block heater

Yep, when she's cookin' you can hear 'em boil. When the temp gets high enough, the thermostatic switch will snap and the heater will shut itself off.

As the the temp falls, the switch will then turn the unit on again.

They cycle; this is why it is cheaper in the long run to just leave the things plugged in if you use the tractor a lot.

Another item: The most common reason why these things fail is their cord. For some reason that cord doesn't last as long as the heaters do.

Stay warm,

Allan

Do all these units have themosats? I use this type of heat but we always unplug and then plug in an hour or so before we need tractor. Mine is on a MF255 and was purchased through a former MF dealer that still carries MF parts. Don't recall if mine is a MF brand or not. Had one on for 10 or so years and lost the pigtail one day. Had to get another unit as the new ones used a different plug for the pigtail. New one cost about $30 so it was no big deal. What would I look for to determine is it had a thermosat?

If you have the patience to stand and listen to it cycle, you can hear it come on and go off.

I'm 60 years old and I've never ran across an engine heater that did not cycle..... tank or block heater. They work just like a plumbing heat-tape works.

Maybe some of those old head-bolt type heaters, dipstick heaters or oil pan pads were on continually, but I'm not old enough to comment on those. And, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. :>)

I plugged in the frost plug heater on my old pickup this morning and it cycles just like a clock. You can hear it come on and you can hear it shut off.

Regards,

Allan

Bernie

Few, if any "block" heaters have themostats.

I'm sure there are exceptions, but the above scenario covers 99% of engine heater.