Skid Steer Block Heaters: Bobcat & Kubota-Powered Machines
A skid steer that clears snow earns its keep in exactly the weather that makes a cold diesel miserable. Unlike quads and generators, though, most skid steers can take a real block heater: the compact diesels inside — overwhelmingly Kubota in the classic Bobcat machines — have factory freeze-plug and threaded-port listings.
The trick is to shop by engine, not by machine. Find the engine model on the valve-cover decal or engine data plate (V1702, V2203, V3300 and friends), then match it below. If your machine runs a Deutz, Shibaura, Perkins or Yanmar instead, the same engine-first rule applies — Yanmar listings are on our tractors page, and the universal options at the bottom cover the rest.
What fits, by application
Part numbers from the Zerostart / Phillips & Temro and Kat's application guides where a listing exists. Numbers are occasionally superseded — confirm against a current catalog before ordering.
Kubota V1702, V1902, V2003, V2003T, V2203 (classic Bobcat 743/753-era engines)
The V1702 is the classic Bobcat 743 engine; the V2203 family powered the 753 and many machines of that era. Confirm the engine model on the data plate.
| Part no. | Watts | Volts | Size | Type | Repl. cord |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3100025 | 400 W | 120 V | 35 mm | Freeze plug | 3600006 |
Installs in the freeze plug at the back of the head. Point the element to 2 o'clock.
Kat's equivalent: 11444 (400 W, 35 mm) with cordset 28400.
Kubota V3300; V1100, VH1100, V1200
The V3300 family powered larger-frame machines of its generation.
| Part no. | Watts | Volts | Size | Type | Repl. cord |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3100093 | 400 W | 120 V | 3/4" NPT | Immersion | 3600003 |
Installs at the right front, using a 1" × 3/4" pipe bushing.
Kat's equivalent: 11409 (400 W, 3/4" NPT) with cordset 28216.
Kubota Super 5 series: D905, D1005, D1105, V1205, V1305, V1505
Common in mini skid steers, mini excavators and small utility machines.
| Part no. | Watts | Volts | Size | Type | Repl. cord |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3100003 | 400 W | 120 V | 1" NPT | Immersion | 3600001 |
Installs in the 1" NPT port at the left front of the engine.
Kat's equivalent: 11407 (400 W, 1" NPT) with cordset 28216 — Kat's also lists the newer V2607/V3307/V3800 under the same heater.
Kubota D650, D750, D850, D950 (small 3-cylinder machines)
| Part no. | Watts | Volts | Size | Type | Repl. cord |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3100093 | 400 W | 120 V | 3/4" NPT | Immersion | 3600003 |
Installs at the right front with a 1" × 3/4" pipe bushing.
Kat's equivalent: 11409 with cordset 28216.
Shop heaters sized for this equipment
Check the application table for your exact engine. Cords, heater elements and surface pads are separate products.
Part reference
Zerostart 3100025
No exact purchase listing verified yet. These links search Amazon; confirm the part before buying.
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Amazon buying options
Zerostart 3600006 replacement cordset, 5 ft
Confirm the exact specification and application in the listing before ordering.
Cord / harness only — no heating element.
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Part reference
Zerostart 3100093
Catalog starting point: confirm exact engine code, year and installation with the manufacturer.
No exact purchase listing verified yet. These links search Amazon; confirm the part before buying.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Part reference
Zerostart 3600003
Legacy fitment associations are not independently verified vehicle-specific purchase recommendations.
Cord / harness only — no heating element.
No exact purchase listing verified yet. These links search Amazon; confirm the part before buying.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Part reference
Zerostart 3100003
Catalog starting point: confirm exact engine code, year and installation with the manufacturer.
No exact purchase listing verified yet. These links search Amazon; confirm the part before buying.
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon buying options
Zerostart 3600001
Legacy fitment associations are not independently verified vehicle-specific purchase recommendations.
Cord / harness only — no heating element.
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If your engine isn't Kubota
New Holland's L-series ran Shibaura diesels, many Case and Gehl machines ran their own mix, and newer Bobcats run Bobcat-branded (Doosan-built) engines — coverage in the aftermarket guides is spottier for all of these. The engine-first options still work: a threaded immersion heater if the block or oil pan has an NPT port (see the universal threaded table on the small-engines hub), a lower-radiator-hose heater spliced into the bottom hose, or a magnetic heater on the steel oil pan. Your dealer can also quote the factory heater by machine serial number — most skid steer lines have one as an accessory.
Whatever the heater, add the battery: skid steer batteries live in a cold steel box and crank a high-compression diesel. A battery blanket plus a maintainer on the same timer as the block heater is the difference between a first-crank start and a jump-pack morning.
Plug-in time and hydraulics
The 400 W heaters in these compact diesels reach useful warmth in two to three hours — a timer set for 4 a.m. covers a 7 a.m. start. Remember that the hydraulic oil warms up separately: even with a toasty engine, give the machine a few minutes of gentle cycling (lift, curl, drive) before working it hard, or the pumps push near-solid oil through cold relief valves.
FAQ
Is there a block heater for a Bobcat skid steer?
Yes. The classic Kubota-powered machines have real listings — a 400 W 35 mm freeze-plug heater (Zerostart 3100025, Kat's 11444) fits the V1702/V2203 family used in the 743/753 era. Newer Bobcat-engine machines use the dealer accessory heater, ordered by serial number.
What block heater fits a Bobcat 743?
The 743's Kubota V1702 takes the 400 W, 35 mm freeze-plug heater — Zerostart 3100025 with cord 3600006, or Kat's 11444 with cordset 28400 — installed in the back of the head with the element pointed to 2 o'clock.
How long should I plug in a skid steer?
Two to three hours for the 400 W heaters in these compact diesels. Add a battery blanket on the same circuit, and warm the hydraulics with a few minutes of gentle cycling before real work.
What about New Holland or other non-Kubota skid steers?
Shop by the engine on the data plate. If no listing exists, use a threaded immersion heater in an available NPT port, a lower-radiator-hose heater, or a magnetic pan heater — or order the factory accessory heater from the dealer by serial number.
Compare buying options
Amazon buying options
Zerostart 3400017 magnetic heater, 200 W
A magnetic surface heater from Zerostart. Grips any flat steel surface — oil pan, transmission pan, small-engine sump. CSA certified.
Match the surface material, size and manufacturer limits. This is not vehicle-specific fitment.
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Canadian Polar Pad CP512 oil pan heater, 250 W
3.5×5.125 in pad sized for full-size truck and diesel pans — also rated for transmissions, generators, and hydraulic reservoirs.
Match the surface material, size and manufacturer limits. This is not vehicle-specific fitment.
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Amazon buying options
Kat's 13150 circulating tank heater, 1,500 W
Plumbs into a heater hose and thermosiphons hot coolant through the whole engine — the serious option for big diesels, tractors, and equipment with no frost-plug access.
Confirm the exact specification and application in the listing before ordering.
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Block heater fitment for the vehicle in the driveway
Same winter, different engine. These pages carry the catalogued part numbers, wattage and cord location per model.
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