Well I tried out my new block heater that installs at the bottom of the lower cooling hose (it splices into the hose) tonight. The heater itself gets VERY hot to the touch within less than 1 minute of being plugged in (its 375watt)....don't ask me how I know... So I left it for about 45-50 minutes or so and came back to check how it was doing, the radiator, upper and lower cooling hoses, and thermostat were VERY hot, you can't hold onto them more than a couple seconds or you experience pain, especially the thermostat The block was also begining to warm, the valve cover was slightly warm on top, amazing....all that in less than an hour! Needless to say I am expecting that it will have superior performance to the stock type heater....which our 83 has. Setting this thing on a timer during the winter a few hours before I need the car will likely produce happy dead-winter startups! The new hose AND heater already spliced in was $63, not bad!!!

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I had one of those things years ago on a 200D in Miss-again. It worked great, even 10 below zero.

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

I just bought one of those heaters at my local parts store for $20. It didn't come with the hose, but I can splice it in myself.

I was wondering how well they worked. Now that I know, I guess I'll have to get a second one for the other sd.

Thanks for the product review.

David

http://www.tractorpartsinc.com/radiator_hose_heaters_271_ctg.htm

__________________
Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

in a relatively warm climate and/or have cheap electric rates, the hose heaters are great. However, if you are, as I am, located where -40 F is fairly common, it is hard to beat a true block heater; in the block where it does the most good, not heating hoses, radiators, etc. - takes a lot less juice to do a lot more good.

Had a hose heater once on a used vehicle I bought for my daughter when she was in school. Near as we could calculate the damn thing jumped the electric bill about $3 a day. Pulled it out and put in a block heater before another winter.

Jim

__________________
2005 C240 4matic wagon (daily driver)
87 190D - 225K (on loan)
85 190D - 312K (on loan)
2011 Subaru Legacy AWD (Wife's)

i have used both types. the in block type is very difficult to install yourself. the hose type is pretty easy. the in block type is generally thought to be superior in operation. i dont know about the cost to use. i would think if you look at the wattage that will tell the usage story. ie if both are 1500watts for example they would cost the same to operate. the cost to operate if used daily is noticable on my bill. i have found that unless it is extremely cold they will work fine to plug in an hour or so before wanting to leave.

tom w

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I'm not sure how many watts the regular block heater is that I still have in the box.....nor the one in my dad's car.....I do know it doesn't make the engine warm to the touch even if on all night. I'll have to use my "Kill a watt" on it to check how much it draws to make a comparison. My hose one draws 375 according to the imprint in its "block". The coldest it got here last winter was -13.....that was the day I had to go to work.....and the day my 4 year old OEM battery didn't hold out for more than 12 seconds of cranking. I'm pretty sure leaving my hose-heater on for 3-4 hours up to when I start the car is going to result in effortless starting, based on how hot everything was in under an hour...

375watts can be run for 4 hours a day at a cost of less than 20 cents around here....so its pretty negligable. $6 a month is nothing compared to what my air conditioner uses....more like $2 a day

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

hallucinating but i think maybe the block heaters are as much as 1500 watts. just a ten year old memory.

tom w

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The label on the cord of my block/freeze plug heater still in the box says "rated to 10 amps" so the max it could be is 1000 watt.....I think its even less than that, I'm guessing 300-400watts......I'll have to test the one on our '83.....

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I have used:
1. Head bolt heater (how it all got started - showing my age?).
2. Block frost-plug heater.
3. Lower hose element only heater (pawoSD's heater).
4. Tank-type heater (with and without a pump).
5. Temporary magnetic stick-on heater.
6. Pad heater epoxied onto bottom of oil pan.
7. Pan of charcoal in an emergency.
8. Indoor heat for the battery and engine oil.

For coolant heaters, #4 is the cat's meow if you can install it so it naturally circulates water. Then you can open the defrosters and have a pleasant surprise in the morning (clean windshield).

Have #3 in a tractor. It sizzles the water but it's the only "installed" option for that engine.

#5 works great for transmissions when it's really cold (-40F).

__________________
daBenz - 1970 220D

I'm tempted to use number 5 with my tranny.... but I think having the radiator so hot will help heat the tranny up in no time since it passes its fluid right through there...

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I've used one of those magnetic stick on heaters on our 300D. Our car is inside an unheated garage. If car is used each day, most of time, car will start next day with no heater. (We are in Canada).

On very cold days, I use the mag heater - What I like about is that if one of forgets it is plugged in, it automatically disconnects as we back out of the garage