Magnetic Block Heaters

[mbuckley]

I see that some of you use magnetic block heaters on your tractors in the winter and I'm curious what size ones you have had success with. I see you can buy them from 50 watts all the way to 1000 watts and I'm curious what size seems to work the best on your cubs and other tractors.

[DickB]

I've used a 200w magnetic heater on the bottom of the oil pan. No problem turning over even with non-detergent 30w oil--just leave it on long enough to warm things up. My heater is by Kat's. Had it for 7 years now and before that another one for probably as many years...that one I crunched under the tires. Got to remember to take it off the oil pan before going out into the snow.

[Peter Person]

I’ve had the same 200w unit by Kat’s since 2005. Seems to do the job just fine and when I replaced the oil pan gasket a few years later, there were no burn marks.

Peter

[BigBill]

I used the dip stick heater on my gravely tractor decades ago. I think a oil / block heater is good. Run thinner wt winter oil as the cub owner manual says.

Food for info........sharing experience and info.

I went to an older gravely dealer with a spun rod bearing.(used machine I purchased) to find out the cause. The oil in the winter time doesn’t circulate till it gets hot and makes its way through the oil filter and back to the crank pin. Old timers installed a oil bypass line from the pump to the return line to the crank.

Log splitter gauges,

When installing a pressure gauge on a log splitter we install a smaller pipe plug before the gauge and put a small hole in it. This way when the pressure change jumps you won’t give the gauge the full hit of the pressure it softens it.

[ricky racer]

I don't use a block heater, run 10w-30 motor oil and a 6 volt system and have never had any issues with my '53 turning over, even in sub-zero weather. She spins right over and always fires up. She's a little cold blooded and needs to warm up a bit before she starts plowing though...