Plugging in your tractor.....GENIUS!!!

Ezlivn · Jan 14, 2011

Ok so I can't take credit for this cause I read it here on TBN first but thought I'd share it anyways. This is brilliant!

I bought this at Ace Hardware for like $25 bucks. I'm sure it's sold elsewhere. I plug my engine heater into this and click it on from the house.

No need to go out in the cold to plug in your baby before you go out to plow. The only badfall about this is that you can't really tell if it started by just clicking it.....(no on light).....sooooo I plugged a worklight along with the engine heater so now when I click from inside the house and see the worklight come on.....I know the engine heater is on also. GENIUS!!!:thumbsup:

I LOVE this place!!

Craig Clayton · Jan 14, 2011

The only problem is the device has a range and beyond that it will not operate the relay. My building is out of the range. I go out early and plug in because it gets me out of washing the floor , vacuuming ,and doing the dishes.
Craig Clayton

Dead Horse · Jan 14, 2011

My barn is 3/4 of a mile from the house.............

Plus, barns do not like unattended electrical devices..........

RickB · Jan 14, 2011

Ezlivn said:
Ok so I can't take credit for this cause I read it here on TBN first but thought I'd share it anyways. This is brilliant!

I bought this at Ace Hardware for like $25 bucks. I'm sure it's sold elsewhere. I plug my engine heater into this and click it on from the house. No need to go out in the cold to plug in your baby before you go out to plow. The only badfall about this is that you can't really tell if it started by just clicking it.....(no on light).....sooooo I plugged a worklight along with the engine heater so now when I click from inside the house and see the worklight come on.....I know the engine heater is on also. GENIUS!!!:thumbsup:

I LOVE this place!!

That is a great concept, but be careful to check the wattage/amperage rating of timers, remote relays and such. A lot of that stuff is built for smaller loads than the average block heater creates. When I was farming I used a couple 1200 watt rated timers; they were about $40 bucks each at the time IIRC which was more than triple the cost of a light duty timer.

Dirt Farmer · Jan 14, 2011

I posted this on the Diesel Gelling thread--maybe this thread is more appropriate!

All this talk about gelling of Diesel fuel makes me nervous being a novice tractor operator as well as a Northern Vermonter. What dictates when one should plug in their tractor before operation---What temperature? My tractor has a heating block I am just not sure when to use it. I am sure this has been covered in this forum at one point. So far this winter no issue with starting. I do not depend on my tractor in the winter. However, I do like to use it to beat back some of the big snow piles from encroaching on us. Any advice would be appreciated.

Ezlivn · Jan 14, 2011

Dirt Farmer said:
I posted this on the Diesel Gelling thread--maybe this thread is more appropriate!

All this talk about gelling of Diesel fuel makes me nervous being a novice tractor operator as well as a Northern Vermonter. What dictates when one should plug in their tractor before operation---What temperature? My tractor has a heating block I am just not sure when to use it. I am sure this has been covered in this forum at one point. So far this winter no issue with starting. I do not depend on my tractor in the winter. However, I do like to use it to beat back some of the big snow piles from encroaching on us. Any advice would be appreciated.

I plug mine in maybe 15-20 minutes before use. Just a nice warming to help with startup. Of course if it's warm out...I may not bother. I don't think it hurts anything to warm it up before any use. Just my 2 cents

Egon · Jan 14, 2011

I bought this at Ace Hardware for like $25 bucks. I'm sure it's sold elsewhere. I plug my engine heater into this and click it on from the house. No need to go out in the cold to plug in your baby before you go out to plow. The only badfall about this is that you can't really tell if it started by just clicking it.....(no on light).....sooooo I plugged a worklight along with the engine heater so now when I click from inside the house and see the worklight come on.....I know the engine heater is on also. GENIUS!!!

Okay; now install a remote stater kit to complete the job!:thumbsup:

toolbox5 · Jan 14, 2011

I have a programable timer that comes on at noon sowhen i get home from work at 3 i can get right to work , it shuts off at 4 if i have to work over .

nybirdman · Jan 14, 2011

My L4240 just sat outside for a week in zero to twenty degrees,I did not plug in the block heater,just wanted to see how it started,absolutely no problem;glow plugs come on for twenty seconds or so and fired right up.
I don't think a block heater is going to help for jelled fuel,I add PowerService in the winter,plus winter blend fuel and never have had a problem in the winter.

Jerry/MT · Jan 14, 2011

Ezlivn said:
Ok so I can't take credit for this cause I read it here on TBN first but thought I'd share it anyways. This is brilliant!

I bought this at Ace Hardware for like $25 bucks. I'm sure it's sold elsewhere. I plug my engine heater into this and click it on from the house. No need to go out in the cold to plug in your baby before you go out to plow. The only badfall about this is that you can't really tell if it started by just clicking it.....(no on light).....sooooo I plugged a worklight along with the engine heater so now when I click from inside the house and see the worklight come on.....I know the engine heater is on also. GENIUS!!!:thumbsup:

I LOVE this place!!

I use a timer and since I feed at 4:00 pm in the afternoon, I set the timer for 2:00 pm and the tractor is warmed when i go out to feed. If I have a "senior moment" and forget, the timer remembers!