Block heaters

[Bob_Skurka]

Mark, I don't know where you are located in the country because you don't have it in your profile, but keep in mind that leaving the block heater plugged in will draw current, but that's the only down side. We leave our trucks plugged in over holiday weekends, etc and I can't imagine it is a big current draw. A block heater is probably drawing about what a 60 or 75 watt light bulb draws?

Remember that block heaters are slow heaters and it takes time to warm things up. The colder the temps the longer it takes to warm up the block.

PERSONALLY, below 20 and I'd just leave it plugged in.

 

[Bobvt]

All the external block heaters I have experience with are in the 1,500 to 1,800 watt range. There is no need to keep them pluged in for a week at a time. Even at below zero, plugging the heater in for about an hour is all that is needed. After an hour, the snow on the hood is really starting to melt.

Bob

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Bob, you raise an very good point about the external block heater and I am now wondering what type of block heater Mark is using. Dipstick? External? Internal? I only have experience with the internal units. I presume they are the most efficient because they are part of the engine and warm it from the inside. I presume external are the least efficient for the opposing reason, but I admit ignorance. I've heard, and read, mixed things about the dipstick heaters and know that some are 120volt and others are 12volt, but I have no clue about efficiency or even reliablility. They've been on the market a while so I suppose they must work.

 

[Bird]

Bob, naturally I've never needed a block heater of any kind myself, but both my brothers and my parents used to live in Anchorage, so I've heard quite a bit about them, and visited up there a few times, and read a bit, and I've never heard anything good about a dipstick heater. And that makes sense to me since you're just heating non-circulating oil in one spot. Of course that should keep the oil warmer and let it circulate quicker when you start the engine, so I guess they do a little good.

My family had no tractors when they lived in Anchorage, but they also had no garage, so their cars and pickups were parked outdoors. In fact one brother lived in an apartment. But both the houses and his apartment had the receptacle at their parking places and when they arrived home in the evening, they plugged the vehicle in. However, the wiring for those receptacles ran through a normal looking indoor light switch in the kitchen. So no power was applied to the block heaters until the next morning. When they got up and went in the kitchen to turn on the coffee pot, they also flipped the switch to turn on the power to the block heater. They said by the time they showered, shaved, ate breakfast, or whatever, their vehicles would be warm enough to start easily, and they flipped the switch off as they went out.

And even down here in Texas, one of my neighbors had an old Oliver that was a bit cantankerous about starting in cold weather, so he installed a heater in the lower radiator hose and said 30 minutes to an hour with it on, and that tractor would start promptly every time.

 

[JerryG]

IMHO a tank heater is the best. It circulates the water as it heats it to warm the entire engine. It also is thermostatically controlled so that it doesn't over heat.
Zerostart tank heater

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Jerry, I never saw those before, but the price is right and the 750 watt unit seems like it would be plenty big enough to use on most all the CUT size tractors.

 

[Henro]

<font color="blue"> If I'm not going to use my tractor for a week is it safe to leave it plugged in all week ? </font>

Could not help but think that the mice may thank you if you do... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[RonR]

I'm showing my age (again), but I used to have a 72 Ford pickup that would NOT run until it was completely warm. If you tried to hurry it, the choke would close completely, and the only remedy would be to raise the hood, remove the air cleaner, open the choke manually, and then start over.

I tried to have it fixed by a mechanic, but he couldn't fix it any better........

The answer for me was to install a tank heater T'ed to each bank of the V-8. I had it on a timer, so it would start about 3 hours before I needed to leave for work.

It fixed the engine starting/running issue, plus the added benefit was I could go out, flip on the ACC switch with Defrost and fan on high, wait about five minutes, and the ice was off the windows.

Worked great for me! I plan to install one on my Bota.

Ron

 

[Inspector507]

A tank heater will not work on some tractors. It requires a connection in and out to a 5/8"-3/4" hose. Such as in a heater hose on a car/truck.

 

[Madman_Mark]

Bob, I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada.
I use the tractor for forestry work (part time) so I leave it at the place where it's working (not at home).
The landowner lets me plug it in to the outdoor outlet from his garage.
It usually only sits for 2 or 3 days at the most but over the holidays I took some time off and figured I'd leave it plugged in the whole time since I wasn't sure when I'd be back.
I cant get the landowner to plug it in the night before I plan on using it because he's not home all that often.
Sounds like a timer would be the perfect thing.
Thanks for all the info guys.