I went with an engine block heater, have yet to use it as it was installed 2 months ago....had tractor 5 years here in CT and never had a issue with starting. have kept in unheated shed, and when needed w/ winter at its coldest, put a blanket over it and small heater under it pre start. think block heater is safer way to go. Having said all that, I don't have to deal w/ the temps you do.....I did use a thread on this forum as a guide to install, was easy to follow and very well written. If you go that route I will attempt to find it again. Good luck w/ your decision.

 

Your machine was before the government forced its heavy hand in screwing it up. I had a 1995 new holland that came with a block heater, but never was plugged in once and started as smooth as glass even at -30F.

 

I had a block heater installed on my 1025r before delivery in 2013.
I had one on my 2305 before that.
Tractors start easier, cab heater works faster, I usually plug it in at least 1/2 hour before starting.

 

Engine block heater is far the best way to go, you should not need the coolant heater with the block heater, I assume you mean radiator hose heater when you say coolant, as they both heat the coolant system only the block heater heats it in the engine block which will transfer the heat to the oil also if plugged in long enough. We have used block heaters on the tractors and skid loaders on the farm since the mid 60's. As far as hyd. System heater we have never used this guess not sure if available. There is a excellent thread on Instalation of a block heater for the 1025R with pics.

 

I have had my 1025R for little under a month now. The dealer automatically put on the quote to install the engine block heater - AR87167 with needed adapter AM134805. I am also in MN, so I thought this would be nice to have right away for winter. I have been plugging it in about an hour before I plan to use it and it seems the tractor starts much happier- little smoke, smooth idle, etc.

 

I think both the coolant and block heaters will work just fine. They'll both heat the block up which, in turn should warm both the coolant and oil. You get to the same end either way.

I prefer to use a magnetic block heater just because I'm not adding anything to the engine. No additional places for leaks and less chance of me doing something stupid that might kill my machine. (Not that I've ever done anything stupid before... much. :laugh: )

 

Thanks to everyone. Jim, do you have a link to the one that you use? Right now the JD sits in the attached garage with heated floors (50 deg) but it may be moving to a utility shed soon. I do like the idea of a magnetic one, if the tractor doesn't get moved to the utility shed, it will need to do overnights in unheated garages off site.

 

Years ago I had a magnetic heater which worked good, was handy to put on any oil pan of something sitting out in sub zero weather. Didn't heat the coolant but really helped get the oil flowing quickly.


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I picked up a Kat's 1160 300-watt unit. Same company make a couple of other sizes as well.

 

Jim,

Do you have a picture showing where you attach this magnetic heater to your tractor?
Do you put it on the block, or on the oil pan?

 

Brrrtend to add some video rr

I bought the block heater early this spring, despite not experiencing much of a problem starting at -15 degrees last year. I just wanted to be "nicer" to her this year. I intend to add some video of the installation process in the next month or so.

 

Tried my block heater this AM for the first time

I had a block heater installed on the 1025R that I bought this August.

The last few times I started the tractor, the temperature in the garage was in the mid forties. There was a lot of smoke when I started. This morning, I plugged in the block heater for about 20 minutes just before starting. It started just as quickly as in the past, but I was surprised at how little smoke there was. I'm going to use the block heater regularly and hope this morning's start can be repeated. Has anyone else noticed this effect?

Keane

 

I had a block heater installed on the 1025R that I bought this August.

The last few times I started the tractor, the temperature in the garage was in the mid forties. There was a lot of smoke when I started. This morning, I plugged in the block heater for about 20 minutes just before starting. It started just as quickly as in the past, but I was surprised at how little smoke there was. I'm going to use the block heater regularly and hope this morning's start can be repeated. Has anyone else noticed this effect?

Keane

Yes that is the same with my 1026. I use the block heater any time it gets close to freezing temps and it makes a big difference in how smooth it starts.

In my neck of the woods a block heater is a given. As others have said, the coolant heaters are doing much the same thing.

 

I have a coolant heater on my 2320 and it starts just fine at -30 or so after being plugged in for an hour or 2. 6 years old and still using the original battery to.

 

just picked up a 200w magnetic heater for mine.. Not that cold yet but still -5 Celsius.. Pretty neat how quickly it heated the pan and the oil.. About 20mins and the side of the pan was warm to the touch.. We'll see how it does when it we're talkin' -30 Celsius..

 

I put a Wolverine oil pan heater on my 2305. It is a flat heating pad and it just sticks to the underside of the oil pan and the heat rises up thru the whole engine. I followed the directions for cleaning the underside of the pan and then used some high temp sealant around the edges to be safe. Had it on for several years and it works great. I try to plug it in an hour or even 2 before plowing in the winter in Ohio. I bought it even though it was a ''Wolverine''! :laugh:

 

Either style will work effectively. If you install either yourself the block heater is usually less expensive. If you have to pay for installation the hose heater will be less expensive overall because anyone with half a brain and 15 minutes can install a hose heater at home. A block heater on the other hand can be difficult for many people at home to install thus you may be paying the dealer or a mechanic labor for installing it.

Technically there are 3 types of heaters. The block heater, the radiator hose heater, and there is also a heater hose/radiator hose style that heats the coolant and circulates the coolant through the system. This circulation style is the best by far. Last I checked they were in the $50 - $75 range to buy one and are an easy install.

Someone said the block style will also partially heat the oil as well. This isn't accurate. The block heater heats the coolant only. Very little heat if any transfers to the oil because heat rises and the coolant is in the engine block which is above the oil pan where all of your oil is sitting.

Bottom line is get the option that is most affordable because all of them I discussed will work very well. I live in WI where we can see up to -40 and we normally see -20 often. Today was -10 at 8 AM. My block heater works great on my 3320. I can plug it in for 30 - 60 minutes and it fires up no problem.

 

I was going to install a block heater. Then, I thought to hell with that. Instead I moved to almost the deep south. Now I'm looking for a block air conditioner!:laugh::dance::mocking::munch:

 

Most modern Diesel engines have so much compression a heater is just not necessary. The purpose of a block heater is to warm the cylinders to aid in starting. Personally even though my Diesels are in Texas I still use a block heater. It can make the difference on an engine that has had some miles or hours put on it for starting easier.

Just as important though as we are moving into the colder months make sure you have run out of the Summer Blended Diesels and start moving to a Winter Blend. The Winter Blend is less likely to gel up on you which aids in a faster start. It is not marked on pumps so you may need to talk to an attendant.

I also use Cetane Boost during the Winter really helps keep the diesel components happier.


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Most modern Diesel engines have so much compression a heater is just not necessary. The purpose of a block heater is to warm the cylinders to aid in starting.

Errr.. that may be YOUR purpose in using one but for those who live in areas where over-night temps drop to -30 and lower, the general concern is more with the crankcase oil turning to the consistancy of peanut butter. Have you ever heard an engine started at -30? Once your crankcase oil gels you have zero lubrication and your crank and camshaft bearings will take one heck of beating for a couple of minutes until the engine warms enough to thin the oil. I've seen numerous engines seize or spin bearings because they couldn't get the oil flowing quickly enough. Synthetic oils have helped with this problem in recent years but they haven't completely solved it.

Others also use block heaters more for operator comfort. That way they don't have to wait for the engine to warm the coolant and they can kick on the heater immediately.

 

Block Heater Question

So John Deere 1025R TLB do you now have a block heater on your 1025R?

 

So John Deere 1025R TLB do you now have a block heater on your 1025R?

Yep. The way it should have been delivered. :nunu:

 

I had the engine block heater install when I bought my 1025R 2013.
I used it all last winter. It made a difference starting if the tractor was left out side in a non heater shed.
By heating the block not only makes easier to start it put less stress on the engine and it should last longer with out problems.

 

Quick check of KAT's webpage shows two styles of engine heaters are thermostatically controlled, the lower rad hose style, & circulating tank heaters. I suspect the freeze plug & cartridge style are like all the heaters I've used over the last 40+ yrs, they get so hot then turn off for a while, then turn back on. Kat's

I've had block heaters on most of the vehicles I've owned, ALL the diesels and most of the gas trucks. I LIKE having warm air from the heater/defrosters immediately!

You can leave block heaters plugged in for days, even weeks, or longer. Just expect a rude surprise when the light bill comes. Costs a couple Dollars a Day to run them.

Block heaters are one thing that if 500 or 750 watts is good, 1500 is NOT always better. On small cooling systems they heat the water too hot too fast and not get the needed circulation started and they don't heat as well. BT-DT. You want to pull the cold coolant as close to the thermostat as possible, then send the hot coolant back into the engine as far away from the thermostat as possible.

I had the block heater on my '87 F150 w/300-6 plugged in one night. Next morning I go out and start the truck to go to work and the truck starts like it's Zero out. I get out to unplug the block heater and it's already "unplugged". Both ends of the cord under the front bumper are burned to a crisp, and the male & female halves of the plug are totally gone! Lucky the truck, and car, and whole garage/shop didn;t burn to the ground. Block heaters by design pull a lot of amps, they will find weak spots in the wiring of the cord & plug.

When I used my diesel pickup as my daily driver for nine years, it got plugged in ANY night the temp dropped to freezing or below. It wouldn't get that cold in my shop, but I liked having the truck running by the time it completed it's first revolution with no knocking, rattling, smoking, etc. And the starter & batteries last so much longer. In fact, my 18-1/2 year old truck still has the factory starter with over 300,000 miles, and the second set of batteries are over 11 years old.

Starting a freezing cold diesel engine is about the hardest thing you can do to them, short of over-heating them or running them out of oil.

 

If a magnetic unit is on the oil pan for an hour or so will it heat the block in any measurable way as well?.. Just thinking that if the oil is warm than some of the heat from the warm oil might naturally radiate upward to the block or at least some of the "innards" of the engine.. Wonder if its enough to matter though?.. I didn't look to see if there's even room anywhere on a 1 series block to stick the thing even if I wanted to..

 

I bought the Kat's 300w magnetic heater discussed in this thread since it was cheaper (and easier to install) than a block heater.
My 1025r will start in the cold without it, but it coughs, smokes, and the engine clatters loudly for quite some time after startup. Makes me cringe. I thought maybe the magnetic heater would help.

I have been attaching it to the oil pan since that is the only place I can find room to attach it.

So far (in 3-4 tests) I have seen some improvement, but I have not been overly impressed.
Pre-heating for ~2 hours when it was ~10F, the engine started with no clattering. However, the coughing/smoking still lasted ~10 seconds after startup...less time than without heat, but still seems prolonged.
In this case, the oil pan felt warm to the touch before startup. I did not test the block to see if it felt warm.

@40F yesterday, I left it plugged in for about 1 hour before attempting to start. The clattering was bad on startup and lasted for a minute or more. The smoking/coughing was ~10 seconds.

I'll keep experimenting, but I expected more noticeable improvement than this.

 

A moving blanket thrown over the hood will greatly increase any heater's efficiency and you'll have a lot warmer engine for the same power used. Simple and free.:good2:

 

I have a block heater and it works well. This year I'm upping the ante by using JD 0W40 synthetic oil. Our temps go as low as -35F. I have always used synthetic in my vehicles and it makes quite a difference on very cold days.

 

Stopped by my dealer today to check price and availability of a block heater and the adapter plate. They had both in-stock but the pricing seemed a bit high. So I came home, checked on the Green Farm Parts site and my dealer was high. Ordering both parts from GFP saved me $40+ in part cost/no taxes/free shipping and their Black Friday GRAVY 10% discount. Thanks guys!

 

used my 200w magnetic heater for the 1st time yesterday on my 1023.. just wanted to try it out.. not that cold, only -3 Celsius (what is that for you u.s guys, about 28 degrees?), but it made a huge difference with warm oil.. I counted to see how long till no smoke.. Exactly 5 seconds vs about 10 seconds with cold oil.. That's after an hour of heating the pan..

 

Where to put the Kat 300 on a 1025?

I picked up the Kat at the local TSC. Attempted to stick it to the oil pan of my1025 but no stick. The pan must be aluminum or plastic??
Looked around for another place without taking side panels off with no luck. Any hints where to put this sucker.

Even tried to stick it on the 2500 Chevy, aluminum pan as well.

Help!

 

My magnetic heater sticks to my 1025 pan just fine. However there are some ridges on the pan that could be causing your problem.

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