Tennessee cold crank survival

[Rumgml3t]

Hey, I'm down here in Tennessee, and I’m already prepping for when things get nasty this winter.
I just have to ask y'all, how in the world do you crank your equipment on a regular basis when it gets down to zero or less? When it hits 15∘F down here, my tractor and chainsaws take some serious convincing.

I really try to avoid starting fluid, but when the temps drop low, it gets tempting. What's the go to trick? Block heater? Battery blanket? Any safe, useful tips to get these things fired up without resorting to the can?
Also, speaking of cold, last year it was around zero and my Stihl MS 500i gave me a heck of a hard time starting. Has anyone else with the fuel injected 500i noticed issues in seriously cold weather? Thanks for any cold weather wisdom, guys!

 

[12three]

I'd recommend you keeping it in a heated garage or using a warm up battery pack , that can help without starting fluid

 

[Nomoregears]

Our tractor has a block heater and magnetic heater for the hydraulic fluid. I have these hooked up to a remote plug that I can schedule to turn on or manually turn them on. We use a side by side a lot and a heat lamp under that engine can help in zero weather.

My saws get brought into the basement if we plan on cutting. I tarp my portable sawmill and use a Coleman gas lantern under it to warm everything up.

 

[w00dman]

Hey, I'm down here in Tennessee, and I’m already prepping for when things get nasty this winter.
I just have to ask y'all, how in the world do you crank your equipment on a regular basis when it gets down to zero or less? When it hits 15∘F down here, my tractor and chainsaws take some serious convincing.

I really try to avoid starting fluid, but when the temps drop low, it gets tempting. What's the go to trick? Block heater? Battery blanket? Any safe, useful tips to get these things fired up without resorting to the can?
Also, speaking of cold, last year it was around zero and my Stihl MS 500i gave me a heck of a hard time starting. Has anyone else with the fuel injected 500i noticed issues in seriously cold weather? Thanks for any cold weather wisdom, guys!

I agree with @12three a warm space is the ultimate cheat code. But since not everyone has a heated garage, your focus needs to be on getting the three key things warm, like the fuel, the air, and the oil
And for the saw, stick it in a big cooler and put a few hot water bottles inside for 30 minutes before you go out. Portable, easy heat

 

[onefive]

What about plugging in a few hours before?, have you done that or do you do that. It should help

 

[Nomoregears]

Plugging in for a few hours works. I am in upper NY. We hit -25 and have had below zero weather for 10 days straight. Chainsaws come into the basement. Not sure what tractor you have but in 34 years of living here, I can think of only 2 times it got so cold we couldn't crank the tractor over. A tarp and a salamander saved us on those days.