Magnetic Heater for tranny or engine block?

[Doc_Bob]

Magnetic Heater. Anyone use them?

Here is a link "
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?categorycode=3057B&mfrcode=FIV&mfrpartnumber=1160"

Would something like this work on a transmission hydraulic fluid reservoir in subzero weather in order to heat up the hydraulic fluid????? My goal is to reduce the amount of time it would take for my cold hydraulic fluid to warm up.

My goal is to reduce the amount of time I have to run the tractor before I can do work.
Bob

 

[jbrumberg]

Doc Bob:

The magnetic Heater needs ferrous metal to attach to. It will not attach to aluminum block engines. I discovered this reality with my old Ford 1100. I did find metal that I could attach the magnetic heater to and it appeared to work. Jay

 

[Doc_Bob]

Doc Bob:

The magnetic Heater needs ferrous metal to attach to. It will not attach to aluminum block engines. I discovered this reality with my old Ford 1100. I did find metal that I could attach the magnetic heater to and it appeared to work. Jay

So it got warm? Or hot? I am curious, it looks like the magnetic heater can get hot. Is the actual device so hot that it is too hot to remove?
Bob

 

[RFB]

Doc,

Thought of these?

Oil pan heater pads designed for car heaters, diesel engine heaters, replaces block heater, hydraulic oil heater, marine engine heater, volkswagen beetle, farm tractor heater,

 

[bigdad]

Doc Bob

They get hot alright. I would compare it to an iron.

BD

 

[goaliedad]

I have used one on the oil pan- works well, it gets VERY hot- be careful. In anohter thread someone suggested that if you use anything that requires an extension cord to put the cord thru the steering wheel- as a reminder that it is there. I wish I had known of this tip a couple years ago. The other tip is to use a timer set to go on a couple hours before you plan on using the tractor. I have a scrap of metal that I stick mine to when it come off the tractor- no need for a very hot item to just be laying around!
for the price I think you will find it worth it.

 

[jbrumberg]

Doc Bob:

I agree with bigdad they get pretty hot , but they have a handle that is heat resistant. I put my hot magnetic heater on my tiller to cool off.

RFB: I never tried one of those oil pan heater pads. I read somewhere (without further research) that those pads tended to "bake" the sludge in the oil pan so I never tried one of those. The theory behind the heater pads seems valid. Jay

 

[DieselPower]

Doc Bob:
RFB: I never tried one of those oil pan heater pads. I read somewhere (without further research) that those pads tended to "bake" the sludge in the oil pan so I never tried one of those. The theory behind the heater pads seems valid. Jay

Not sure if they would "bake" the oil or not. IMO probably not. Think about it for a second. As the oil in the bottom of the pan heats up it will start to rise and be replaced with colder fluid. Just like hot air rises so does hot fluid. Granted it will not be circulating like when the engine is running but it will circulate some. Same principal as how older tractors without water pumps cool. The hot coolant rises out of the engine block through the radiator and is cooled, fed back into the engine and flow's back down through the engine. You would probably have to leave it on there for a long time to cause any problems. Nothing a timer wouldn't prevent though.

 

[Egon]

Why not just throw an insulated fire resistant blanket over the tractor and place a small electric heater with fan under it. Heat the whole tractor including the seat!

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Has anyone ever checked to see how warm their transmission actualy gets in the winter when they are plowing snow. I have used engine oil pan heaters before on cars and they work good. But they are only heating 6qts of oil. How big of a heater would you need to warm up 10 gal of oil and how long would it take. Would the thick transmission case disperse the heat before the oil could get warm.

 

[cp1969]

These things have to get much hotter than you would like because the thermal connection between the heater and whatever it is they are trying to heat is very poor. When two flat surfaces contact each other, only three tiny points are in contact with each other. Everything else is out of contact, in the air. Some kind of thermal grease between the two would help (they do this on heatsinks on PC processors) but I don't know of any for this type of application. For an engine, forget heating the oil--either use a synthetic or heat the coolant. I don't think I've ever heard of preheating hydraulic fluid--there may be a reason for that.

 

[whitetiger]

These things have to get much hotter than you would like because the thermal connection between the heater and whatever it is they are trying to heat is very poor. When two flat surfaces contact each other, only three tiny points are in contact with each other. Everything else is out of contact, in the air. Some kind of thermal grease between the two would help (they do this on heatsinks on PC processors) but I don't know of any for this type of application. For an engine, forget heating the oil--either use a synthetic or heat the coolant. I don't think I've ever heard of preheating hydraulic fluid--there may be a reason for that.

Severial of the larger NH tractors have an optional hyd oil heater/temp maintainer that is right in the bottom of the rear axle housing. The Bi Directional tractors have one as standard equipment.

 

[George2615]

I use a lower hose heater for the engine and a magnetic heater on the base of my steel fuel tank. If using a magnetic heater make sure to remove it and not just unplug it. I made that mistake once and didn't find it till spring. The magnet wasn't strong enough to stay on the tractor while plowing a rough frozen gravel driveway.

 

[blueberryman]

I'm in the process of buying a M5040 4wd Kuboto. My sales rep said to use a mag. block heater for the engine. He said to heat up the tranny oil they make up a hydro. hose to plug in the rear remotes so to make a full oil loop and let the tractor run for a while. That way the friction of the oil heats up the oil.