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Michigan | Like much of the country its brutal cold here too. I've had to blow snow every couple days for neighbors, landlords,myself etc. I keep my 4440 in a clean dry cold storage building with concrete floor. I know there is always risk with anything electrical. I like to be up and outside early and get things cleared out,the problem is waiting for the tractor to warm up before starting it.
I've witnessed barns and sheds burn down( former firefighter) with the block heater being the likely cause of the fire. I'd like to plug in my tractor at 6pm and have it ready for 6or 7 am the next day. What causes these block heaters to go bad and cause fires?
I'm using a nice heavy extension cord, the building is fairly new with breaker box and there is no debris near the tractor. I assume I'm fine, right? |
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| Couple close calls we had were the block heater cord melting down. I guess we put new cords on every 3 years or so nowadays. |
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Wyoming, Ontario | I would recommend that you go and buy a block heater timer and set it to come on couple hours before you want to start it. |
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| put in a small heated building or try a new heater every year
if the cord is getting hot the connection is bad
IR gun to check for loose connections |
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| I always used a heavy duty appliance timer (Rated for high enough wattage) to turn heater on a couple hours before I wanted to start. I was always up when it was turning on and could monitor barn for signs of trouble. Maybe mount a remote camera so that you could check on it via monitor or smart phone ? Never had issues with the timer switching block heater on but one time when just plugging unit in the cord going into the element shorted out and could have been a bad situation if the timer had turned it on. Many of the elements draw 1000 watts or more so a short 12-3 gauge cord is always a good idea. The flat 3 wire cords that screw onto the contact pins of the element are not always the most durable either. These contacts can get loose, dirty or arc or plain melt away over time these cords spend a lot of time in hot environment next to the block and can be subject to heat, sunlight, rubbing, oil, and physical damage. Other than checking and replacing the cords and making sure everything is heavy enough and rated for the load not much else you can do to mitigate risk. I never liked block heaters running where I was not close by or at night while I was sleeping but sometimes there was no other options. |
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| I guess I leave everything plugged in round the clock, the way I look at it is if power goes out at 3am hopefully I catch it while the tractor is still warm. If I had a timer and the power goes out in the middle of the night the motors probably to cold to start and no power to warm it up. With all the hogs I have to have a generator tractor ready to go when the time arises and a loader tractor ready to go to open things up in a blizzard. Sorry didn’t answer your question but that’s my opinion on timers. |
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Michigan | Years ago when we had cattle my father tried a small timer ( cheap indoor type) to run a block heater. The first morning using it he went into the shed to find a melted glob of plastic where the timer used to be, I didn't realize the made block heater timers, great idea. |
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| Abomb - 1/3/2018 07:36 I guess I leave everything plugged in round the clock, the way I look at it is if power goes out at 3am hopefully I catch it while the tractor is still warm. If I had a timer and the power goes out in the middle of the night the motors probably to cold to start and no power to warm it up. With all the hogs I have to have a generator tractor ready to go when the time arises and a loader tractor ready to go to open things up in a blizzard. Sorry didn’t answer your question but that’s my opinion on timers.
Same scenario here.
The tractors that we need to use are plugged in basically around the clock when its this cold.
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| keving - 1/3/2018 08:36
Years ago when we had cattle my father tried a small timer ( cheap indoor type) to run a block heater. The first morning using it he went into the shed to find a melted glob of plastic where the timer used to be, I didn't realize the made block heater timers, great idea.
like these
https://www.amazon.com/Intermatic-T104-208-277-Volt-Mechanical-Switc...
cut off the "formed " female end of the chinese ext cord and put on a 30 amp rated female end |
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Camp Douglas Wi. 40miles nw of wi. dells | We have 4840 on cart with whole corn and pellets for Holstein steers, keep 4840 in shed dirt floor with no debris. We plug it in late afternoon day before feeding, every 4-5 days.
We keep skid steer plugged in 24-7 in weather like this as we never know when a brilliant Holstein will stick his head some place that he can't get out of.
Dan
Edit; picture taken 1-1-18. -15F 1:30 pm
Edited by DB Tracks 1/3/2018 07:48
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| Just a precaution it doesn't hurt to put a new heater cord on every couple years, if your using a heavy extension cord you should be just fine.
Being its in a shed, its a little warmer in the shed than sitting out in the snow bank already, putting it on a timer would save a little in the wallet.
If you get a timer, DO NOT get a cheap one. Get a good/heavy duty one. |
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just a tish NE of central ND | I know I have my share of poor outlets and cord ends. ...... %^&*JUNK!!!!
Im going to throw this out ther to think about....... BAD LOOSE FITTING junky quality CORD ENDS and outlets THAT ARE SOLD to us cause FIRES! Probably more so than bad cords and dead shorts in the heaters. They (cord ends)fit loose and the resistance to higher loads makes heat, melts down the cords on the plugs and the plugs/sire insulation/are made of FLAMABLE RUBBER!!! =POOF>>> instant fire fuel when its hot.
I cant believe thy sell us those snitty cord ends and the outlets for sale arent any better.They are dangerous junk.Ive got dozens of outlets that if you dont support the cord on the wall they are so loose the unplug themselves.Every one should be thrown away and replaced, along with a bunch of cord tripple plug adapters and male and female cord ends.
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Port Austin Mi. | Yup, them are the ones, got 6 of them. Got them from Standard electric in Bad Axe. |
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| Before getting a heated shop I used a hd timer that had settings so it would turn on / off at variable times. Preferred the ones with thevslide out switch for each hour. Usually would set it to run heater 1 hr, off 2 hrs. Thay way tractor was ready to start any time day or night. I think a lot of people use light duty timers that wont handle the wattage a block heater uses. I bought mine at electricsl supply house, not the local hardware. Paid more but I was more comfortable with the quality. |
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| What about wiring one end of the cord into the junction block and switching the female end and the block heater cord to a twist lock connector? |
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sc ks | We also have a 4440 and the block heater cord is shot can I but a new cord somewhere? Or is the only way to connect it on? |
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| the connectors that are rated for 30 amps almost need greased to plug in
the twistlock more then likely will be at least 20 amp
the red outlets at hospitals are very good quality
the $0.40 outlets at the big box stores, are not what I want to use with block heaters |
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NC KS | You can buy replacement cords in a lot of places. Just do some googling. The 4430 used a cord that is very common. |
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Mid-Michigan | I bought a timer that goes into your outlet. It seems to work well. |
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Central Illinois | A friend of mine sits on an insurance board and we were talking about this over the weekend and he said the number one thing the insurance companies say to do is take emery cloth and shine up the plug on the tractor a few times a year. Helps keep the corrosion off and make a good connection. Of course make sure all the cords are in good shape as well. |
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Central Illinois | Also I have noticed the mice love to chew the insulation off the cords posing a risk for a short. They must make them using some soy based material |
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| Right there .....spend a dollar or so on outlets instead of the 39 cent ones |
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Fruita CO | The John Deere block heaters like in your 4440 will not stand up well to being plugged in continuously. I finally convinced one guy to get a timer after I changed out 3 of them on a 4640. I did get the JD parts guy to admit they got a bad batch of them, I did so many for a year or 2 I bought a 1-7/8" socket that will fit behind the turbo oil line to get the damned things out. NAPA socket that's really shallow, my Snap-on socket will not fit...
So, bottom line, like everybody says, get a timer... |
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MN | I use one of these as well, has a 3 prong plug on it and use a heavy cord that is just comfortable in length. Been maybe 6 years, so far been lucky. I find recently I use it less, just plug in when I think I will need it as it wasn't used that often. |
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ne iowa | heavy ext cord with HD timer. New tractor cord from NAPA around $20 bucks and set for 3 AM. been doing it for 40 years with no problems. |
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Western Iowa | x3
Loader and feed wagon tractor are plugged in except when they are in use. |
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Western Iowa | The timers everyone is suggesting is an OK idea, trouble is I see it as another source of a fire............
If a fire is your main worry, just put in a GFCI outlet in. The ones like are (should) be in your bathroom. No fire possible with one of those. Don't buy a cheap one though, because a nuisance trip is no fun, and some of the cheap ones I had would once in a great while trip for no reason. The better ones I have bought do not have issue |
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| I'm on the train of leaving everything plugged in all the time when it's cold. In 17 years I have only had to replace the block heater once on my main tractor. Never had to change them out on the trucks. Definitely never heard of one starting a fire. I'm pretty sure they draw less than 15 amps so there really shouldn't be much concern with leaving them unattended, and if you're worried about a short just plug it into a GFCI and it'll pop it if something wonky happens. Maybe we've just been lucky though. But I also lay extensions cords out on the wet ground, and that is supposedly a no-no. I definitely don't envision old ranchers around here wanting to fool with one of those fancy timer contraptions on their block heater! For us younger folks it does make more sense for the sake of saving energy more than anything. |
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Winkler, Manitoba Canada | Sodbustr - 1/3/2018 09:01
The timers everyone is suggesting is an OK idea, trouble is I see it as another source of a fire............
If a fire is your main worry, just put in a GFCI outlet in. The ones like are (should) be in your bathroom. No fire possible with one of those. Don't buy a cheap one though, because a nuisance trip is no fun, and some of the cheap ones I had would once in a great while trip for no reason. The better ones I have bought do not have issue
I think an arc fault breaker would give significantly better protection for fire than a GFCI. |
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Kingston,Mi | I agree that the Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter that WTW mentioned is a excellent upgrade to the circuit breaker panel, be prepared to be stunned by the price. I just bought 4 for the shop project in 20 amp at $40 US a piece. Search for this term A.F.C.I. circuit breaker. They function as a traditional circuit breaker, a ground fault circuit breaker and the Arc fault function monitors electron flow frequency changes. I have 1 installed now and it shut of the receptacle to the wire welder (now I have that to diagnose) when I attempted to wire weld a day or so ago in a below zero shop. If the mice have compromised the wiring, this should trip the breaker. They are required in by code in bedrooms for quite a few years.
Edited by BOGTROTTER 1/3/2018 11:32
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| Had To put them in the bedroom
Electrician said the vacuum cleaner might trip them
I don't know how long they would have stayed, installed if the vacuum would not run |
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sc ks | Them stupid outlets that have the reset on them are a big pain when you got a couple Grand of meat in your freezer you won't appreciate them real well |
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| Yep buy quality outlets and get the ones with screws on the sides that you need to bend a loop on the wire to put around/under the screw. Those ones with holes in the back where you just push the stripped wire in are not really designed for higher wattage loads like a block heater. Sure they are easy to hook up and connect but nothing beats the solid wire looped around a screw. Also use 12/3 wire for outlets instead of 14-3 |
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Sac & Story county IA | We had an episode last summer that caused me to check all my cords and outlet grounds. We were spraying paint on buildings. We got to the farthest one. Had to use more extension cords. I knew the ground prong was gone on one cord. My son was getting shock from paint nozzle. Nothing bad, but a person can't be wrong. Paint sprayer hose was the thermoplastic used on manlifts for electric utility work. The current flow had to be in the red paint. The culprit turned out to be the cord on paint sprayer. Inside conductor insulation was completely petrified. So, I have done the ohm meter and volt meter work you recommend. Everyone should take an hour and do that. When the ground prong is gone, everything still works. That takes more discipline than I have to stop and fix it right now. |
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The Palouse North Idaho | On our main tractor we have a timer that we set for 2 hours before we feed. The timer is rated higher than wattage on the block heater. I had a block heater fail a couple of years back but I have never seen a bad cord-yet! the heater element failed. I have left block heaters running for 24-36 hrs and never had a problem. However it's a waste of electricity to run them more that ~3 hrs unless you have a requirement to start the tractor at a moments notice, 24/7.
I use 12-3 heavy extension cords sometimes and these also have a larger wattage rating than the block heater.
A little common sense goes a long way to prevent fires from block heater operation. |
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Northwest Mo | Using one Intermatic T103 now. Wired it so I use two different shop circuits and two different tractors can be on their heater at some time and on different circuits. Make sure ext cords are 3-12 with heavy duty ends |
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saskatchewan and Washington | Too bad we have generally such crappy outlets. The European ones are so much better. They never seem to wear out. |
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Central Alberta | Interesting. Living in central Alberta my whole life where block heaters are part of normal life in winter for just about anything with a motor, I have never seen or heard of a fire being caused by a block heater. Now I have seen and heard of several fires when a guy used a torch of some kind to warm up motor. |
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Driftless SW Wisconsin | How many amps do most tractor engine block heaters draw? (ball park/max?) I've been leaving mine plugged in continuously in this cold spell. Seems to need to be plugged in overnight to get the engine and battery warm enough to be sure to start at -10 F in the morning.
Edited by Jim 1/3/2018 19:31
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Stearns County, Minnesota | Jim - 1/3/2018 18:29 How many amps do most tractor engine block heaters draw? (ball park/max?) I've been leaving mine plugged in continuously in this cold spell. Seems to need to be plugged in overnight to get the engine and battery warm enough to be sure to start at -10 F in the morning. A1500 watt heater will draw about 15 amp max. |
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SW Sask | That's what I was thinking. When we had cattle on the farm when I was a kid, trucks and tractors were plugged in all the time. Even when the weather was just getting cold (-10C), dad started plugging in. He always said that the electricity is a small price to pay if we every HAVE to go somewhere in an emergency, so there was always one vehicle plugged in.
Maybe we had tractors with smaller block heaters, or maybe the cords and ends were better quality, but until the wire in the cord broke, I don't remember any trouble.
danr |
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Northeast Nebraska | Block heaters scare me. Had a neighbor plug his semi in inside of his big machine shed. Needless to say it burned everything up. Got so hot all you can see is the frame and motor. |
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Kingston,Mi | The brother who was stationed in NoDak in the Air Force had a 1500 watt circulating tank heater on his Mustang and the only time it was not plugged in either at his apartment or at the air base was when it was in motion (Winter, late fall and early spring). I have a 1500 watt circulating tank heater on the JD 2940 plus the combine. Usually needs about 2 hours to warm the block enough to start in negative weather, it only gets started to plow the drive. |
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Decaturville TN | The holes in the back of receptacles will only accept #14 wire not #12... So maximum 15 amp circuit. The #12 wire has to be wrapped around the screws. They have been this way for several years however many years ago they were made to where you could stick #12 in the back but that has been a long time ago. |
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Fruita CO | Most of the old tank type heaters had thermostats in them, so it was no problem leaving them. The original JD heaters like 4020's had were that way. These little block heaters just keep cookin'. |
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nemo | Friend's hog confinement building has a Deere 4 cylinder standby generator. He says block heater stays plugged in year-round. |
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Fruita CO | I knew an old truck mechanic who worked on airport crash trucks for a while. They were plugged in to a block heater, battery maintainer, & air 24/7. the connections were all breakaway so they didn't have to unhook, plus the engines had 2 starters. The drill was to hit BOTH starters, hit the brake release button, jam it in gear, & GO... |
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| Jim - 1/3/2018 20:29
How many amps do most tractor engine block heaters draw? (ball park/max?) I've been leaving mine plugged in continuously in this cold spell. Seems to need to be plugged in overnight to get the engine and battery warm enough to be sure to start at -10 F in the morning.
The screw in and freeze plug heaters are mostly 500 to 600 watts
then the screw in heaters for the 8 liter and up will be from 600 to 1500 |
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Leaving tractor plugged in all the time question
