or lower hose heater? Lower hose heater is easier to install but do they work as well? NH LX565 is what it's going in
Watt for watt the core plug or other heater that goes into the water jacket will heat better than a tank heater or lower radiator hose heater, but you'll just have to wait a few more minutes to try to start it. And it will only start down to 20 below instead of 25 below or whatever. Basically you'll never notice the difference, especially if the hose heater is more watts. Just make sure the hose slopes up toward the engine, and down to the radiator so the heat goes where you want it.
I see... If it's -25° I won't be starting it anyway It starts pretty well down to 10° or so after that it starts a little harder and runs a little rough. Just seems like it would be easier on things if I warmed it up a little first. Thanks.
Used to use the magnetic block heaters for temps above "0", worked pretty good, you can slap them on any flat surface where there's a water jacket. Relatively cheap and no installation really. Most auto parts stores have them, or Amazon/Ebay
I have an LX 565 with a block heater in it that mounted in place of one of the freeze plugs, so it hearts the block and jacket. When it is really cold here (below 0) I plug it in for an hour or 2 before I need to start it, and it works great. Make sure your glow plugs are in good shape and you have a good battery and winterized fuel and thinner oil…..all these things seem like a no brainer but they really save a lot of punishment on your machine in the cold, also giving the hydraulics time to "warm up" always makes my machine happier. I am going to replace my glow plugs and battery in the next week or so, because they are all pretty shot. The freeze plug style heater in my unit is kind of a pain to get to, for installation purposes, I have to remove my exhaust muffler, then I also remove the starter, its only a few bolts for each part, but working inside the engine area of any skid steer is always a pain…. once those are out of the way the freeze plug area of the engine block is much easier to access. the plug unit I have have replaces one of the freeze plugs and is pressure fit in with some gentle tapping, I used a little RTV high heat sealer/gasket maker around mine to help seal it better from any antifreeze leaks, which is kind of a joke in my case because I have a small crack in the water jacket between 2 of the freeze plugs that leaks some anti freeze any way….hahaha. good luck out there and stay warm!
Another very simple way to heat up your engine compartment is putting a drop light with a 60 watt light bulb in it for a few hours. I have had to do this when my fuel was pretty thick, after a few -20 days, you need to keep an eye on it for fire hazards, but if you position the light properly it gently heats up the compartment and warms up the rubber fuel lines nicely . In a perfect world a large well lit heated shop/garage space would be the perfect solution... hahah
I ordered one for the freeze plug. In the manual they show it installed in the plug that is close to the alternator, if that's what the directions say I shouldn't have to remove anything.
The freeze plug heater in my New Holland skid steer will heat the engine to 70 degrees in two hrs at -10. They are hard to beat on the 4 cylinder engines. You will be happy with it.
Good luck with the install! keep us posted on how it works
On my 565 you don't have to remove anything to replace it either, just raise the boom, pull the side shield and drain the coolant and its fully exposed on the side of the engine, just remove it and install the new one and refill the antifreeze. Block heaters are the only way to go, the lower radiator hose heaters are a waste of time and money in my opinion compared to any block heater. I leave my skid steers plugged all the time when I shut them off, makes for easier starts and if there is an emergency, they are warm and ready to go.
Why do you say that Randy? Obviously radiator hoses are less professional, but they're easy and they work.
I think it depends on the conditions. If it's -30 outside and wind blowing 30 mph, not sure I would trust the lower hose heater.
We have several heating methods on most of my machine, with block heaters, and tank heaters being the first options, of all the lower radiator hose heaters we ever put on, none ever really heated anything when push came to shove and temps were frigid out. Block heaters warm the engine block as it warms the water in the block, tank heaters use the heat siphon method to transfer heated water out and circulate through the system via a smaller hose, usually 5/8th's, and circulate it in the block, a lower radiator hose heater doesn't really circulate the water like a tank heater does, its towards the bottom of the radiator, and with a thermostat in the top of the system, really can't circulate at all, it warms the bulk of the water in the radiator first, and the engine block last it seems, if at all. If your in cold weather, and/or time is limited the radiator is warm, but not really the engine. Now I could start in on failures of heating elements, block heaters seem to last the longest on all my machines, years to decades of constant use, tank heaters used to last pretty well, maybe up to five or so years of hard use, but for some reason, the last few years, we've had major issues with them as well, seems they don't last much over a year of hard use, if that. Now lower radiator hose heaters, never had one yet last even a heating season of hard use, even used seldom we can't get to last long enough to warrant putting them on, now this could be just the size and use we have for them, since we plug stuff in for days or weeks at a time but we gave up on them years ago, wouldn't take one home even if it were free and brand new, but that's just me and my experience with them. On several of my machines we use in the winter, that are on remote sites, we've installed the Hilton cordless heaters, which are by far the best of any method to heat anything, we also have installed several large tank heaters, like up to above 4000 watts, then piggy back a circulation pump in the system as well, to force circulate the water, hook the whole system up to a welder/generator and in less than 15 minutes we can have the engine from below zero to 100 degrees and ready to start.
Your probably right about not having to remove the muffler etc….it was a few years ago that i worked on that, but I am also not the worlds most proficient mechanic…. hahah.