Jim Becker wrote:I'm going to repeat my comment from the last time premixing antifreeze was discussed. It is as appropriate now as it was a year ago.
If you want to see that entire discussion:
http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=66038Jim Becker wrote:A little anecdotal evidence that not mixing works "just fine" isn't very convincing then it comes from somebody in a town where the average low in the coldest month of the year isn't below freezing.
As John pointed out, running the tractor hard enough and long enough will get it to mix. Unfortunately, hard enough and long enough are much easier to say than they are to quantify. Premixing is not difficult and eliminates any question as to whether it has mixed adequately. You don't have to even start the engine after adding the coolant. Premixing is simply a good practice that removes any question about whether the coolant is adequately mixed. Advising otherwise is about on par with:
"Don't bother checking you transmisson before starting the engine. If you put it in neutral last time you shut it off, it will still be in neutral."
or maybe:
"Don't waste your time with jack stands. I just put my bottle jack on top of a cinder block and it works just fine."
Sometimes "just fine" is the product of dumb luck.
I do not trivialize other's data or results. I have no idea what the average winter temp is in SC nor do I know the average winter temp in PA where I spent half my life. I am not changing the antifreeze every day of every week of every month during the winter. I have done the same thing both north and south, different makes, models of tractors, different times of the year with the same results. Others have posted that they do the same thing.
Anectodal? I use that statement for evidence that resulted from not well controlled inputs and loosely defined outputs or results. In this case the inputs are air, water, antifreeze, a tractor. The output is the number of balls floating in the tester. It either works or not and 15 or so times the past few years it has worked. Prior to that in PA with a colder climate and slightly larger tractors than a cub. Still worked. That is alot of dumb luck!
I have have been very fortunate in my life but do not believe in luck or dumb luck. Other have posted they do the same thing and apparenty got the same results. More dumb luck?
Premix or not is up to the user. I keep a jug of premixed antifreeze in my truck just in case. For the cubs, I just poor in a gallon of antifreeze followed by water, run the engine. It mixes. I may try this winter during some cold weather, try to get as close to freezing as I can. Antifreeze is a good bit thicker at 35 degrees than at 80 degrees but it should still flow and mix.
Disagreement is appropriate, trivializing someone's statements or results is not.