Which is better: battery blanket or magnetic fluid warmer?

[SpokaneDude]

I have a Bx2350 that's about 20 years old; I try to take care of it, but last winter was a doozie in Spokane, WA. So I want to preheat the engine (battery and engine oil) this year to make it easier on the tractor.

What would you recommend for this aged tractor to make it easier for it to plow for snow on driveway and other areas on my 2.5 acres?

I already have rear chains that I have kept on all year long, with minor usage.

I appreciate any suggestions to keep "her" going!

 

[Henro]

I don't really know, but I think as far as the battery goes, a battery tender, or whatever they are called, works pretty good for me in Western PA.

Our weather might be about the same as yours, or maybe a bit more severe sometimes...

 

[SpokaneDude]

Well, that was almost a no brainer! They are relatively cheap compared to "block heaters", and not having any tractor maintenance training, I'll get one (Amazon has them).
Thank you for your comment.

 

[Edke6bnl]

Not nearly as cold as you BUT what i use is a silicone heating pad I got from amazon that I glue on to the pan of the engine oil pan maybe 2 for $20. and for the battery a 1.5 to 4 amp battery maintainer.

https://www.amazon.com/RELMON-Silicone-Battery-Heater-Engine/dp/B09MTD9FQR/ref=sr_1_33?crid=TQRPJIGZ5HI1&keywords=glue+on+silicone+heating+pad&qid=1697233589&sprefix=glue+on+silicone+heating+pad%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-33

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GENIUS2D-Direct-Mount-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B07W3QSMF9/ref=sr_1_18?crid=24LE58DXDXXCU&keywords=12+volt+battery+maintainer&qid=1697233722&sprefix=12+volt+battery+mai%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-18

That is a good maintainer but I use an old UPS that has a bad battery and I hook up the terminals to my battery to maintain it.

 

[D2Cat]

If you're going out to plow snow some time and all your planning has failed you can take a hair dryer or a heat gun and apply heat to the intake side of your engine for three or four minutes and she'll fire right off as long as the battery is good!

 

[RCW]

Good advice so far.

My BX does snow duty from an unheated but attached garage.

I don't have a block heater, but keep a battery maintainer/tender on most of the winter.

I use 5w-40 T6 (Synthetic) Shell Rotella motor oil. The "5w" part of the multi-viscosity motor oil means the oil is less viscous when cold than a 10w-30 or 15w-40. The 5w-40 allows for easier cold starts than the others. I tried a 15w-40 one winter...and it was one winter....

Not trying to sell Shell Rotella, lots of good options,

Just ensure any motor oil is suitable for diesel applications.

 

[cthomas]

Heated garage is the best choice, but just a little expensive. A block heater is the better choice as it makes the oil flow quicker and makes the tractor easier to start as block is also warm. A battery blanket just keeps the battery warm and allows/forces the starter to turn the engine over. If it is really cold outside I have used a hair dryer in the air filter side to preheater the incoming air to help the engine start(Old Mercedes 300SD with a half million miles on it)((take filter out so it does not start on fire)). I have had the glue on oil pan heater that worked ok, but a coolant heater is submersed in the coolant. Also some natural convection takes place.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Not nearly as cold as you BUT what i use is a silicone heating pad I got from amazon that I glue on to the pan of the engine oil pan maybe 2 for $20. and for the battery a 1.5 to 4 amp battery maintainer.

https://www.amazon.com/RELMON-Silicone-Battery-Heater-Engine/dp/B09MTD9FQR/ref=sr_1_33?crid=TQRPJIGZ5HI1&keywords=glue+on+silicone+heating+pad&qid=1697233589&sprefix=glue+on+silicone+heating+pad%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-33

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GENIUS2D-Direct-Mount-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B07W3QSMF9/ref=sr_1_18?crid=24LE58DXDXXCU&keywords=12+volt+battery+maintainer&qid=1697233722&sprefix=12+volt+battery+mai%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-18

That is a good maintainer but I use an old UPS that has a bad battery and I hook up the terminals to my battery to maintain it.

Didn’t think they made those pads anymore. Put one on my 1 ton in late 90’s on the pan. Worked great. Entire engine stays warm. I’ll be ordering one for my 1880. Thanks.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Install both.
'
block 'heater' gets the engine oil warm, making it easier to turn over
'battery blanket' keeps battery warm, so it WILL supply enough electrons to spin the starter
Have both plugged into a timer( most have 2 outlets..hmmmmm),set for say 2-3 hrs before you get up.
Change the 'on time' based on cold,winds, and when you NEED it to run.

 

[Mowbizz]

My block heater died last year and I couldn’t get the bad one out. I had bought a pair of those battery heaters from Amazon (same ones pictured) and my BX OIL PAN is too small to stick one there so I stuck one on the side of the battery. I went to my Kubota dealer today and they refunded the cost of the new block heater that I didn’t use.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm just north / east of you, block heater and battery maintainer!

 

[07wingnut]

I guess I am north of most of you. On the bx23 there is a battery blanket which gives it about twice the cranking power of an unheated battery. For giving the engine a head start, there is a block heater. The banket is on all the time and the block heater is turned on remotely for about an hour before use.
There is also a diesel generator on site that definitely must be ready to start any time. Both the block heater and the small space heater in the enclosure are hooked up to a thermostat that keeps the temperature from dropping below 0C. Never had a no start situation, and here the temp briefly dropped below -35C a couple of times.
Oh, and one thing to keep in mind, a chilly battery is much harder to charge than a warm one. Constant running in really cold weather may not sufficiently charge the battery to keep you out of hot water (pun intended).

 

[mikester]

heated garage

 

[6869704x4]

Big Daddy used to light a puddle of gas under the oil pan of his swamp rat..
Way back in the day folks would put a bucket of hot coals under their tractor.
Amazing how far we've advanced.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Battery blankets never hurt anything. That, in combination with a maintainer will keep batteries happy.
If you store your tractor outside then a stick-on oil pan heater may not do a lot. Breezy conditions will suck most of the heat out before it does any good.

 

[Mowbizz]

what about a heater dipstick? I must have it the italics button…anyway, anyone ever tried the heated dipstick? Since my block heater went south it seems like “anything” is better than nothing. I’m going to measure my BX DIPSTICK.

 

[D2Cat]

A dip stick heater puts out about 75 Watts of power. That is not going to heat any oil. If you plugged that 75 watts in when you got done using the tractor it couldn't maintain that temp in winter weather. I'd pass on using one.

 

[Mowbizz]

A dip stick heater puts out about 75 Watts of power. That is not going to heat any oil. If you plugged that 75 watts in when you got done using the tractor it couldn't maintain that temp in winter weather. I'd pass on using one.

Yeah…I’m going to go with a magnetic heater that sticks to the oil pan. I’ll have to devise some kind of handle to attach and detach the heater…don’t relish the idea of getting on hands and knees

 

[D2Cat]

Yeah…I’m going to go with a magnetic heater that sticks to the oil pan. I’ll have to devise some kind of handle to attach and detach the heater…don’t relish the idea of getting on hands and knees

Get something like a plastic bucket and cut it to the height needed. Make it so the face of the heater is against the oil pan. Might need to put something on the backside of the heater (on top of the bucket) as a protector.

 

[Mowbizz]

Get something like a plastic bucket and cut it to the height needed. Make it so the face of the heater is against the oil pan. Might need to put something on the backside of the heater (on top of the bucket) as a protector.

Thanks! I’ll devise something to make life easier that’s for suren