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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

tractor plugged in question

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StuBC

12-22-2007 15:17:20




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Is there any harm in leaving my diesel tractor plugged in all of the time, day and night. It starts so much better in the cold plugged in and warms up to 70 much faster. Then its always ready to go should the urge strike to push snow or skid logs.

Dont want to harm anything though.




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rrlund

12-23-2007 09:13:45




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
I'm with Rod on this one. I know a guy who uses a timer. Has it set for 5am so it's warm when he's ready to do chores in the morning. Says it doesn't use that much more amperage than a coffee maker,so he isn't concerned about it melting down the timer.



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Pooh Bear

12-22-2007 20:47:26




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
I see 2 problems with leaving it plugged in 24/7.

1.) it could get hard on the wallet.

2.) that long extension cord mite get in the way while using the tractor.

Pooh Bear



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RodInNS

12-22-2007 19:22:02




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
Do the math... Most heaters I've seen draw between 600 and 750 watts per element. That's .6 KW/H times what... 10-12 cents per KW/H x24/7?
That's 1.44 a day or 43 bucks a month for a 600 watt heater and 10 cent power. I think a timer will pay for itself.
The other side of the equation is that a heater that sees that kind of use will only last for a few months at most and let you down when you actually need it.
I used to have four of them on the plug 24/7 for feeding and the risk of needing to run a generator. When the feathers went the generator didn't need to run that bad. A tractor can always be made to start anyway, and the skid steer is inside... so it doesn't need it to go do the feeding. Let's just say that what came off the power bill went a long way to making the skid steer payment during those months...
Get yourself a timer.

Rod

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Brad Wright of MO

12-25-2007 21:56:34




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to RodInNS, 12-22-2007 19:22:02  
We have a 1973 Allis 200 that we have left plugged in mostly all winter. Ours still works fine even after almost 35 years.



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Blackhole49

12-23-2007 06:25:02




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to RodInNS, 12-22-2007 19:22:02  
I leave my Kubota plugged in 24/7 in the winter in MI. It is indoors also. My heater is 5 years old with no problems. It is thermostatically controlled and seems to keep the engine +- 50*. I also keep a blanket over the engine. I have seen no difference in my electrict bill. My budget for the house w/air (1200sqft), 1000sqft heated barn and 1500sqft occasionally heated barn is $82.00 per month. I have no clue where the $43 is comming from.

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RodInNS

12-23-2007 09:36:24




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to Blackhole49, 12-23-2007 06:25:02  
Well... if you're talking about keeping it at 50 degrees F, then it's not really warm is it? I've never seen a thermostatically controlled block heater so I don't know a thing about them. The heaters I've used are a very conventional type. They're got a 600 watt heating element hooked to a cord, no thermostat, no nothing. They keep an engine handy 50 celcius, and believe me, that will cost you money and you will see it on the power bill.
600 watts an hour times 24 hours is 14.4 KW @ $.10 per KW/H is $1.44 per day or $43.20 for 30 days.....
As far as the life of the heating element goes.... you can believe me or not, but I've changed a lot of them. They do burn out. One per year was standard because they ususally didn't last the winter.

Yours may be vastly different where it has a thermostat. Chances are it's not running more than 20% of the time to maintain that temperature in a localized area around the heater. Chances are also good that if you unplugged it and forgot about it, the tractor would still start exactly the same way...

Rod

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Blackhole49

12-24-2007 05:12:25




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to RodInNS, 12-23-2007 09:36:24  
I have left it unpluged and it makes a huge difference. The element in my coffee maker turns on and off also. They are all thermostatically controlled somehow. It just depends on the temp.



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iowa_tire_guy

12-22-2007 18:38:17




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
Back in my truck driving days we would plug them in when we shut them off because most of us lived too far away to do it a couple of hours before we would leave. We just paid a flat fee so I don't know how much they used but I always wondered since the block was already hot and the heaters just had to maintain the temp. They were block heaters about 500 watts with thermostat, not tank heaters.



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Steven f/AZ

12-22-2007 17:26:09




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
If you have a block heater, they aren't too hard on electricity. The 1500 watt tank-type heaters sure suck the juice, though!

Also, if the tractor is in a building out of the wind it helps, too.

No harm to the tractor to leave it plugged in 24/7.



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El Toro

12-22-2007 17:02:07




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
I would use a timer too. Hal



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Dasve from MN

12-22-2007 16:34:04




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
I keep mine plugged in 24/7 in anything less than freezing. I HAVE to have it ready to run at anytime in case the power goes out. These chicken barns get a bit strong when the exhaust fans shut down.



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LenND

12-22-2007 15:28:15




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
It won't hurt anything. It might raise your electric bill some but it sure will start a lot easier. And easy on the starter and battery, too.



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in-too-deep

12-22-2007 15:26:14




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
Get yourself a good timer. It'll pay for itself the first couple times you don't run the heater all night.



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504-2

12-22-2007 15:23:03




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to StuBC, 12-22-2007 15:17:20  
It will only hurt your wallet, they take a lot of electricity.



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StuBC

12-23-2007 03:17:07




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 Re: tractor plugged in question in reply to 504-2, 12-22-2007 15:23:03  
I see. Thanks for the help guys. Good thoughts on the timer, never thought of that.



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