Get An Engine Heater!!

[skidsteer.ca]

Espar and Webastos make diesel fired coolant heaters that would warm your engine independant of line power. You can set a timer for up to 7 days in advance. They would warm a small engine like in a tractorin @ 30 minutes and burn .6 liters of fuel per hour.
The price tag is up there though @ $1500.00
Ken

 

[jenkinsph]

Espar and Webastos make diesel fired coolant heaters that would warm your engine independant of line power. You can set a timer for up to 7 days in advance. They would warm a small engine like in a tractorin @ 30 minutes and burn .6 liters of fuel per hour.
The price tag is up there though @ $1500.00
Ken

You sure about that fuel comsumption? That seems way high compared to what I have read in the past for these units. This unit may be over the top for a small tractor but is still a very good heater to have for large machines operating in the winter.

 

[Mr. Peabody]

Now that you've all got me all curious about engine heaters, I've got a two year old 2615 gear that I would consider adding a heater to.

I don't actually use it much during the winter here in Boise, where the ground is usually frozen all winter, but for the days I do need it to unload or move something, a pre-heater would be great.

Does anybody have any experience with this particular tractor and engine heaters? I'd really love to put a block heater in it.

 

[IH3444]

When purchasing the NH TC48DA I had the dealer install a block heater. As stated here, sweeeeeet. The dealer charged me $50 for block heater, and installation. Bargain.

 

[fredkos]

If you want the best :
E-Z Heat Aircraft Engine Pre-Heat Systems

get one for the hydraulic tank also

 

[Trails2004]

Espar and Webastos make diesel fired coolant heaters that would warm your engine independant of line power. You can set a timer for up to 7 days in advance. They would warm a small engine like in a tractorin @ 30 minutes and burn .6 liters of fuel per hour.
The price tag is up there though @ $1500.00
Ken

We run Webastos on some of our snowmobile trail grooming equipment ( Tucker Snow Cats) we often struggle finding room in the engine compartment to mount the units. Tucker runs a 5.9 ISB Cummins engine- So where are you mounting these on a CUT or UT????

 

[TTTTTT]

Battery Blankets can be a big help at really cold temps. Above freezing starting most vehicles requires only a small part of most battery cranking capacity. When you go below freezing, your battery looses half of its cranking capacity and as its gets colder even more, which could make all the difference when it gets really cold. By keeping it warm, your cranking capacity is at its best. You can get away with a weak or a leesser CCA battery if you have other forms of keeping the engine warm such as a block, lower rad, or other types of heaters. If its really cold you could probably leave it plugged in all the time.

The actual frost plug block heaters, to me are the best as they heat the coolant jackets, as they heat, the entire block gets warm ( oil etc.). THey are just a super hot element attached to a power cord with no protection for over heating. The best way is on a timer as has been mentioned if you use your tractor or truck at regular times every day. If not just plug it in an hour or two before you need it depending on how cold it is as well. Leaving it on all the time will burn these out pretty fast and really not necessary. You just need to get the block warm before actual starting. The lower rad heater does similar as it heats the coolant/antifreeze which in turn heats the entire block and oil. This then leads to oil viscosity and again easier starting. If you are using a 0W40 or 5W40 a heater may not be as critical. If you stay with a 15W40 which many do year round, then a heater will be a big if not a necessary addition.

The other big thing is the viscosity of diesel fuel at low temps becomes harder to pump and ignite. Most use a conditioner of some kind.

Forgot to mention which is probably obvious to all, is anytime you can get easier starts which is what most heaters will do, will take a huge strain of the entire starting system, including battery and starter as well on start up getting to all the parts that need oil as quick as possible to prevent engine wear. The most engine wear is on cold start ups before the oil can get there. The quicker it gets there the better. Very cheap addition for longer term peace of mind and reliability

Just my $.02 from my experience

Dave

 

[Reg]

I have a lower hose heater and a reasonably short distance to a power outlet.
I think there is SOME danger of masking some impending problems by pre-warming an engine that "used to start just fine in temperatures a lot lower than this".
IOW, if you have hard starting I think it would be better to FIX IT than to mask it.
I just went through some speculative troubleshooting in which I pulled all the glow plugs and injectors "just to see what I could see".
I have discovered an intermittent electric fuel pump problem, that I will probably not fix until it fails completely, I suspect the key switch.
Other than that the process of dismantling, cleaning and careful reassembly seems to have had the effect of a "tune up".
I almost certainly have much better electrical connection to all of the glow plugs and that is now my fave theory for poor starting of diesels in cold weather.
This may be why they start so well when it is so cold when they are new.
They are relatively high current items and a SLIGHT increase in the resistance path will reduce the voltage to them and the current through them, making a BIG difference to the amount of energy dissipated in the cylinders.
So, just like battery terminals the connections need cleaning once in a while and insulating from corrosion (dielectric gel).

FWIW, etc.

 

[Trails2004]

I................. think there is SOME danger of masking some impending problems by pre-warming an engine that "used to start just fine in temperatures a lot lower than this".
IOW, if you have hard starting I think it would be better to FIX IT than to mask it..

Diesels engines are inheriently slower to start in colder temperatures and that is simply a fact. Changes in fuel, oil, SOC of battery can effect this as well. If it doesnt start when it is warm and it starts easier when it is cold on a heater of sorts- then something is going on- the above conditions can cause hard starts.

 

[TTTTTT]

I would have to respectfully disagree with your statement.

If that is the case- why do ALL major heavy and light diesel truck manufactures install block heaters on thier equipment???

Diesels engines are inheriently slower to start in colder temperatures and that is simply a fact.

Absolutely!

Diesels are high compression engines (which is what ignites the fuel) and generally harder to start by its nature. Many light trucks have duel batterys for the colder starting. Now with direct injection etc, starting is easier and most don't need 2 batteries. My simple 1987 Nissan diesel pickup had 2 batteries (with high CCA spec's) and needed them if not plugged in on cold days. Definitely other maintenance will assist such as cleaning glow plug bus- bars and battery terminals to get maximum asssit when starting cold. The block heaters only help this process and help to preserve other starting and engine parts.

Dave