Colt Case Ingersoll Garden Tractors

Need to put some heat into my cab . Circulatory issues in hands and feet this winter are becoming a real problem . Different options I have considered .Tapping into Engine oil and use the cooler as a heater core . Tapping into hydraulic return line as a heat source. Exhaust heated forced air. Pumping coolant through tubing wrapped around the one muffler and back to a transmission cooler as a heater core . Adding a second alternator and adding 12v heater and heated seat cover.
Thoughts ??

I've got an electric heater in my Gator cab. It does virtually nothing. It also requires an extra alternator, which fortunately the gator came with. Functionally it really only works as a defroster, or I can put my hands basically on it to thaw them out.

I would stay away from air/exhaust. A coolant coil wrap on a muffler would be safer.

I do like the idea of an alternate oil cooler location. I've never taken the oil temp, but I imagine it gets pretty toasty. We're having to bleed that heat off anyway, be good to put it to use.

I have never looked in to the heated clothing, but it sure seems interesting. Socks and gloves might be all it takes.

On the face of it exhaust heated forced air scares me. Wrapping the muffler with coolant lines sounds interesting. Would you have to have some sort of pressure relief and a catch tank? A small fan blowing through the cooler in the cab would hopefully make it cozy in there.

Now you have me thinking. What about mounting a power inverter then using a bigger electric heater? Something useful might draw too many amps though. And would there be room in the cab for the heater?

Heated gloves and socks is a good idea. Hydraulic oil in my Case 224 only got up to 80F when I used it this pasted week.

Noel

I was in PA . today and found a heated seat cover on clearance . It is only about 60 watts . I am going to try it and see if I can keep my core warmer then maybe I can keep better blood flow to my hands and feet . I am still going to look at an actual heater system . Something I can reverse or disable for summer . I plan on putting a deck on it this summer with screen doors for when the bugs are bad .

JSinMO wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 2:04 pm On the face of it exhaust heated forced air scares me. Wrapping the muffler with coolant lines sounds interesting. Would you have to have some sort of pressure relief and a catch tank? A small fan blowing through the cooler in the cab would hopefully make it cozy in there.

Now you have me thinking. What about mounting a power inverter then using a bigger electric heater? Something useful might draw too many amps though. And would there be room in the cab for the heater?

I have an inverter and small heater ,but like you say it wold pull enough amps I would need to add a second alternator which I have but would need to attach a pulley to the crank side of the lovejoy connector . Something I have thought about in the past , spring maybe .

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 4:26 pm I was in PA . today and found a heated seat cover on clearance . It is only about 60 watts . I am going to try it and see if I can keep my core warmer then maybe I can keep better blood flow to my hands and feet . I am still going to look at an actual heater system . Something I can reverse or disable for summer . I plan on putting a deck on it this summer with screen doors for when the bugs are bad .

I have three heated seats. One in my Ford cab tractor, one on my John Deere H3, no cab, and one in my truck. All work good.

Noel

propane1 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 6:26 pm

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 4:26 pm I was in PA . today and found a heated seat cover on clearance . It is only about 60 watts . I am going to try it and see if I can keep my core warmer then maybe I can keep better blood flow to my hands and feet . I am still going to look at an actual heater system . Something I can reverse or disable for summer . I plan on putting a deck on it this summer with screen doors for when the bugs are bad .

I have three heated seats. One in my Ford cab tractor, one on my John Deere H3, no cab, and one in my truck. All work good.

Noel

Does keeping your body warmer help with hands and feet like I have read ?

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 4:26 pm I was in PA . today and found a heated seat cover on clearance . It is only about 60 watts . I am going to try it and see if I can keep my core warmer then maybe I can keep better blood flow to my hands and feet . I am still going to look at an actual heater system . Something I can reverse or disable for summer . I plan on putting a deck on it this summer with screen doors for when the bugs are bad .

Screen doors, I like that idea. Thanks David.

Harry wrote: ↑Mon Feb 02, 2026 2:49 pm

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 4:26 pm I was in PA . today and found a heated seat cover on clearance . It is only about 60 watts . I am going to try it and see if I can keep my core warmer then maybe I can keep better blood flow to my hands and feet . I am still going to look at an actual heater system . Something I can reverse or disable for summer . I plan on putting a deck on it this summer with screen doors for when the bugs are bad .

Screen doors, I like that idea. Thanks David.

Black flies and the deer flies will eat you alive at times here .

Saw this on the FB 'Homemade Attachments' group... .
That could be a quick easy way to get some heat in the cab...
I googled Amazon and found "Golf Cart Heaters" That could work...

possible short term solution . Not sure how many hours it would go on a tank . Defiantly something to look into .

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Mon Feb 02, 2026 9:24 am

propane1 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 6:26 pm

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Sun Feb 01, 2026 4:26 pm I was in PA . today and found a heated seat cover on clearance . It is only about 60 watts . I am going to try it and see if I can keep my core warmer then maybe I can keep better blood flow to my hands and feet . I am still going to look at an actual heater system . Something I can reverse or disable for summer . I plan on putting a deck on it this summer with screen doors for when the bugs are bad .

I have three heated seats. One in my Ford cab tractor, one on my John Deere H3, no cab, and one in my truck. All work good.

Noel

Does keeping your body warmer help with hands and feet like I have read ?

Helps a bit Dave. But you’d still need some thing for your hands and feet I’d say. I don’t seem to have cold feet, it’s my hands that bother me.


Noel

Carbon monoxide boys. I would not recommend that.

Noel

propane1 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 7:13 am Carbon monoxide boys. I would not recommend that.

Noel

I agree with Noel. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a real thing.
I would not even consider putting that in a cab with me.

propane1 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 7:13 am Carbon monoxide boys. I would not recommend that.

Noel

Good Catch Noel - My bad - - I'll admit I didn't think of CO in a mostly enclosed space...
I guess golf carts can get away with it because they just have a canopy and no side curtains...

It's great that we are all looking out for each other...

RoamingGnome wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 10:55 am

propane1 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 7:13 am Carbon monoxide boys. I would not recommend that.

Noel

Good Catch Noel - My bad - - I'll admit I didn't think of CO in a mostly enclosed space...
I guess golf carts can get away with it because they just have a canopy and no side curtains...

It's great that we are all looking out for each other...

That’s all right Gerry. We will let you away this time, but the next time.

Noel

Gerry, we don't want be in a position of needing one of in the near future. That need is coming all to soon, ready or not.

I put the heated seat cover on this morning and old man winter decided I needed to try it out . Now it wasn't as cold as it has been here . I can tell you it got hot enough I had to turn it off . Friday night the temps are suppose to drop a lot and get more snow . I will be able to get a bettter test of it Saturday morn .

propane1 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 7:13 am Carbon monoxide boys. I would not recommend that.

Noel

That style of heater are very clean burning , so I don't think CO would be an issue with it unless it was not working properly . That being said CO2 in large amounts is very bad too .

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 4:32 pm I put the heated seat cover on this morning and old man winter decided I needed to try it out . Now it wasn't as cold as it has been here . I can tell you it got hot enough I had to turn it off . Friday night the temps are suppose to drop a lot and get more snow . I will be able to get a bettter test of it Saturday morn .

Does your seat heater have adjustable settings? Putting a towel or something similar over the seat heater will slow the heat transfer to you.

You can also lower the voltage to the seat heater. The heat generated by the seat heater in watts is voltage x voltage / the heaters resistance. For example 12V x 12V / 10 ohms = 14.4W or 14V x 14V / 10 ohms = 19.6W. I made up numbers... Amazon has cheap devices like PWM controllers for lowering the voltage. PWM is Pulse Width Modulation...

MattA wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 9:39 pm

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 4:32 pm I put the heated seat cover on this morning and old man winter decided I needed to try it out . Now it wasn't as cold as it has been here . I can tell you it got hot enough I had to turn it off . Friday night the temps are suppose to drop a lot and get more snow . I will be able to get a bettter test of it Saturday morn .

Does your seat heater have adjustable settings? Putting a towel or something similar over the seat heater will slow the heat transfer to you.

You can also lower the voltage to the seat heater. The heat generated by the seat heater in watts is voltage x voltage / the heaters resistance. For example 12V x 12V / 10 ohms = 14.4W or 14V x 14V / 10 ohms = 19.6W. I made up numbers... Amazon has cheap devices like PWM controllers for lowering the voltage. PWM is Pulse Width Modulation...

there is 2 settings off and on . It was just a cheap one on clearance . I didn't want to spend a bunch of money as I don't know if if will help my hands and feet . I will try turning it on and off as needed for now . If it helps I will look into an adjustable controller for sure .

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 4:36 pm

propane1 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 03, 2026 7:13 am Carbon monoxide boys. I would not recommend that.

Noel

That style of heater are very clean burning , so I don't think CO would be an issue with it unless it was not working properly . That being said CO2 in large amounts is very bad too .

Up to you Dave. I would not risk it. I worked in the propane business for a lot of years. Doesn’t mean I know every thing. But I know situations where people have died.

Noel

I saw a thing where a fella had socks on, wrapped his feet in tin foil, then put on another pair of socks. Said kept his feet warm. Learned it up north.
Something to try Dave.


Noel

Well, the foil has merit I imagine just reflecting the heat your feet are radiating. It works for an emergency blanket, why not for your feet... Gotta make sure you have room in your boots for extra layers though.

Honestly, just going to wool socks has been a significant improvement for me this winter.

Toolslinger wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 4:38 am Well, the foil has merit I imagine just reflecting the heat your feet are radiating. It works for an emergency blanket, why not for your feet... Gotta make sure you have room in your boots for extra layers though.

Honestly, just going to wool socks has been a significant improvement for me this winter.

I have gone to wool socks too and use these . My brings them home ten packs at a time . They help , but I still have not been able to keep my finger warm no matter what gloves I have tried . When it is cold out and I am tending to the birds after about 20 minutes my finger get so cold they hurt bad and have to come in . Mitts are too acquard to do anything with on . This winter when we got snow there has been lot , so time in the tractor is messured in hours .

Hey Dave... I know it won't help with tending your flocks, but have you considered a heated steering wheel cover for tractor time?
I was surprised at how many options popped up when I searched for that on Amazon...

The other option could be heated (battery powered) ski/snowmobile gloves - again a million options on Amazon for those.
Good luck on your quest for winter warmth

RoamingGnome wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 11:09 am Hey Dave... I know it won't help with tending your flocks, but have you considered a heated steering wheel cover for tractor time?
I was surprised at how many options popped up when I searched for that on Amazon...

The other option could be heated (battery powered) ski/snowmobile gloves - again a million options on Amazon for those.
Good luck on your quest for winter warmth

No one make one big enough . I run an oversized steering wheel . I looked into heated gloves and ordered a set . I hope they work .

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 12:14 pm

RoamingGnome wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 11:09 am Hey Dave... I know it won't help with tending your flocks, but have you considered a heated steering wheel cover for tractor time?
I was surprised at how many options popped up when I searched for that on Amazon...

The other option could be heated (battery powered) ski/snowmobile gloves - again a million options on Amazon for those.
Good luck on your quest for winter warmth

No one make one big enough . I run an oversized steering wheel . I looked into heated gloves and ordered a set . I hope they work .

Let me know if they work Dave. I need something for my hands too.

Noel.

propane1 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 6:40 pm

DavidBarkey wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 12:14 pm

RoamingGnome wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 11:09 am Hey Dave... I know it won't help with tending your flocks, but have you considered a heated steering wheel cover for tractor time?
I was surprised at how many options popped up when I searched for that on Amazon...

The other option could be heated (battery powered) ski/snowmobile gloves - again a million options on Amazon for those.
Good luck on your quest for winter warmth

No one make one big enough . I run an oversized steering wheel . I looked into heated gloves and ordered a set . I hope they work .

Let me know if they work Dave. I need something for my hands too.

Noel.

they come tomorrow , and is going to be cold as hell for a few days . I will give feed back as soon as I can .

I just came in from 7 degree weather after 1.5 hours using the 446 with cab and caster. My hands are the only part of me that ever gets cold. I had about two feet of snow that accumulated over the two weeks we were gone. Very light snow on top of heavy on the bottom with some ice. The caster handled it perfectly but I did have to back up and ram the pile a few times by the road where the plow left a mess.