Propane oil pan heater?

[bitzer]

I'm looking for a way to heat up my oil in the skidder. I don't know if this exists. I see oil pan heaters that are 120v. I'd have to get my generator going for that which is kind of pain because I need to have my propane heater blowing on the generator for 10-15 minutes before it will start. Its just a long pain in the ass process. I also think those electric ones would take a long time. I've already got the quick coupler running hot coolant from my truck through the engine block, but with the really cold temps this year I'd like to help the starts out a little more. I'd also like to be able to heat up my hydraulics more quickly. On mornings when its been 15 to 20 below with the wind chill I've got my truck hooked up to the skidder for 30-40 minutes before I attempt to start it and I've still needed a little snort of ether. The other day I had to jump it to just get it spinning fast enough. I've got two new batteries in the skidder as it is. After I've got it going its another 20-30 minutes before the hydraulics start to move much. Lately its been at least an hour process. I thought about getting a forced air propane heater to blow on stuff. The type that hooks up to a 20lb LP tank. What do you guys do?

 

[slowp]

Da guys up nort had propane blowers they left on all night. If I recall, some even had little blue tarp tents rigged up over the part of the machine to heat. At that time, few worked when temps got below -20 or was it -10, as I found out when making the rounds during -27 weather.

I don't know if the heat was aimed at the oil or no, but they were heating something for easier starting in the morning.

Most all were totally mechanized sides.

You could contact your up nort cohorts and check wid dem.

 

[mesupra]

Have you thought about a small 2 stroke harbor freight generator to power the 120v heater, $99.00 or a inverter hooked to your pickup, you could mount it to the inner fender and run a pig tail out he grill. Not sure of the reliability of either one, a good quality inverter is not cheap but would come in handy for other stuff as well.

 

[bitzer]

Miss P I may have to do that. Thanks for the input!

Mesupra- I think the electric heater needs hours to work. I'm looking for minutes. Thanks for the ideas though! I'm thinking the propane blower might be the ticket.

 

[Blazin]

I used a 2000w power inverter and a 70btu kerosene salamander for years. I'd back the truck up to the skidder and have the heater on the tailgate blowing on the block, a couple of pieces of plywood for a diverter and it worked about as fast as anything is gonna. Make sure you got the skidder crabbed when you park it though so you can get it close enough too the block. The hot water hook ups work great but way below 0 you got some thick mud for oil....as you know. Other than that it's the tarp deal which is a PIA!

 

[Steve NW WI]

My experience is that it's a good 2 hours in 0 or below before the electric heaters warm it up enough to start. I broke a spindle on my MF diesel a couple years back, the wore out Perkins doesn't like to start cold, when I got it fixed it was near 0, an hour with a Sunflower (Mr. Heater) aimed at the block and it cranked like summertime.

When it's as cold as it is today, it just don't pay. Me and the neighbor managed to shear off the fuel pump drive on his Deere combine trying to get the last of his corn off in about -10 weather. I understand needing to go, but some days you just gotta say to heck with it.

Hydraulics - I always run the lightest oil I can get away with. On farm tractors, we use a bypass hose that lets oil pump free from one side of the remote to the other to warm the oil without too much restriction, but probably your skidder doesn't have a remote outlet, so just cycling the cylinders till they start to move normally is your best option most likely.

 

[Blazin]

My experience is that it's a good 2 hours in 0 or below before the electric heaters warm it up enough to start. I broke a spindle on my MF diesel a couple years back, the wore out Perkins doesn't like to start cold, when I got it fixed it was near 0, an hour with a Sunflower (Mr. Heater) aimed at the block and it cranked like summertime.

When it's as cold as it is today, it just don't pay. Me and the neighbor managed to shear off the fuel pump drive on his Deere combine trying to get the last of his corn off in about -10 weather. I understand needing to go, but some days you just gotta say to heck with it.

Hydraulics - I always run the lightest oil I can get away with. On farm tractors, we use a bypass hose that lets oil pump free from one side of the remote to the other to warm the oil without too much restriction, but probably your skidder doesn't have a remote outlet, so just cycling the cylinders till they start to move normally is your best option most likely.

Yep.... sometimes you gotta throw the flag, but sometimes you can't. The excavator I have now, the hydraulic circuit runs thru the radiator cooler, way awesome idea as it''ll heat the fluid as well as cool it.

 

[bitzer]

I used a 2000w power inverter and a 70btu kerosene salamander for years. I'd back the truck up to the skidder and have the heater on the tailgate blowing on the block, a couple of pieces of plywood for a diverter and it worked about as fast as anything is gonna. Make sure you got the skidder crabbed when you park it though so you can get it close enough too the block. The hot water hook ups work great but way below 0 you got some thick mud for oil....as you know. Other than that it's the tarp deal which is a PIA!

So is the salamander a torpedo heater? You still need electric to run the blower on em? I've never used one or really seen one up close.

 

[bitzer]

My experience is that it's a good 2 hours in 0 or below before the electric heaters warm it up enough to start. I broke a spindle on my MF diesel a couple years back, the wore out Perkins doesn't like to start cold, when I got it fixed it was near 0, an hour with a Sunflower (Mr. Heater) aimed at the block and it cranked like summertime.

When it's as cold as it is today, it just don't pay. Me and the neighbor managed to shear off the fuel pump drive on his Deere combine trying to get the last of his corn off in about -10 weather. I understand needing to go, but some days you just gotta say to heck with it.

Hydraulics - I always run the lightest oil I can get away with. On farm tractors, we use a bypass hose that lets oil pump free from one side of the remote to the other to warm the oil without too much restriction, but probably your skidder doesn't have a remote outlet, so just cycling the cylinders till they start to move normally is your best option most likely.

Yeah I'm not workin today obviously. I'm probably guna hit it tomorrow though. Supposed to warm up into the single negative digits.

 

[Blazin]

So is the salamander a torpedo heater? You still need electric to run the blower on em? I've never used one or really seen one up close.

Yeah, a torpedo heater and the 2000 watt power inverter is hooked to your trucks 12v and turns it into 110v for the heater. A lot easier than screwing with a gas powered generator, unless you get one of them little honda's for a grand, the inverters are around $250

 

[Keen]

I use a Mr heater infra red propane heater to get the skidder going on sub zero mornings. Stick it against the oil pan for 30-40 minutes or so. Im sure there is a better way but it works good enough for me. Keep in mind that im only heating up a 5 cylinder deutz with it. I was thinking about making a mount on the hydraulic tank of the forwarder to stick a heater to also. I'm sure within 20-30 minutes or so it would have the hydraulic functioning pretty well. Blew a side wall on the skidder today...... The joys of the job

 

[Naked Arborist]

Ever consider leaving a hot bed of coals under the machine with a tarp over it?

Another idea I had was to set up a drum of oil or coolant with a fire under it, top/bottom quick connects. Hot thermal fluid flow can get the job done without a pump or electric. A homemade outdoor wood boiler could get the job done for many many machines plugged in to it.

Stay thirsty my friends.

Just some thoughts...

 

[Blazin]

Ever consider leaving a hot bed of coals under the machine with a tarp over it?

Another idea I had was to set up a drum of oil or coolant with a fire under it, top/bottom quick connects. Hot thermal fluid flow can get the job done without a pump or electric. A homemade outdoor wood boiler could get the job done for many many machines plugged in to it.

Stay thirsty my friends.

Just some thoughts...

LMAO! How long you think a bed of coals or a fire is gonna last at -20??? Bitz, you're gonna have to have a trailer now with a OWB on it to take on the jobs, should be cost effective

 

[mopar3]

What about synthetic diesel oil? The Rotella T6 5w 40 should be a bit thinner and help with cranking speed. 22 bucks a gallon at Walmart might get a bit expensive. But so is waiting and not working.

 

[nk14zp]

I have used the big weed killer propane torch and a 3" elbow to heat up oil pans. But be real careful about fire!

 

[mesupra]

I run rotella t6 full 5-40 in everything I own, lawn mower, generator boat tractor splitter etc, seems like a great oil, it goes on sale at tractor supply for $17.00 . A good friend runs it in his power stroke and frequently has a lab run an analysis on the oil between changes, the lab recommends he run the oil to 13,000 miles vs the 10,000 he has been changing it at, at 10k they said he is pretty much throwing away good oil.

 

[mdavlee]

The 2000 7.3 I had would start a lot better with synthetic oil in it at 0°. I didn't have to give it pedal and help it stay running with the synthetic. With regular oil it wouldn't start the first try and I would cycle the glow plugs twice. My dodge cummins have started at 0° just fine with regular oil. A propane weed burner torch may be your best bet there Bob.

 

[Gypo Logger]

Just installed a 1500 watt coolant heater in a 440B. Starts like a charm after 2-3 hrs.
John

 

[northmanlogging]

I'm dig'n the weed burner Idea cheap portable and fun, but yeah be careful with fire, maybe go A-Team and get some tin roofing to protect some of the greasier spots.

I've been know to fill cut off pop cans with 2-stroke mix and light to warm up stubborn engines,

The other Idea is to coil some copper tubing around the oil pan and plumb it into the coolant lines from the truck some how, that way the oil heats up same time as the block. Perhaps wrap the works in muffler wrap to keep heat loss at a minimum... just thinking out loud.

 

[hammerlogging]

i vote leave it running until March..