Bota at -8 degrees

[RoyJackson]

There is also a heater that replaces your dipstick while heating. Never used one of these and I've heard they're not as good as a block on inline type. But, might get you through the cold snap.

Latebloomer, do you keep your B7500 outside?

I'd never heard of inline heaters causing fires. Anyone got any more info on that?

 

[LateBloomer]

Junkman, this gets more interesting by the minute. My knowledge of thermodynamics and tractoring have finally come togther, what a strange world. There is one more consideration that puzzles me. Someone on TBN once recommended putting the heater on the transmission instead. It almost seems to me that in would be better to do both. I tend to go with the theory of "if its worth doing its worth overdoing".

 

[LateBloomer]

Roy, hate to admit it but yes I keep it outside. It is well covered with a heavy tarp and bungee cords. A barn is in the plans for next summer but had to stop somewhere when I built the house last year. I have already been upbraided for my mistreatment of the B7500 but trust me I have no other alternative at the moment except moving my wifes car out of the heated garage. I guess you know how well that would go over.

The dipstick idea sound interesting, sure would beat draining all my coolant with my hands freezing.

 

[Junkman]

Sure, putting a heater on the transmission would help to get that oil up to temperature, but what good would it do unless the engine was also warm. The reason for the heater is to remove the stress that the cold puts on the engine that will prevent it from firing and starting. No matter how warm the transmission is, if the engine doesn't start, you are going no where... In an ideal world, two heaters would be best..... actually in an ideal world, there would be room in the garage for the wifes car and the tractor. In an ideal world, Alaska would be a year round warm climate, however we don't live in an ideal world and have to make the best of what we have. Put a block heater into the engine and your tractor will thank you for it... also, throw a blanket across the engine, keeping it away from the heater. The block heater will never get the block hot enough to ignite the blanket. If that is your worry, then get one of the thin space age thermal blankets that they use on trauma patients... Last time that I checked they were about $20 and they don't burn!.. If "one is good, then two are better" is not always a good thing... I know... ask my old girlfriends... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[CTyler]

I was able to do a direct comparison between the inline and a block heater on the same vehicle, 76 chev 1/2 ton w/350. The inline heater died and we replaced it with a block heater.

Either heater let the engine crank over as though it were warmed up. The difference was that we had hot air from the heater blowing at startup with the inline heater. After swtiching to the block heater we did not have hot air right away.

Like I said both worked well.

 

[Knight9]

I would highly recommend just going with the Kubota block heater. My B2410 had it installed as a default (it can get kinda cold around here in the winter /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif). My tractor is in an unheated garage, so I plug mine into an outdoor timer that cycles the power to the heater. This keeps it decently warm and even at -30 Celsius I've never had a problem starting it.

There was an earlier thread where I included some photo's of where mine is installed for another TBNer who was doing the install on his Kubota.

Kevin

 

[KubotaBling]

what kind of oil u got.. u use a cetane/fuel additive? and what size heater u use? I've seen a lot of offroad equipment most are hard to crank but most little tractors do a great job. I recommend using a 5w-40 or 0w40 since ur so cold up there. I went to ft wayne with wind chills like -40 or i think the temp was about -4 or so. I never had a problem with mine. Where i live about 0 degrees is the coldest it has ever gotten. I'd check glow plugs etc.. but cranking rpm is the most critical on a diesel in cool weather i think. The faster it spins the more heat it can build.

 

[Egon]

Latebloomer:

Inline or block- basically six of one or half a dozen of another. The dipstick heaters are of the censored comment variety.

My B7100 has an inline heater. Its been started at -35 centigrade back in Alberta. Colder than that and it was me wouldn't start.

And just for information. Wind chill and ambient temperature are very different .

Egon

 

[cisco]

Oh boy -- thanks for the reminder. I worked on making a trench for an electric and power line this afternoon, in about 65 degree weather (and tonight it's REAL cold, with rain and, maybe, 40 degrees). Born in Fairbanks, Alaska (1948, therefore legally, but not really, a "native American"), and that's why I now live in South Carolina. Alaska is a wonderful state (fishing and hunting are better than anywhere in the lower 48) - but - winters, in the interior (e.g., Fairbanks), no way.
Don't care how many polyprop. layers you've got under those jeans, only a fully acclimated Alaskan (or Canadian) would be out in that weather in jeans. Congratulations (maybe) - or is this picture after brandy #6).

 

[LateBloomer]

I use Rotella 5-40w engine oil and Chevron THF for the hydraulics. I asked about the Chevron equivalent of Super UDT at the local oil specialty shop and they told me everyone up here uses THF. I put it in at the 50 hr change and now have 88 hrs without a problem. It's a little slow until it warms up good but then I don't notice any difference.