Which is better: battery blanket or magnetic fluid warmer?

North Idaho Wolfman

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Thanks! I’ll devise something to make life easier that’s for suren
Thanks! I’ll devise something to make life easier that’s for suren
Heating the coolant is by far the best method of heating these engines, everything else is a waste of time and money.
 
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Soopitup

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Oct 25, 2018
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I have zero experience with block heaters. This winter will be my first with a diesel.
Heat rises. It's amazing how much hotter it is above a heat source vs below. I would think something under the oil pan is best. Max amount of energy going towards heating the engine itself. Plus the oil is getting directly heated.
Block heaters obviously work. But heating the coolant means a lot less of the energy goes to the oil. Deending how well the block heater heats the engine itself, little to no heat may get to the oil.
Power of the block heater and ambient temp obviously make a difference.
If the heat under the pan is strong enough it will also heat the block and coolant.....
 

will721

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Central Illinois diesel guy here. While we don't get and maintain the cold weather you do, we get "arctic blasts" that drop temps to -20 (-40 windchill) several times a year over the past few years. I so have a heated garage however my vehicles don't get to be stored in it. Too many toys.

So my primary daily driver is a diesel truck. I've also primarily driven older trucks and such over the years and have use most all winter time heaters for engines with the exception of magnetic oil heaters. Both my old gas truck and my diesel have similar setups. "Freeze plug" block heaters to heat the coolant makes the engine warm up faster but doesn't really effect the oil because its all sitting in the pan. But the warmer the block is to start with the faster it heats it up. I just run synthetic oil to compensate. Has been working for me that way for years and haven't had an issue at all.

Dipstick heaters are just a gimmick. I could see running a silicone pan heater but that oil in the pan won't warm up the block because unkess the pump is running it isn't circulating. Of course warmer oil is good for the engine however my trucks have never had an issue and they have A TON of miles and cold starts.

Battery warmers come in two flavors and I have both. Blankets on the diesel, pad on thr gaser. Blankets that wrap around or silicone pads that sit in the bottom of the tray. The blankets work better because they also block wind but are bulky and a bit of a pain when changing the battery due to the one size fits all aspect. Silicone pads are easier, and a trip to the junk yard can net a nice factory foam battery cover to make it just as good as the blanket.
 
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DaveFromMi

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Apr 14, 2021
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Battery blankets work well in severe cold weather to give extra cranking power.
My Dad used a torpedo heater to start his JD 830 and 2510 diesels in cold weather.
 

lynnmor

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"Freeze plug" block heaters to heat the coolant makes the engine warm up faster but doesn't really effect the oil because its all sitting in the pan. But the warmer the block is to start with the faster it heats it up.

The oil is forced between metal parts with a .001" gap, don't you think that the oil will pick up the heat from those parts?
 

RBsingl

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My standby generator sits in the lower level of the barn which is a partial basement so it stays a little warmer than the outside temperature but it till has a block heater and silicone pad type heater on the oil pan and both are plugged into a "thermo cube" outlet so they only come on when it is really cold inside the barn. That outlet is controlled by a relay that shuts off power to the outlet when the generator is running so they don't continue heating after it starts.

The generator battery stays on a battery tender year round.

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