12v seat heater?

[MESSMAKER]

I am getting ready for colder weather and a couple of people asked if I would clear their parking lot and or driveway if we get a big snow . It is hit and miss in KY. Do they make a seat heater that you can plug in to help out a little when you don;t have a cab. The ones I see are only for inside the cab use.

 

[Ivan1547]

I don't think it would be a good idea.

The seat would get warm and melt the snow causing you to probably get wet and even more cold.

 

[whitedogone]

CALESCO NORELLS

http://www.calesco-norells.com/PDFs/Seat Heater_14.pdf

 

[RickB]

Here's a hint from a New Yorker with a 1/4 mile driveway and no cab. Forget your butt and keep your hands, feet, and face (somewhat) warm. My *** is the least of my concerns when plowing snow.

 

[Inspector507]

I have seen seat massage/heat units that plug into a power outlet for cars and trucks. Might try something like that.

 

[bota7800]

Why not get a pair of insulated overalls or coveralls? I used Carhartt overalls in more severe WX than KY likely has with good results.

RickB is correct about hands, head and feet. Sorels, good gloves, and overalls kept me warm in subzero WX.

 

[PILOON]

My plastic seat was torn up and having some leather on hand I traced and sewed a new seat.
Was simply amazed at the new comfort level with a leather seat cover.
Guess it is because it breathes.
In the -25 deg colds you simply don't get that 'icy shock' that the plastics give and on hot summer days you don't fry your butt either.

 

[patrick_g]

My plastic seat was torn up and having some leather on hand I traced and sewed a new seat.
Was simply amazed at the new comfort level with a leather seat cover.
Guess it is because it breathes.
In the -25 deg colds you simply don't get that 'icy shock' that the plastics give and on hot summer days you don't fry your butt either.

You used to be able to find electrically heated surplus flying suits. You can buy electric socks. Some motorcyclists make their own electrically heated long handles (they are available store bought but are not cheap.) They thread a fine flexible wire with hi-grade insulation through the longies. You can put wires closer together where you are colder like in the arms and lower legs. A good way to control the heat is with a duty cycle proportional thingy, not a rheostat. Basically the same control as is used in variable speed cordless drills. If you cannibalize the trigger switch from a junked cordless variable speed tool, the kind with the little twist adjustment for setting the speed, you'd be in business.

Service centers probably throw stuff like that in the trash all the time. Wire it to your 12 volt system as the input and the output goes to your electric underwear. You need to use a great enough length of wire of a small enough gauge to ensure you don't put too heavy of a load on the controller. When an electric current passes through the wire it is heated. You regulate the current (and the heating) with the cannibalized speed control.

I have a solid state windshield wiper speed control accessory added to my VW dune buggy which has 6 volt wiper motor. I can vary the speed from stopped to way faster than stock (0-12 volts on a 6 volt motor.) IT would do the heat control job.

You can Google for info on heated motorcycle clothing (store bought or DIY.)

Their are electrically heated gloves too, both new and military surplus.

Patrick

 

[Mace Canute]

If you could devise a way to keep it from breaking apart and sliding off the seat, a thin piece of white styrofoam works wonders! It insulates you from the seat and after just a few seconds, it's as if you were sitting on a heated surface, no kiddin! I remember back in the 60s they sold a commercial product for autos and trucks that was exactly that, just a half-inch thick piece inside a flexible white plastic cover. Anybody recall those? Slippery as all get-out on the seats but, they did work.

 

[korydz]

I've been thinking about the same thing. I get out of my nice warm Chevy Avalanche with heated leather seats and on to a cold tractor seat. There are aftermarket seat heaters made to retrofit into automotive seats, but all the ones I could find were too big for a tractor seat. I think the snow melting on it might be a problem too.

The guys I ride with (motorcycle sport touring) wear heated vests and gloves. I think this is likely the most practical solution for active heating. You can get them with controls and thermostats built in and their made ruggedly for motorcycling. I can't remember the cost, but a couple of hundred dollars sounds right.

The other addition could be a motorcycle/snowmobile helmet with a heated visor. The helmet will keep you warm and the heat in the visor will keep it from fogging/frosting up.

 

[patrick_g]

The guys I ride with (motorcycle sport touring) wear heated vests and gloves. I think this is likely the most practical solution for active heating. You can get them with controls and thermostats built in and their made ruggedly for motorcycling. I can't remember the cost, but a couple of hundred dollars sounds right.

The other addition could be a motorcycle/snowmobile helmet with a heated visor. The helmet will keep you warm and the heat in the visor will keep it from fogging/frosting up.

I know it was 5 miles through the snow to your school, uphill both ways but...

I wonder how I survived 3 winters in Minot, ND (Minot AFB) in temps down to -47F with only long johns, two pair of BDU's (fatigues) and an arctic flying jacket (parka.) No heated seats, a VW that couldn't defrost the window much less heat the interior, and you had to take the battery out at night to keep it warm inside to be able to crank the next morning. I walked all over the base in all conditions. Youth, wasted on the young who can't appreciate it.

My Kubota (with cab) has a heater par excellence that will toast you when it is 0 degrees F outside if you turn it up.

So far as insulation for the seat... Google on space blanket...

Shopping results for space blanket
SILVER RESCUE SPACE BLANKET EACH $0.85 new - FirstAidMonster.com
Space Blanket $0.99 new - Amazon.com
MTR Mylar Emergency Space Blanket $1.85 new - Med-Tech Resource

These are super cheap and will reflect 90% of your body heat back at you. One rescue blanket (cheapest form of space blanket) could be easily cut up with scissors to make several seat covers. I don't think you could wear out in a single season all the seat covers you could make from just one rescue blanket for a couple bucks. A little duct tape would hold it in place.

Of course it works by refrlecting back your body heat so you need to sit on it before your buttocks get too cold.

Pat

 

[charlz]

I just sit on a folded up military-surplus wool blanket... works wonders.

 

[Mattlt]

Years ago, there was a round-shaped, camo or orange seat cushion thingy that was marketed to hunters. I don't know if they worked, but they would at least insulate your rear from the tractor seat.

I checked Cabelas, but they don't seem to have them. Not sure if they're still made, nor what they would have been called.

 

[MESSMAKER]

They make 12 volt heating pads. I think they are less than $30.I may just have one pinned inside a waterproof jacket. It just seems like someone would have thought of this before now.

 

[BXpanded]

Years ago, there was a round-shaped, camo or orange seat cushion thingy that was marketed to hunters. I don't know if they worked, but they would at least insulate your rear from the tractor seat.

I checked Cabelas, but they don't seem to have them. Not sure if they're still made, nor what they would have been called.

It was called a HOTSEAT and yes it worked. Very well insulated. So well that after you sat on it for a minute or so it actaually felt like it was heated. I suspect it was just a vinyl pillow filled with foam packing peanuts.

 

[brandoro]

I have had some experience moving snow in the cold too and the very best thing I have used, so far, is a 12 volt electric vest inside my insulated coveralls. Trying to keep warm from the outside will, as others have said, just give you a wet butt. Not comfortable and if you stay out long enough will eventually become a cold wet butt. Surprising that a small amount of heat, 40 watts, inside your warm clothing will keep you very comfortable. Since the warm up with such a low wattage takes some time I found it was easy enough to just unplug the vest when I became too warm and plug it back in when I cooled off again.
This coming winter will be my first with the heated cab, looking forward to it. The coldest I saw last winter after I got the cab was about -20C (about 0F) and the cab was very comfortable.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

A little off the subject, but not too far. I have to tell you I got a chuckle out of this thread so far. Every time I see the title, I can't help but think about my mother. Every Christmas, when I would ask her what she wanted for a gift, she would always tell me she wanted a heated toilet seat. And I miss her so.

 

[alltoys]

Every Christmas, when I would ask her what she wanted for a gift, she would always tell me she wanted a heated toilet seat. And I miss her so.

Sounds like a deer old sole.

On the other note I like a piece of lambs wool for my tractor seat. Adds warmth and cushy for the tushy!!

 

[mjncad]

I've had minor frostbite on my hands a feet a few times as a kid who stayed out playing in the snow too long. With that in mind, I'm planning on getting some socks and glove liners from this outfit since I put a 12vdc power-port by my seat. If I can keep my hands and feet warm, then I have a shot at doing snow removal.

Gerbing's Heated Clothing // The World's Warmest Clothing!

 

[bota7800]

Having to plug oneself into my tractor sounds like a hassle. When I remove snow I often switch my backblade from pushing to pulling and back so I am always moving around. I wouldn't want a cord I would inevitably forget I had plugged in. I rarely found the need in CO. I was only cold if my gloves got wet. My feet hardly ever got cold and that was with the warmer temperature Caribou Sorels.

This stuff works really well but is expensive (I have them in my ski boots):
Products | Hotronic - Keeping Feet Warm, Keeping Hands and Feet Dry!
I thought they had gloves too but I don't see them.

The OP is in KY- His weather does not require arctic survival gear, good gloves, boots and layers and he will be fine.