# Heated grips; are they any good?



## BullFrog

I've been thinking about a new Husqvarna. I see they have heated grips but do they actually work well enough to keep your hands warm? Or is it one of those talking points where yes they work but barely effective. I'm curious because I have heated grips on my Goldwing that work very well.


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## Normex

BullFrog said:


> I've been thinking about a new Husqvarna. I see they have heated grips but do they actually work well enough to keep your hands warm? Or is it one of those talking points where yes they work but barely effective. I'm curious because I have heated grips on my Goldwing that work very well.


 You can expect them to be as good on the snow blower.
Good Luck


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## ELaw

Am I the only one who thinks heated handgrips are silly?

When I go snowblowing, my lower legs and feet get cold from trudging in the snow, and face/neck get gold usually from thrown snow being blown back at me. But I've never had problems with cold hands.


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## Normex

ELaw said:


> Am I the only one who thinks heated handgrips are silly?
> QUOTE]
> 
> Many a times here in eastern Ontario we get -30 Far. temps so the heated handgrips are a godsend.


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## ELaw

That's darn cold!

We haven't had subzero temps here for several years, and when we do it's usually only in the wee hours of the morning. I don't think I've ever had to do snow removal in < 0 temps.

That being said, if it were crazy cold out I think I'd be more worried about warming the 95% of my body that isn't the hands. Don't they sell electrically-heated suits for snowmobiling? One of those would be the hot setup... pun intended!


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## BullFrog

Wow, great site. Thanks for prompt replies. 

I don't generally get cold blowing snow, even when it's below -30 but was just curious how well they worked. A down parka, good gloves, and felt lined boots are all I need. 

Yes an electrically heated suit would certainly be a hot setup but the electrical system on a snowblower couldn't handle that kind of load. One would have to go with a battery powered suit but they have limited run time.


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## knu2xs

Last year, when I got my Ariens Platinum 24 SHO, I thought the 
heated handgrips were something I wouldn't use. I was wrong.

Last year I cleared snow a few times when the temp was around zero, 
with wind chills in the -20 / -30 degree range, and dressed the way 
most would when the temps are in the 30's, with the exception of 
my footwear & mittens. My body stays warm, it's my hands & feet that 
tend to get cold. With the heated hand warmers my hands stay warm. 

I generally don't run the hand warmers the whole time since my 
hands actually get too warm. I turn them on & off as needed........

I know that, without doubt, if I ever have to buy another snow blower 
that it will have heated handgrips. If you would have asked me about 
them a year ago, I would have said that I could do without them.


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## Kiss4aFrog

Everyone is different. I have way more problems with my hands and feet. I can go out in sub zero with just jeans on, no long underwear and it's my hands and or feet that will get tingly painful long before I really notice my legs.
Same when I went hunting, it was always my feet that started to freeze from sitting still.
Maybe for you heated grips would be a waste but if I was buying new I wouldn't think twice about adding them. I did buy two sets of really cheap ones on ebay and they're still sitting in the garage. The wires seem too small and they were set up for a motorcycle or snowmobile and the ON/OFF switch isn't anywhere near where I can mount it. Just haven't taken the time to install new wires.


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## Normex

Kiss4frog I ordered the same kit and installed it, after 2 seasons use they still perform good though I agree with the flimsy wires, I installed them with surgical delicacy.


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## tuffnell

I find the heated handles very good as my hands tend to be on the cold side all the time.


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## loneraider

I use the Ariens ones on my deluxe 28 and I bought the Koso heated grips
for my motorcycle, a great investment. +++1


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## BullFrog

Now that I have the new blower I can compare them to what's on the bike. If they are as warm as or warmer I should be happy.


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## mobiledynamics

All I can say is WHOA. Never had heated grips before....and boy do they work fast. I accidently had them on when I fired up the machine to make sure the motor was good.

It's heats even faster than the heated seats/steering wheel in my car !


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## BullFrog

That's good to hear. I have tried them. I was rather disappointed but admittedly it wasn't a fair test either as I didn't have the engine running at full throttle for very long.


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## Vermont007

I've had them for about 10 years and glad that I do.

Initially, I thought they were just an additional silly thing to go wrong; but I really like them. They were included in my White Outdoor Equipment version of the MTD unit . . . . whether you wanted them or not.

MTD's Heated Hand Grips have been trouble-free EXCEPT for the chintzy connector between the alternator and the On/off Switch, which was installed right at the bottom of a drip loop where salt laden moisture collects and rots it out. Once I made that a solid connection, they've been problem free.

There may be a fuse, or a wiring problem. Beyond that, the alternator may have issues. You should feel evidence of heat within 5 minutes.


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## guyl

One advantage is that heated grips allow you to wear less cumbersome mitts or even just gloves, making for easier use of the controls.


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## EdwardC

I've purchased the cheap eBay grip heating elements (about $5 ea) for 2 motorcycles now. Totally worth it. I went ahead and upgraded the wiring, and put in a thermostat with a built in relay, works great. I have it setup to measure the air temp so that it turns on when below 50F. It also has a built in adjustable timer that I have set for 1 minute so that I can get the bike started before it clicks on the hand warmers (to reduce the load on the battery when starting). 

As I'm sure you know on your Goldwing, they help a lot, especially on days like today when it's just above freezing temps and you're going at highway speeds. 

For those that may not have tried heated grips, I've found that by warming (or overwarming) your extremities like your hands, the warm blood makes its way around the body, warming other parts up.


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## montanaman

I have a new Husqvarna that the heated grips are very weak and cannot notice them at all. Maybe something is disconnected but they don't do squat


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