Bringing Agricultural Tractor Hydraulics to Life at -30°C

The intent of this paper is to explain specific considerations necessary to successfully start up and use an axial piston hydraulic pump system at -30°C without changing to a winter-grade hydraulic fluid. The particular vehicle involved was a new design of agricultural tractor. Testing was done on drivetrain parts in a small cold room, and complete prototype tractors were tested in a large cold room. The modifications to the hydraulic system resulted in a vehicle which starts readily at -30°C and can start to steer in less than one minute.