How to handle cold weather like winter warriors

Winter can be tough on machines – but don’t worry, your Cat equipment is designed to handle cold weather.

Our Winter Performance Checklist will help you keep your equipment safe, efficient and effective throughout the season, so you can avoid unscheduled downtime or service calls.

Daily Safety Walkaround

• Visibility: clean all windows, mirrors and lights
• Service: fluid and grease checks
• Defrost cab and mirrors
  (If you have a deluxe cab it will heat both mirrors and rear glass)

Machine Operation

1. Safe Start: warm up your machine
2. Key machine on to RUN: glow plug light will turn on in dash and turn off when ready to start
3. Key machine to start 

Well below freezing?

Let the machine run for up to 30 minutes to allow for a predictable hydraulic performance from your machine.

• Check implement : Start slowly and work your way up to a full cycle in increments.
• Is it safe to operate? Monitor your machine vitals (coolant, hydraulic oil, transmission oil temperature).
• Targets: Engine 80ºC, Hydraulics 30ºC

Winter Tires

According to experts, winter tires perform better at a temperature of 7°C or below. All four tires are always changed at once and are designed to remain flexible and thus more efficient at temperatures where materials become brittle or hard. 

They are also characterized by deeper, inclined markings, which allow them to better adhere to winter surfaces such as slush, snow, and ice.

All heavy equipment winter tires are different. Your Toromont Cat representative can help you choose the best tires for the equipment, the task, and the type of terrain. Some models, such as the following, are designed for specific operations:

MICHELIN X SNOPLUS

These tires are specifically designed for graders and wheel loaders, which require exceptional traction on snow and ice. They perform well year-round, so they don’t need to be changed according to the season. They also offer a drastic reduction in flats and can even be retreaded like new!

BRIDGESTONE WSV

WSV tires are specifically made for snow removal machines. They offer great handling performance on all types of snow, even when the machine is turning. They also perform well year-round, don’t need to be changed according to the season, and can be easily retread.

Small Wheel Loaders

• Safe operation on slippery surfaces
• On-the-go diff lock: lockup front 2 tires at equal torque to avoid tire slippage
• Rimpull control: allows you to dial the wheel torque down to “low” (ice mode) and avoid spinning tires

• Hystat operation “Ice mode”: this powertrain mode allows for longer roll outs, avoids dynamic braking, softens directional shifts

Tier 4 Final Machines

Cold Weather Shutdown (60-90 seconds)

1. Shut off the engine
2. Wait for the light to go out
3. Turn off the master disconnect

The Diesel Exhaust Fluid in your Tier 4 Final machine freezes at -11ºC… in other words, any given winter day in Canada! This procedure purges DEF away from the engine and back to the reservoir, allowing it to freeze and thaw without affecting machine performance.