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 Numbers are occasionally superseded — confirm against a current catalog before ordering.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.
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.
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