hydro has never been a big factor for me, but if it were, I might put some thought into a permanent solution such as something like this heater.
Drill and tap a hole into the cover plate below the oil level. Then just plug it in when you need it.

I'd be leery of adding another place for a leak to start.
The covers are pretty thin to tap threads into.
One would have to weld a threaded bushing of sorts, like the fill plug utilizes, to the cover for that procedure to be leak free.

Location of the proposed hole for the heater should be taken into consideration as well if the use of a tiller is opted for in the summer. A hole of sufficient size would be required in the tiller mount to allow for clearance of the plug/wiring receptacle.
Inner clearance for the element may also be an issue in this scenario.

The biggest key for me is to make sure the starting system is in tip-top shape. Good battery, good wiring and connections clean, bright and tight.

I wasn't suggesting that an individual contemplating something that might benefit himself should not do his own due diligence to work out the details.

As I posted, I have no need for the idea, but if I did, I have no doubt that I could come up with something workable that would eliminate the pain in the ass of attaching something to the case. Laying on the ground and cleaning slop for a place to attach something magnetic doesn't seem like fun to me.

I realize some projects are beyond the abilities, or even desires of some members to try something new or different. Others might look at an idea and say "that looks pretty cool, I might give it a try". Those are the people my post was directed at.

The only thing I do is (a) change the oil to 10W-30 as recommended by Kohler, and (b) use 90 octane fuel [Rec-90] as seen in my neighborhood. This works well for me.

:IH Trusted Hand: