Preheating mill engine oil?

[Brad_bb]

So  this is my second year in my new mill shop with my LT15go.  It's not heated.  I'm thinking maybe I should be preheating my mill engine/oil before I start it up to reduce wear.  

Any thoughts? 

I've got a small propane torpedo heater.  Can't get something like that too close though as I melted my lube lines a few years ago when I had to mill something outside in single digit weather and use a Torpedo too close.  
I've also got an electrical outlet right next to the mill engine.  I saw on Amazon what looks like and stick on oil pan heater.  I have no experience with how warm it gets or how long it takes.  

[barbender]

 Hmm. I think for your purposes a lot of the options out there cause more of a fire hazard than any benefit of less wear. 

 There are dipstick heaters, but those are typically intended for automotive use, sith a longer stick and deeper oil pan. Probably wouldn't be good to have part of the element not immersed in oil. 

 There are also varying sizes of adhesive silicon heating pads, if you could find one that would fit on your oil pan. 

 I have one of the magnetic pan heaters that I stick on the hydraulic tank of my firewood processor. That works good but you likely have an aluminum block on your small gas engine. 
 

[Ianab]

What engine oil are you using? For example the little Honda engines suggest that 10W-30 is fine between 0 and 80F. In the tropics they recommend 20W-40 for temps 15F to 100+ etc. Or you can cover any scenario with 10W-50 grade. 

[doc henderson]

I use the magnetic ones on my hydraulic tank.  Just have to remember to unplug and remove before I send the gantry down the track.  It will auto eject if I forget.  you can also go with low viscosity in the winter, but at engine temp. it will be like summer, so the multi-viscosity oil makes sense.  you can start it and let it run for ten minutes before you rev it all the way up.  I have left the magnetic one on the hydro tank and the whole thing feels warm, but not hot.

[Digger Don]

I don't claim to have any expertise, but I agree with Doc. Start it and let it idle for a few minutes. I tend to think five minutes would be enough, though. 

[Percy]

In winter here it can get colder than a bankers heart. I propped up a cheap heat gun, basically a hair dryer on steroids, at the oil pans and went for a coffee. Worked awesome for me. 

[doc henderson]

I use Katz products.  I could put a silicone pad style heater on my aluminum block engine, but I would prob. put it on the flat bottom and reinstall the engine.  they can preheat a battery as well, but pretty soon if it is that cold, I would just go back in the shop and feed the fire.

[scsmith42]

Brad, I use a magnetic mount oil pan heater on one of the cranes.  It works great.

The crane originally had an in-line electric convection heater installed in one of the heater hoses, but when it went bad I stuck the magnetic one on there as a "quick fix" which ended up becoming permanent.

My Baker mill has a block heater in the engine block, and it gets used religiously during the colder months.

[OH_Varmntr]

They work well.  Find one that is thermostatically controlled and it will self-regulate.  

Katz makes a magnetic one that is.

They also make thermostatic outlets called Thermocubes that will only power the heater below a certain ambient temperature.

[thecfarm]

I use a magnetic heater on my wood splitter. I throw an old piece of carpet to keep the heat in.

[Brad_bb]

thanks guys!