Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
If a guy uses his diesel tractor say every 2 or 3 days to feed with which is cheaper, leaving the heater plugged in all the time or just plugging in 3 hours before nedded?
- Thread starter Anonymous-0
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The heater will draw the same "juice" (i.e. watts) the whole time it's plugged in and operating. So over a 2-3 day (48-72 hr) period in between use, it will certainly draw more current (cost more $$) than the 3 hrs that it needs to heat your block enough to start. (16-24 times more). Any heat transferred from your heater will just transfer to the surrounding atmosphere over time.
Tramway Guy
Well-known Member
Some heaters have thermostats so they only operate when the temperature is below a certain point.
Also, some people put timers on the outlet to turn on a couple of hours before they use it. That would pay for itself quite soon.
Also, some people put timers on the outlet to turn on a couple of hours before they use it. That would pay for itself quite soon.
Unless its thermostatically controlled its going to sure cost to let it run. If it takes 1.5KW per hour then your local electric rate will determine how much the convenience is costing you. Here, with tax and everything that equals around 12 cents and hour, or 2.88 per 24 hours. Heating water, in an uninsulated engine block, is a good way to burn through a pile of money in a month. Thats pretty close to accurate on the money too, thats about what the bill jumped when I left my truck plugged in all the time. Definitely paid for a timer.
Without disputing anything the guys below have said............it depends on the wattage of your heater. Most of my JD tractors were bought with an oil pan heater installed; not sure what I'm paying for electricity, but it cost about 25 cents per 24 hours, which is $7.00 or $8.00 per month. The feed/chore tractors stayed plugged up all Winter.....whenever they weren't being used. Had a couple with freeze plug/water jacket heaters; they used $1.25 electricity per 24 hours; had them on a timer. Could never tell that one kind started better than the other. Some folks will tell you that you 'cook' the oil with a crankcase heater, but it was never a problem for me; your experience may be different. Had one (isolated) barn where I kept tractors and they were the only thing that used electricity; it was easy to monitor cost.
If that heater is only costing you 25 cents per day, that puts your electric total rate at 4 cents per kilowatt hour. Do you live next door to a hydro plant? If I could get a rate like that, I'd tear down my solar panels. Power company here in New York - with all the extra charges figured in - gets 18 cents per kilowatt hour. Minimum sized pan-heater for a small farm tractor is 250 watts and costs $1.08 per day with my company. Pan heater for a large tractor would be at least 500 watts and cost $2.16 per day.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
That is kind of my opinion. If i plug in my stock tank heaters at 30 degrees and below they will pull about 1 dollar a day a piece ( price comming up). I forgot to say it was a block heater of course has a thermostst control, but i do think that left plugged in the sucker will use more juice than just plugging in -say 4 hours before time. If i had the brains and money i would get a flow meter and find out!!!!!!! anyway something to ponder
Ps the ole girl sets in a lean to so the temp. does vary
Ps the ole girl sets in a lean to so the temp. does vary
Up until 3 or 4 years ago, we only paid for the electricity used; it was actually sometime before that when I calculated the cost for using engine heaters. Now there is a $30.00 per month charge just for having a meter on a shop/barn. You get no electricity for the $30.00; ANY usage and the cost starts at $30.01. My post was meant more to compare differences in types of heaters rather than cost TODAY. My electricity comes from TVA; I apologize for any misconception I caused..............
Not sure about today with the priceelecticity,
But there are other advandages. Back in the 50's my Dad used Oliver Diesels and/or Gas. He always used a thermostatic controled tank heater. When you shut down you plugged it in while still warm that way it did ot have to heat the water it just maintained the heat. This was on tractor that was used every day, We even used a heat bolt in our cars and trucks sure was nice to get in and have the heater blow heat right away. But times have changed. To each his own. gitrib
But there are other advandages. Back in the 50's my Dad used Oliver Diesels and/or Gas. He always used a thermostatic controled tank heater. When you shut down you plugged it in while still warm that way it did ot have to heat the water it just maintained the heat. This was on tractor that was used every day, We even used a heat bolt in our cars and trucks sure was nice to get in and have the heater blow heat right away. But times have changed. To each his own. gitrib
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
The dipstick oil heaters tended to coke the oil around them and burn out. The isn't enough surface area on a dip stick heater for it to work.
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