block heater for B26 question

[digger2]

Hey guys,
I plan on installing a block heater on my B26 soon.I already checked on the price,about $40 genuine Kubota.From what i understand theres a plug that unscrews from the block and you just screw the block heater in,done deal.Seems pretty straight forward and simple,now my question.......
Are these block heaters thermostatically controlled or do they just
keep heating or what?I cant beleive that they would get the engine above a certain temp. if you forgot to unplug them.Am i correct on this?
Also,say if the temp. was 0 degrees and i plugged it in (stone cold engine),how long does it take to heat the little 3 cyl. engine up to a decent temp.?And aprox. how "warm" does it heat the block up (degrees).
Actually,this tractor has NEVER failed to start,regardless of the temp.
It really amazes me.I just want to make life a little easier on the little bugger
starting up on cold mornings.Nothing sounds worse than a stone cold diesel starting up at 6 below.It just about makes my hair stand on end.
Thanks for any responses.....now to combing my hair back to where it belongs,what little i have left .................digger2

 

[Egon]

They will not overheat.:thumbsup:

 

[Craig Clayton]

I let mine go for about 1 Hour as the minimum and 2 hours at the max for a lower rad hose heater. Your block heater is probably 300 watts and is the same wattage as my lower rad hose heater. There are posts about remote heating etc.
Craig Clayton

 

[wvpolekat]

Slight hijack. Where would I look to see if I have one installed already?

 

[Jerry/MT]

Hey guys,
I plan on installing a block heater on my B26 soon.I already checked on the price,about $40 genuine Kubota.From what i understand theres a plug that unscrews from the block and you just screw the block heater in,done deal.Seems pretty straight forward and simple,now my question.......
Are these block heaters thermostatically controlled or do they just
keep heating or what?I cant beleive that they would get the engine above a certain temp. if you forgot to unplug them.Am i correct on this?
Also,say if the temp. was 0 degrees and i plugged it in (stone cold engine),how long does it take to heat the little 3 cyl. engine up to a decent temp.?And aprox. how "warm" does it heat the block up (degrees).
Actually,this tractor has NEVER failed to start,regardless of the temp.
It really amazes me.I just want to make life a little easier on the little bugger
starting up on cold mornings.Nothing sounds worse than a stone cold diesel starting up at 6 below.It just about makes my hair stand on end.
Thanks for any responses.....now to combing my hair back to where it belongs,what little i have left .................digger2

Generally speaking, they are not thermostatically controlled. You plug then in and you'll hear the coolant start to sizzle when it starts heating.The temperature that they reach is a function of the ambient temperature, initial coolant temperature, and a a whole bunch of factors. But they won't overheat anything because the coolant will be transfering heat to the block, to the outside world, and elsewhere.

There is generally an orientation for the element specified in the instructions and you need to pay attention to that. There is also usually a caution not to run the engine with the element plugged in. You'll enjoy easy starts when you use a block heater even if the engine starts easy in cold weather.

If you use your tractor at a specific time each day, you can get a timer to turn in on for specific time period before you use the tractor. Some people have also used remote controlle switches to turn them on fom the house so they don't have to walk out to the tractor. So you have some options there. the heater is usually sized to the system it's designed for and The general consensus is that it will not increase the temperature any more afer 2 hrs of operation so that's about the limit that would probably need to get an easy, reliable start. No harm in letting it go longer, it's just that after a point, your heating the rest of the world on your dime. Some folks in cold climates leave them plugged in all the time.

I feed my cows at 4:00 pm everyday and when the tempratures are below ~45F, I use the timer. It's set to go on at 2:00 pm and that makes starting easy down to -20F. My heater is 600 watts and that 1.2 KW-hrsper day of electricity costs me a little over $0.7 perday or about $2.16 per month. It saves untold wear on the engine, starter, the battery, and this ol' cowboy because, with large round bales, if the tractor doesn't start, our cows don't eat!

 

[Argosy]

I just put one in my B1700 last week part # 70000-73274. According to the dealer it fits a lot of models so maybe yours will be one and this will be pertinent. This model has no thermostat, 400 watts always on.

Real easy install. 17mm allen wrench and about a 2 ft. cheater to get the plug out. The threads of the heater already had teflon tape on them, stuck it in real quick lost maybe a cup of antifreeze. There was nothing in the instructions for this model # about orientation. I band clipped the cord to the dip stick tube and mounting bracket, it took more time to loosen up the bracket and get around behind the tube than actually remove the plug and install the heater.

The next morning I took a laser thermometer and shot a couple of places on the block, 17 degrees. I plugged it in and waited an hour, 73 degrees. Everything from the bell housing to the radiator had warmed up, including the intake and injector pump. I figure from 0-20 degrees 45 minutes to an hour should give it plenty of heat.

 

[digger2]

OK guys,thanks for the answers.I'll be picking one up later this week.
digger2

 

[Ductape]

digger, if you use the search function here, there have been a few threads on the Kubota block heaters. As long as you have the correct size allen socket / wrench , it's really as simple as draining the coolant ...... remove the factory plug, and thread in the block heater. As already stated, the heater is on whenever it is plugged in. It won't overheat your tractor, and makes for summertime-like starts in winter. It'll be the best $40 (or so) you ever spent.

Only word of caution..... using it more than an hour or two when you need to start your tractor will make for a noticable rise in your electric bill.

 

[digger2]

Ductape,
Thanks for your reply.Oh beleive me,i wont leave it on any more than i have to.I dont think the power company needs any more of my $ than they get now.I figure if it gets down to 50 degrees or below,THEN i'll use it
and that'll be about it.I plan on hookin it up to one of those remote control outlet thingys (as mentioned).That will make it real easy.
Argosy.............yep,same part # for mine.And i did'nt realize they heated up that much or that fast.
Digger2