Engine heater

[Bill_B]

What is the best type of engine heater to install on a Kioti 4020? Is there a good universal option on Amazon or at TSC? Or should I be buying something from my dealer?
On my last tractor I bought the one that you cut into your radiator hose. I got it at TSC. It didn't seem to do much and after a year didn't seem like it worked at all. I bought another one and the same thing seemed to happen.
So I am thinking that may not be the best option.

Has anyone ever tried wrapping heat trace around the coolant hose for a heater? I have a brand new one that is the auto regulating type that I bought and never used.

 

[Cycledude]

my opinion forget hose heater buy a block heater.

 

[Robin Veerman]

What part of the world do you live in? Maybe the glow plugs are sufficient? I ask because I had an in-line heater catch fire right before my eyes. Thankfully I hadn’t left the tractor shed after plugging it in. I’ve since removed the heater and replaced the hose and rely on the glow plugs. No issues for the past 6 years. I treat my fuel and run a synthetic engine oil. I’m in Ontario Canada where the winter weather can get really cold…

 

[TractorTYMe]

A block heater that goes into one of the frost plugs on the block of the engine is the most efficient.

 

[RjCorazza]

I have always installed block heaters, and they have worked well for me. I bought oem heaters, but if you know the freeze plug size there are plenty of aftermarket options.

 

[Coyote_CS2220]

It depends on where you store your tractor and how cold it gets in this location.

If it is stored outside a block heater is a must, but I have found that a magnetic oil pan heater really helps as warm oil makes turn over and starting so much easier. A block heater does not warm up the oil way down in the crank case.

If it is stored inside an unheated garage/shed you can likely just use a magnetic oil pan heater as heat rises from the oil and will keep the upper engine warm too.

Magnet oil pan heater

 

[1Mech]

I recall my dad buying a '68 Plymouth Fury II must have been the early '70s , anyway, it came with a small propane powered engine heater. As I recall, it was actually a small water heater plumbed into the hoses. I don't recall if it was the lower radiator hose or a heater hose, but it worked and you didn't even need to be near electricity. The 12 volts from the battery fired a glow plug to fire the propane off. There was a small propane tank in the trunk with a shut off valve. As I recall it was made by a company called Phillips Manufacturing or something similar to that. We lived near the Twin Cities of Minnesota at the time, so we had plenty of cold in the winter!

 

[CalG]

I've been using lower radiator hose heaters for .....ever.

They work fine for me, but the thermostat MUST have a bypass "tickler".

The flow must go on!

 

[Egon]

What is the best type of engine heater to install on a Kioti 4020? Is there a good universal option on Amazon or at TSC? Or should I be buying something from my dealer?
On my last tractor I bought the one that you cut into your radiator hose. I got it at TSC. It didn't seem to do much and after a year didn't seem like it worked at all. I bought another one and the same thing seemed to happen.
So I am thinking that may not be the best option.

Has anyone ever tried wrapping heat trace around the coolant hose for a heater? I have a brand new one that is the auto regulating type that I bought and never used.

Some inline heaters have to be installed in a certain orientation.

 

[Oaktree]

I have found that a magnetic oil pan heater really helps as warm oil makes turn over and starting so much easier. A block heater does not warm up the oil way down in the crank case.

Bought one of those a few years ago, when I tried to use it I discovered the pan on my LK3054 was made of some non-ferrous material.