block heater

taylorsmissbeehaven · January 10, 2025, 08:19:23 AM

I have just relocated to the Northwestern part of NC. It has been a bit colder than normal lately and my excavator is 20 years old and not a huge fan of cold starts. I also have a skid steer and a tractor that I feel could benefit from a touch of warmth for those cold morning starts. Ideally, I would like to purchase one heater that I could move around as I don't typically use all equipment at one time. I am thinking about the magnetic type. Does anyone have a brand or type they prefer? Thanks for any advice!

barbender · January 10, 2025, 10:08:45 AM

The magnetic heaters are kind of worthless in my experience. When all is said and done, a block heater is the best bang for the buck.

Install a block heater on each engine, then a suitcase generator becomes your portable heating unit.

moosehunter · January 10, 2025, 11:20:27 AM

I concur with the magntick heater being useless.
Block heater in a soft plug hole is the best. Each equipment manufacturer will have a specific heater for each model. It has been tested and will be the best option. Not likely the cheapest, but the best.
mh

barbender · January 10, 2025, 11:54:32 AM

Frost plug block heaters aren't even very expensive, less than $100. It's more the fact that you have to drain your coolant down, so what of a pain to install, I guess. Well, that's all that keeps me from i stalling one on my skidder😁

On the magnetic heaters- I have one I put on the bottom of the hydraulic tank on my firewood processor. It's a best case scenario, being put on the bottom of a flat steel tank. And it doesn't do much, or anything that I notice. In that situation a torpedo heater an a canvas tarp work much better to get the engine and hydraulics warmed up if I have to fire up on a frigid day.

taylorsmissbeehaven · January 10, 2025, 03:48:16 PM

Thanks for the info! Mini needs a drain and refill with the correct fluid so sounds like now is the time. Thanks again!!

GRANITEstateMP · January 10, 2025, 04:52:31 PM

We put an inline coolant heater in the old Timberjack. I think it was a Katz brand. It goes in the radiator hose, can't remember if it "pushes" the coolant it warms or if its natural convection, but if we plug it in, sharpen and fuel saws, check the fluids in the skidder...aka about and hour later, she fires right up!

doc henderson · January 10, 2025, 05:07:07 PM

My Katz works well on the side of the hydraulic tank on the sawmill. can see a definite 30 degree increase in fluid temp. despite the cold.

hedgerow · January 10, 2025, 05:51:45 PM

Quote from: taylorsmissbeehaven on January 10, 2025, 08:19:23 AMI have just relocated to the Northwestern part of NC. It has been a bit colder than normal lately and my excavator is 20 years old and not a huge fan of cold starts. I also have a skid steer and a tractor that I feel could benefit from a touch of warmth for those cold morning starts. Ideally, I would like to purchase one heater that I could move around as I don't typically use all equipment at one time. I am thinking about the magnetic type. Does anyone have a brand or type they prefer? Thanks for any advice!

I have used a magnetic heater when a soft plug block heater had failed and we needed to get it running to use and get into the shop to repair. I have used the torpedo heater with a tarp and plywood to build a shop around what ever was frozen up and wouldn't start. My preferred is a soft plug heater and ever diesel piece of equipment on this farm has one. I have installed rad hose ones or inline heater hose styles heaters when the soft plugs were covered up and couldn't be used.

aigheadish · January 10, 2025, 06:23:06 PM

I was looking into it and was afraid of rumored magnetic heater fires. I think there were some for block heaters too but less. I put a block heater on my backhoe and it was, realistically, a 10 minutes job, plus some anti-freeze. I've only used it a couple times on two year old batteries and a brand new starter but it feels like it's done much better. And NC shouldn't ever get too bad.

SawyerTed · January 10, 2025, 07:22:29 PM

Bad enough! The high here was 34 F and 24 degrees F at 7:00 pm. Expecting 15 F by morning and 4-6" of snow.

By standards of northern latitudes that's not much. For us, the snow is a 2 or 3 times a year event. Temperatures in the teens by morning aren't extraordinary of but not typical. It's been and will continue to be unusually cold for another week or so.

4-6" of snow here is almost as crippling for us as those huge lake effect snows in western NY. Fortunately, it will be gone by Monday, the high will be mid to upper 40s

GRANITEstateMP · January 10, 2025, 07:36:12 PM

Northwest part of NC can see some pretty tough weather. Lots of mountains over that way

47sawdust · January 10, 2025, 07:50:27 PM

I've had a block heater on my Kubota L3750 for 10 years.It runs off a timer that comes on at 4 a.m. and goes off at 9.That tractor is always happy to start.The owner is another matter.

barbender · January 10, 2025, 09:27:32 PM

Ted, that looks wintery enough, even to a MN guy.

Andries · January 10, 2025, 10:46:24 PM

I'd install a block heater in each one of your diesels.
Plug it in when you need it, put it on a timer if you don't need it right away.
A heater element needs to match the space in the block casting. If it touches cast iron it won't last very long. It has to sit in a nice bath of coolant. Katz makes good reference tables for the correct block to heater match.
Like bartender says, drop some coolant to below the level of the casting plug (aka frost plug) tip it over with a screwdriver and hammer and get rid of that. Install the block heater as per instructions and enjoy the easy starts.
If the casting plugs are too hard to get to, a rad hose block heater works really well. An added benefit is that they are making their magic out in a hose - you can hear them when they're working. They sound like a coffee perk when they're
working hard.
The magnetic heaters are good in pinch, but most o'em are oversized. They get too hot in a small area: the whole motor doesn't get warmed up and the oil gets scorched/burnt in a small area. Use with caution.

beenthere · January 10, 2025, 11:18:55 PM

My '98 tractor with Yanmar 3 cyl diesel has never failed to start and never have had to heat it up. Has an intake manifold heater that works great with being on for 5-8 seconds. Fires on the first revolution.

Knock on wood, hope it continues. Has to run in winter for snow plowing and wood movement.

hardtailjohn · January 10, 2025, 11:19:25 PM

I don't think we have anything that is used much that doesn't have a block heater on it!! If you're going to do something for the oil, I've had great luck with the glue-on heater pads. I tried the magnetic heaters and still have one for a real emergency, but usually if the block heater goes, I'll grab the propane torch and a chunk of stove pipe and heat that way. It's worked to -62F here. (we don't count wind chill).

scsmith42 · January 11, 2025, 01:18:45 PM

I have freeze plug style block heaters, in-line coolant hose block heaters, and magnetic oil pan heaters on various pieces of heavy equipment.

Without question, the in-line coolant style is best. It keeps the entire engine up to temp (110F in my case) and engine starts year round are easy and with minimal wear.

Second best is the block heater style. Some of mine replace a freeze plug, and others are screw in. The Kubota on the sawmill has this style and it works fine.

Years ago the coolant hose style heater on the P&H crane went bad, and I did a "temporary" replacement with a magnetic pan style heater. The fist one went bad in a year, but it's replacement is still in use 10 years later! I'll plug in in 12 hours before I need to start the crane (usually the evening before) and the Detroit that won't even think of hitting when it's below 50 degrees will fire right up!

None of them work fast though, but I like 47 Sawdust's suggestion of putting it on a timer.

thecfarm · January 11, 2025, 02:00:54 PM

Wife's tractor has the fuel tank in front of the steering wheel.
This is one that is in the coolant hose. I put a HF moving blanket over the hood and that keeps the heat in and warms up the fuel.
I also have the same set up on my tractor, but the fuel tank is behind the seat.
But I still put a moving blanket over the hood.
I just feel it keeps the heat on the tractors better by using a blanket.

GRANITEstateMP · January 12, 2025, 08:29:45 AM

My Kubota M series, I cycle the glow plugs twice when its cold. Works great down to around 10. Lower than that, I like to plug the block heater in for an hour or two...or stay inside

thecfarm · January 12, 2025, 08:33:17 AM

So far, I don't have to be out there when temps are that cold, 10°. I wear certain clothes and when I start to feel cold, I head for the house. I can work outside at 15 but any lower I can feel the cold seep in.

GRANITEstateMP · January 12, 2025, 06:22:54 PM

Ray, I hear ya. We were out on the lake ice playing on atvs yesterday, it was in the 20's and sunny. Once you got going about 45, and got hit with a wind gust, or your buddy got ya with a rooster tail of fine snow...well, thats when I started rethinking things!