Oil Pan Heater Size for Cub

R

RunningRed

Well-known member
I have successfully started my Cub down to 8 degrees this year without too much trouble. However I want to get an oil pan heater just in case we dip in the negatives in February. What size and brand do you guys recommend? I found different sizes and I want it to be magnetic also. I found Zero Start brand but I only found a 200 watt which maybe too much for the little oil pan on the Cub.
 
I use one of those magnetic ones that I got at TSC although I don't know the specifics...I can check if you wish. I only use it an hour before starting...seems to work when it is super cold although around here it doesn't get too cold when it snows.
 
I'd look for something in the 100 to 150-watt range. That should be more than enough to do the job. It is a solid brand, so if you can find one of their smaller ones, you'll be in good shape. Just make sure the bottom of your oil pan is clean before you stick it on for a good connection.
 
I've started my 6 volt, '53 Cub in -20 degree weather before with no engine heater with no problems. I just have to let it warm up about 5-10 minutes before doing any work with it or it will stall when I try to move it. The only issue I had with it when the weather was that cold was my clutch was real sluggish (when I'd release the clutch pedal, it would very slowly return to the engaged position) so while it was warming up I had to place a heat lamp under the tractor to warm up the clutch housing.

Cub Heat Lamp.jpg
 
I am with ricky racer and have found as long as the battery is charged up and all the wiring is in good shape I have found that even when my car won't start in below zero temperatures, both my 58 Cub LoBoy and my Farmall Super C will start. Those super tight new car engines with 5W-0 weight oil in them don't have enough torque on the starter motors to crank them over.
 
If you choose to use a block heater on your Cub, you can pick up a thermostaticly controlled electrical plug to put between your block heater and the electrical outlet supplying power to it. That way it's not on when the temperature is warmer. They can be picked up on Amazon or at your local farm or hardware stores.
 
I run a 300 watt one. I think it’s a katt. I do the same for the TO-30 for both the oil and the hydraulics and they work well. I leave them on and powered all the time. Sometimes I don’t have a hour or two to sit around and wait for the warm up period.
 
I ended picking up a Katz from my local tractor supply. I believe it is 200 watts. I haven't had any trouble starting my Cub as of yet Ricky Racer down to 10 degrees. It pretty much fires right up and I leave it for 5-10 minutes to warm up a bit. I mainly wanted the oil pan heater to get warm oil to the bearings faster. Ricky, my Cub is also 6 volt and I don't plan on changing it. I don't dout it will probably fire up even down to 0 maybe below 0 but I'd rather try and keep my oil warm as a preventative. I read a lot of people saying Cubs are cold blooded and are hard to start when it gets cold out but mine isn't at all hard to start. Ofcourse I completely when through and rebuilt the whole ignition system and timing, basically everything everyone recommended last spring and summer. My battery is also a good one and only 2 or 3 years old. I have a trickle charger for it but always forget to hook it up.
 
I have my oil pan heater for over 20 years and it works fine. I don't know the brand. I bought it from J.C. Whitney. I just measured the current. It is 0.45 Amp. So the wattage is (@ 120VAC) = 267 Watts. I only had the power on the probe for 5-10 seconds. After removing the power, the probe was so hot I couldn't touch it without getting burned. So, be sure whenever you have power to the heater probe, it is immersed in oil, so that the oil will remove the heat from the probe. If you leave the probe plugged in, without it in the oil, I can almost guarantee the probe will fail -- you will burn it out.
 
JohnMihevic said:
I have my oil pan heater for over 20 years and it works fine. I don't know the brand. I bought it from J.C. Whitney. I just measured the current. It is 0.45 Amp. So the wattage is (@ 120VAC) = 267 Watts. I only had the power on the probe for 5-10 seconds. After removing the power, the probe was so hot I couldn't touch it without getting burned. So, be sure whenever you have power to the heater probe, it is immersed in oil, so that the oil will remove the heat from the probe. If you leave the probe plugged in, without it in the oil, I can almost guarantee the probe will fail -- you will burn it out.
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You're referring to a heater that goes into the oil pan like a dip stick, right? The ones that have been talked about here are magnetic and externally adhered to the oil pan.
 
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