This is not just about the Lawn Tractor Block Heater but it is about over loading breakers in the cold. I had not been able to plow the snow when it was -20 deg C, and thought I would plow it today wile it was -40 deg C. Well do you think I could start the 600cc single cylinder lawn tractor? No Way! So I came up with a totally sketchy 1500 watt lawn tractor block heater, an old iron, that I picked up for $0.75 at a garage sale.
I couldn't leave my lawn tractor unattended with this 1500 watt heater just jammed into the cowling. After 20 min, it hadn't thawed enough, and I was starting to get uncomfortably cold, in the -40 shop. At that point I added the 250 watt magnetic heater, and the 1500 watt heat gun on high for another 20 min, ALL ON THE SAME PLUG.
That is a good 3000+ watts of heat running off of one 1500 watt breaker for 20 minutes. Why? Because the breakers trip with heat, and it is -40 in my garage. The breaker never did blow. I realized I was going to need to warm the battery up too, and everything plastic insisted on breaking when I touched it in the cold. The lawn tractor did turn over, but I decided to limit potential damage by not running it until it was warmer.
Although my Lawn tractor block heater was working great, I think in future cold days, the only way to go is to put the whole thing into a heated space, like the fully enclosed trailer, with heat. Or I could tarp it over with a propane blower heater heating under the tarp. I think this way because even when it starts I don't believe the Hydrostatic/Hydraulic drive would work until it warmed up, and if it all starts out warm, the plastic parts won't break as easily. I will take apart the iron and see if there are some slightly lower wattage heaters inside I can use to make the -20 lawn tractor block heater.
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