Are block heaters needed?

[patrick_g]

jimmy, The block heater will make the tractor start like it was a warm spring day except for one thing...your battery is not capable of putting out anywhere near its warm weather performance when it is really cold. If you add a battery heater, commercial or DIY like heater tape or ..., then you will have the next best thing to a heated garage to park your tractor and will enjoy easy starting and quick warm up.

Pat

 

[bx23barry]

Can't think of a reason for a block heater, maybe I need to move for more unpleasant experiances

 

[ridgerunnerinwv]

Is a block heater needed? No. Does it make starting in winter easier? Yes.

I do not have a block heater and I do not need one,but what other options would one have if it was -30 and the tractor sat in an unheated enviroment ? Would the glow plugs be enough to do the job ??

 

[jimmy1]

Good point Pat. I think I will just add a battery heater also and I will be completely winterized.

jimmy

 

[roxynoodle]

I have a question: is a block heater better than an oil pan heater?

 

[jbrumberg]

roxynoodle:

I read somewhere long ago that oil pan heaters could "burn" the oil sludge on the bottom of the pan. Another problem is that some of those oil pan heaters attach to the oil pan via magnets. My old Ford had an aluminum oil pan creating attachment alternatives that were unacceptable to me at the time. Jay

 

[Egon]

Go north my friend and look under and over the vehicles. Count the oilpan heaters and count the block heaters/inline heaters and make a decision.

Large road tractors don't count as they have some pretty sophisticated stuff to keep em warm come cold time.

 

[jbrumberg]

ridgerunnerinwv:

Glow plugs drained my battery on my old Ford 1100 before I could start my tractor when temperatures were in single digits Jay

 

[390GT]

I have a block heater, I run the extension cord thru the steering wheel once so as not to drive off with it plugged in. Only once (before block heater) did tractor not want to start. I put a halogen work light under the oil pan and a tarp over the tractor. That worked well. With block heater I have not had any trouble execpt for mice. Now I plug in the heater about two hours before using it. No more winter long heated housing for the little critters. Greg

 

[patrick_g]

Taking the battery out and taking it inside where it is warm until you need the tractor (not just for an hour prior to wanting to start the tractor) will go a long way toward starting it in -30 weather. The energy needed to start the tractor is way higher because of thicker oil and colder fuel and air for the compresion to heat up to the ignition point. A cold battery will deliver way less cranking power. This is the cheapest approach and will help a lot.

Engine heaters make the engine easier to crank and easier to start (over a hundred degrees warmer .) Warming the battery with a thermostatic controlled heater tape (or battery heater or hot pad) will allow you to get much more cranking power out of the battery in cold weather.
Either heating the engine or the battery helps but doing both is about as good as it gets short of a heated garage.

Pat