Happy Block Heater Day!

[GrumpyFarmer]

This summer my buddy picked up his first tractor ever, a really clean L3302 (used) and opted not to have a bloc heater installed in on the deal. I was not able to convince him. I did convince to treat fuel though. Today, driveway drifted over, and it was his first no start.

I’ve had one on each of my machines and I think it helps… can’t imagine all that compression on cold rings is good for them…got to be hard on the engine and if a real cold start.

anyway I am curious I am the oddball with the bloc heater or not (yes I understand block heater is not the main contributor to me being odd)

 

[McMXi]

I've had block heaters in all four tractors, and have them in both trucks and use them regularly. I wouldn't have a diesel truck or tractor without a block heater.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Honestly, it's no longer about starting, ECUs and injectors solved that problem, it's about wear. Oil doesn't flow well when it's thick like molasses, and that's where a block heater helps greatly. I have a block heater, oil pan heater, and rear gearbox heater for the hydraulic fluid because I love my Kubota.

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

block heaters here are not even an option anymore here.

I don't know of any car, truck, tractor retailer that sells new vehicles that don't already have them installed. They are standard equipment here.

 

[GeoHorn]

I was “trapped’ (sort-of) into buying a Cummins-equipped Ram 2500 last year…. and was pleasantly surprised to read All Cummins had factory-installed block heaters.

(Perhaps this makes-up (in some small way) for that traitorous Grid-Heater.)

Typical of my luck…. the very next version of this engine dumped the hazardous grid-heater and accepted the industry-standard Glow-Plugs. I always seem to get the last-versions of poorly-designed products.

Anyway…. during this wide-area-freeze I’ve kept the block-heater plugged-into power….. while I stayed at-home next to the fireplace the entire time. Never even tried to start it.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

This summer my buddy picked up his first tractor ever, a really clean L3302 (used) and opted not to have a bloc heater installed in on the deal. I was not able to convince him. I did convince to treat fuel though. Today, driveway drifted over, and it was his first no start.

I’ve had one on each of my machines and I think it helps… can’t imagine all that compression on cold rings is good for them…got to be hard on the engine and if a real cold start.

anyway I am curious I am the oddball with the bloc heater or not (yes I understand block heater is not the main contributor to me being odd)

Thank you sir!

Reading this just reminded me to go plug mine in.

 

[NCL4701]

Don’t have one because it didn’t come with one and it’s parked in a climate controlled shop that stays between 65F and 75F year round. If it was parked somewhere that got cold, I’d definitely have one.

 

[mdhughes]

After having the block heating sitting in the box for 6 years, I install it this last Aug. I never had a no start problem, but it would auto idle up when it was really could out. Now with the block heater, it doesn't do that and it sounds a lot happier at 10°F when I start it.

Like WI_Hedgehog said, it's about wear.

 

[forky]

I would not be without one either. It never went above 0 here for the last 2 weeks until today.
My dealer does not have any new tractors without block heaters. He said that with the weather we have here, it's a no-brainer and worth the cost.

 

[jimh406]

I voted glad I have it, but we haven't had much snow. That means the tractor isn't plugged in since it isn't going anywhere.

 

[Ping]

My BX spends it's 'winter' months in our heated garage. No need for a block heater.

 

[WFM]

Mine didn't come with a block heater. But had one installed a few months before winter arrived.
I plug it in like 30 minutes before I have to start the tractor.
If you've ever go to Fairbanks Ak you'll see a plug hanging from the grill of every car and truck you meet.

 

[McMXi]

Honestly, it's no longer about starting, ECUs and injectors solved that problem, it's about wear. Oil doesn't flow well when it's thick like molasses, and that's where a block heater helps greatly. I have a block heater, oil pan heater, and rear gearbox heater for the hydraulic fluid because I love my Kubota.

View attachment 169020

I would add that it's better for batteries and glow plugs too. I have glow plugs in both tractors and both trucks, and they're there to heat up the air in the cylinders to help the diesel/air mix reach auto ignition temperature. But it's so much easier on both when the engine is up around 60°F as opposed to somewhere between -20°F and 30°F. The other benefit is that the engine gets up to normal operating temperature quicker too. I have a DP-Tuner programmer and chip and the display shows coolant temperature with a verbal warning that the coolant temperature is "too low" until it reaches 85°F.

There are times when I don't have the option to use a block heater, but I try to limit those really cold start ups by using the block heaters whenever possible.

 

[hedgerow]

I have four pieces of equipment that have Kubota diesel engines in them and only one has a block heater in it which is my skid steer. The other three won't be used when its 30 degrees and lower out.

 

[TECH101]

In my personal opinion and experience as a technician block heaters are a waste of time and money.
If your engine is performing correctly and you have a brand named conditioner mixed in the fuel properly circulated through the sysmtem, you shouldn't have an issue regardless of temperature
When I worked for in the rental industry none of are equipment was plugged into a block heater, some days minus -40 or higher very rarely experience an issue and when there was an issue it was related to engine issue that got resolved

 

[BAP]

In my personal opinion and experience as a technician block heaters are a waste of time and money.
If your engine is performing correctly and you have a brand named conditioner mixed in the fuel properly circulated through the sysmtem, you shouldn't have an issue regardless of temperature
When I worked for in the rental industry none of are equipment was plugged into a block heater, some days minus -40 or higher very rarely experience an issue and when there was an issue it was related to engine issue that got resolved

Obviously you have zero experience starting a diesel engine in cold weather. You claim to be a technician, but sounds like you have never left a heated building to out and start a diesel that won’t start because it is too cold. At -40, a diesel MAY start without heating, but it is going to be extremely hard on it. Why push not having a heater, when a heater saves a lot of grief in cold weather.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

In my personal opinion and experience as a technician block heaters are a waste of time and money.
...you shouldn't have an issue regardless of temperature
When I worked for in the rental industry none of are equipment was plugged into a block heater, some days minus -40 or higher very rarely experience an issue and when there was an issue it was related to engine issue that got resolved

What engine oil did they run?

It could be they didn't care about starting conditions because the rental customers wouldn't.

---
When the well driller wanted to start his rig after it was parked the weekend I asked if he wanted to plug it in first, which he greatly appreciated since there was other setup time involved. Ran some extension cord to his rig and because it was older it helped quite a bit.

I plug my daily driver (gas, not diesel) into a timer and it starts far easier, especially below 10°F; at -5°F it's certainly worth it.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Don’t have one on the K, but I do in the truck. The trucks came with it as part of the “cold weather package”. I just wanted the electric heat in the cab. Only used them a time or three.
never considered it in the tractor.
Sure, it’s been cold. Mostly below 20 for a high. I just switched the 15w out for 5w before the bottom dropped out.

 

[McMXi]

In my personal opinion and experience as a technician block heaters are a waste of time and money.
If your engine is performing correctly and you have a brand named conditioner mixed in the fuel properly circulated through the sysmtem, you shouldn't have an issue regardless of temperature
When I worked for in the rental industry none of are equipment was plugged into a block heater, some days minus -40 or higher very rarely experience an issue and when there was an issue it was related to engine issue that got resolved

Did all of those diesel engines have working glow plugs? As for working in the rental equipment business, as if any rental company in the history of the world has ever given a crap about the longevity of the equipment in their fleet. It gets used, abused and then sold off with all manner of tax write-off advantages.

Your "personal opinion and experience" don't mean a thing to me and my equipment. I've started cold diesels thousands of times in cold to very cold weather both with and without the use of a block heater. I know which is better and which both I, and more importantly, the engines prefer.

"a waste of time and money" .... seriously?! A block heater is cheap, electricity is cheap, rebuilding or replacing components that have failed prematurely is not. Using a block heater makes batteries last longer, starting motors last longer, glow plugs last longer, engine components last longer etc., but feel free to do whatever you want, just don't pass on your ignorance along to others since that sort of thing is highly contagious.