Should I install a block heater?

[Rfisher7381]

I have a BX2360 (purchased 4/11). I live in Southwest Michigan. Winter low temps occasionally drop to 0 degrees F. BX is kept in an unheated barn. I have a BX2750 and plan to use the machine for snow removal this winter. Should I install a block heater or take any measures to warm the unit up before starting on those cold winter days? Thanks. PS: I am using 5W40 synthetic oil and SUDT2.

 

[WilliamBos]

I have a BX2360 (purchased 4/11). I live in Southwest Michigan. Winter low temps occasionally drop to 0 degrees F. BX is kept in an unheated barn. I have a BX2750 and plan to use the machine for snow removal this winter. Should I install a block heater or take any measures to warm the unit up before starting on those cold winter days? Thanks. PS: I am using 5W40 synthetic oil and SUDT2.

Install the block heater. You will be happy you did. Cold started it, just to make sure it would if the power went out.

But the block heater is cheap insurance for a long life. Plus, the travtor warms up faster = warm cab.

 

[PHILIP8N]

I am in Indianapolis, and we had 2 weeks of 0F temps last winter. I run 5w-40, SUDT, winter diesel, and power service (white bottle). In an unheated pole barn, with glow plugs, I had no problem starting at 0F. I did let engine and hst warm up for about 10 minutes till coolant indicator read 2 bars until I moved tractor. I have a block heater on my truck that I use with a timer to pre-heat before I leave for work, but a timer will not work for how I use tractor for snow removal. When I need tractor to remove snow, it is usually an 'I need it now moment', and don't have time to mess with a block heater. If I lived where it was really cold, I would probably let a salamander heater blow on it for 10 minutes. Philip.

 

[bp fick]

Love block heaters, of course, I'm up here in N. Michigan (land of -30F) and it's such a cheap way to treat your engine right, imho.

 

[2458n]

I have started my tractor at below zero just using the glow plugs. Treat your tractor right go with the block heater. The f-350 diesel has the block heater for a reason. I always keep a gas truck around for the -25 degree day with no electric. Sometimes you just have to get out.

 

[art]

It is hard to find a diesel that will out start a Kubota in the cold. I know when the temps drop many perspective customers are shocked of an offer at 0 to go out to demonstrate their ability to start with out being plugged in.

They were one of the first that I could find that would start well below 0 twenty plus years ago!

 

[grsthegreat]

It is not so much as just starting as it is in getting the fluids at the right temp to protect the tractor and motor, transmission, etc.

Im going to install the Wolverine Heater on mine. They size them according to the oil capacity in the pan. oops...dang fonts there, thats better.

I live in North Idaho and its too cold in the winter to risk hurting my tractor with cold starts. the glow plugs dont help with friction damage to the block.

 

[crazyal]

I had the dealer install the block heater and have never used it. It's kept inside a unheated garage but it starts so easy that I just never needed it. The problem with a block heater is you need to leave it plugged in all the time or need to know when you want to use your tractor at least a half hour before hand. If you wake up one morning and mother nature decided to prove the weatherman wrong once again with a blessing of 6" of snow and you need to get to work it's too late to decide to plug in the block heater.

It's not expensive and there's no real downside to getting it. I may never use it but it's there.

 

[flyingcow]

As pointed out here already, you should be able to start it without a block heater. But i would have one put on. Best way to do it is have it plugged into a switch that you can throw from your house. Put the biggest one you can. ideally plug them in for at least 2 hours, but even 45 minutes is a help. I drive truck and if my unit is outside, it's plugged in all night. On a big truck(10 gals of antifreeze/10 gals of oil) only uses a couple of bucks worth of electricity. My tractor is inside an insulted garage, never below 30/35. But i occasionally leave it outside and if I know I'm gonna need it, it's plugged in all night

 

[grsthegreat]

I have mine on plug in timer. It starts 1 hr before i need it in AM and 1 hr before id need it in the PM. have used it that way since 1996 on the old tractor, will do so again with the new tractor. I always know when i need to use it in winter.....as there set times to move snow. If i dont need to use it, ive only wasted an hours worth of elect to warm it up (about $0.02 cents here in Idaho).