For those with block heaters

[Williy]

A very cheap way to hear the oil in your tractor use a 250
watt heat lamp attached it to a board slide under tractor
IMHO in 20 minutes the oil should be up to operating temp

willy

 

[Oaktree]

A very cheap way to hear the oil in your tractor use a 250
watt heat lamp attached it to a board slide under tractor
IMHO in 20 minutes the oil should be up to operating temp

You might want something a little closer to the engine in places where it actually gets cold, but the old drop light under the hood trick has been used since well before my time. Maybe a blanket or tarp over the hood too if it's really cold.
Just make sure you use an incandescent bulb in it...an LED bulb ain't gonna cut it!

 

[John_Mc]

A very cheap way to hear the oil in your tractor use a 250
watt heat lamp attached it to a board slide under tractor
IMHO in 20 minutes the oil should be up to operating temp

willy

It also helps if you drape an old blanket or recycle an old kids sleeping bag over your tractor. Even a tarp can help. It can make a big difference if the tractor is outside in even a light breeze, but it also helps contain the heat when it is in a garage or barn.

Back when incandescent bulbs were still a big thing, we used to slide a couple of mechanic's "trouble lights" in the cowling of our plane, one on each side of the engine, and throw a blanket over the nose of the plane for a preheat on cold days. (Piston aircraft engines with their dissimilar metals in the piston and the cylinder really benefit from preheating in colder weather.) We've since upgraded to a commercial preheat system that does a faster and more even job of warming the engine and oil sump.

 

[LouNY]

The light bulb warming an intake manifold and carb or injection pump makes a considerable difference in starting ability also.

 

[pmsmechanic]

The light bulb warming an intake manifold and carb or injection pump makes a considerable difference in starting ability also.

I've also seen a hair dryer used to warm up the intake. They work really well for thawing out frozen stock waterers too. You guys down south don't get to fight with those in -30 weather either.

 

[LouNY]

I've also seen a hair dryer used to warm up the intake. They work really well for thawing out frozen stock waterers too. You guys down south don't get to fight with those in -30 weather either.

I actually bought a cordless heat gun for winter heat for locks or doors and such. Works very well as long as I remember to take it back in the house after using it, and not leaving it in the cab that the door latches like to freeze on. Nothing like trying to open the cab door and the latch not moving and knowing that I left the heat gun in the cab the previous day or so.

 

[ultrarunner]

I actually bought a cordless heat gun for winter heat for locks or doors and such. Works very well as long as I remember to take it back in the house after using it, and not leaving it in the cab that the door latches like to freeze on. Nothing like trying to open the cab door and the latch not moving and knowing that I left the heat gun in the cab the previous day or so.

Only did the match/lighter heat the key once and it worked.

At Tahoe with my grandmother and the key would not go into the lock on her71 Skylark.

I remember reading about the key trick and she thought I was very smart for a 12 year old.

 

[ruffdog]

Be careful using heat lamps as there have been many a barns burned down using them.

 

[metalbender]

Have to strongly disagree with the blowing up batteries. The battery blanket will make the battery warm to the touch. The fleet of police cars I worked on as a tech for the RCMP here all had them for the detachment cars around the province. In the fifteen years I was there, never had a blown up battery. Lost a few due to bad extension cords. Car warmers draw lots along with the block heater. The 35 watts the blanket draws wasn't the cause there either. I could imagine someone using a heat gun or a torch to try to heat a battery while charging having a very bad day. The hydrogen produced needs an ignition source.

 

[John_Mc]

Im not a fan of battery heaters. Ive seen too many exploded batteries from those overheating and boiling off electrolyte = hydrogen gas = boom.

The good battery warmers are either to low powered to get hot enough to boil off electrolyte or they are controlled by a thermostat. The thermostat ones I've seen generally shut off at about 65˚F.

 

[grsthegreat]

Have to strongly disagree with the blowing up batteries. The battery blanket will make the battery warm to the touch. The fleet of police cars I worked on as a tech for the RCMP here all had them for the detachment cars around the province. In the fifteen years I was there, never had a blown up battery. Lost a few due to bad extension cords. Car warmers draw lots along with the block heater. The 35 watts the blanket draws wasn't the cause there either. I could imagine someone using a heat gun or a torch to try to heat a battery while charging having a very bad day. The hydrogen produced needs an ignition source.

Well, prior to unplugging every one i encounter on home standby generators, i had lots of exploded batteries to tend to. Not to mention the damage from the acid.
I dont know if its the type of battery your police cars used or the wattage of heater used, but i saw so many damaged batteries over the years i stop using them. On the 2 generator sites i frequent, nearly every tech there has seen the same thing. No one there recommends using battery heaters anymore. Another thing, the heated batteries barely lasted 3 years while the unheated would go 5-7 years.

 

[LouNY]

I wonder if part of that may have been using battery heater that were built and designed for group31 battery's and similar sizes then being put on the little lawn mower batteries on a generator

Well, prior to unplugging every one i encounter on home standby generators, i had lots of exploded batteries to tend to. Not to mention the damage from the acid.
I dont know if its the type of battery your police cars used or the wattage of heater used, but i saw so many damaged batteries over the years i stop using them. On the 2 generator sites i frequent, nearly every tech there has seen the same thing. No one there recommends using battery heaters anymore. Another thing, the heated batteries barely lasted 3 years while the unheated would go 5-7 years.if that was because

 

[ruffdog]

I wonder if part of that may have been using battery heater that were built and designed for group31 battery's and similar sizes then being put on the little lawn mower batteries on a generator

If they were overlapping them to fit a small battery....it could be.

 

[WinterDeere]

If they were overlapping them to fit a small battery....it could be.

... or maybe installing in some way that thermostat doesn't operate correctly. If thermostat stays cold, unit will never turn off at prescribed temperature.

 

[grsthegreat]

I wonder if part of that may have been using battery heater that were built and designed for group31 battery's and similar sizes then being put on the little lawn mower batteries on a generator

Whole house units use a group26 battery, not a lawn mower battery. There just a bit smaller than a car battery

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Whole house units use a group26 battery, not a lawn mower battery. There just a bit smaller than a car battery

I put a Group 31 AGM in mine. It's heated, with a thermostat that seems to work.

 

[Williy]

Has anyone sen people that use capacitors inplace of a
battery in their car?? They work but you can't let your
car sit for any lengh of time and I believe they cost less
than a battery

willy

 

[WinterDeere]

Has anyone sen people that use capacitors inplace of a
battery in their car?? They work but you can't let your
car sit for any lengh of time and I believe they cost less
than a battery

willy

Yep, it's a thing. And you already cited the major drawback, charge hold time. Their major advantage is that, depending on the material system used (electrolytic, tantalum, ceramic), they may not require replacement as quickly.

I just did a quick search, and it seems they're still up around $500/ea when packaged in standard battery form factors for passenger cars, so not cheaper than a chemical battery.

I'd be interested to know what tech is used in these automotive variants. Normally, you'd assume aluminum electrolytic, as it's the cheapest way to build big capacitance, but they're not going to enjoy long life at high temperature in an engine compartment, or even being stored in the trunk in summer. Kemet is big in this market, and they seem to indicate their primary automotive application is small backup batteries, not engine starting batteries.

 

[JRH02]

I've seen ethanol wars, engine oil wars and brand wars. This thread is a new one for me: preheat wars.

One thing that is curious to me and that's our JD 410j TLB. It doesn't have a heater of any kind. No glow plugs and no intake heater. As far as I know its just compression. That darned thing will growl but pop off in the coldest of temps. It's not even that noisey once it starts. It's pretty amazing as other stuff, gas or diesel, really complains under the same conditions. I've pondered but never looked into a heater of any sort because the critter is never near an outlet and past extension cord range. I run 10w-30 Mobile1 in everything year around but we are in a moderate climate with ~5f being the coldest. I hate cold starting stuff in that weather, preheat or not.

So for me you do what works for you, where you are and under the conditions. To me, if the machine won't start then take a hint and go back inside (wink).

 

[Williy]

JRHO2 info

If your John Deere 410J doesn't have glow plugs, it might be because diesel engines use a process called compression ignition to ignite fuel instead. In compression ignition, fuel is injected into the combustion chamber while the air is being compressed.

willy