block heaters

[beenthere]

I've a 10 yr old 30 hp Deere with Yanmar 3 cyl diesel, and use no heater. Sits in an enclosed shed and temps get to 0 and below deg F. Not had any problem with it firing up within a couple revs. Once it didn't start, and found a need to drop the fuel bowl and apparently had some water in it. Am using the second battery which is now 6 yrs old.
Not trying to say that brand matters here either.

[sd locke]

cfarm . ford 2110 diesel 4 cyl . its starts good iam suprised but it cant be good for it iam sure so i figured that a heater would help . thanks guys

[thecfarm]

That's my way of thinking too.I never used one on the Ford.But do now if it's not on the Kubota.That Kubota is a hard starter.It's a BX series.I think they made this series as cheap as they could.First winter I had it,I thought I was going to wear the starter out on it.Probaly half way through the winter I went looking for a heater for it.That made a big differance.I put it in the Ford when I'm not using the Kubota.We just use really it to mow with and blow snow.I thought i might just as well use the heater  if I had it.

[Handy Andy]

  I got a new JD 7130 for Christmas.  Darn thing didn't come with a block heater, has this" manifold heater". Turn the key on and wait for the light to go out, and it starts.  Yesterday, it acted like the battery was dying, even after I put the space heater under it for 15 minutes.  But it did start. Think they said -9 degrees here.

[fuzzybear]

   I can't stress it enough.. use the thinnest oil you can in the winter.  Take one pint and leave it out beside the equipment, open it up one cold morning and try to pour it.  If it flows like molasses you need to get the pan heated.  Oil pumps pull oil from the bottom of the pan.  With a block heater the pan is usually still cold.  The oil on the crank bearings stays thick and the oil pump has to try and pull it through. It is VERY hard on starters and batteries.
   Even the new synthetic oils thicken up at cold temps. Although they require less heat to thin them out.

[Don_Papenburg]

I have a 7710  JD  that has started every time now .It came with a block heater( cord attached) but I have never used it.
It ran lousy only one time back when it was new ,I think that was from some bad fuel gelling . It took about an hour for it to operate proper.

I have an old propane gas stove  burner that I use to warm the 401 GMC motor  oil .  That beats building a fire with kindle and cordwood. 
I have had to use it on thw old 820 JD when it gets real cold . Moving 7"+ pistons takes warm oil.