Tire Warmer ?'s

[PolishPete]

So they warm the tires.  How EXACTLY do they work??  What are good brands.  I see prices all over the board, so whats the difference between $200 and $400??  Are they just as good??  Thanks for you help!!

[Super Dave]

Heating element with some insulation to keep the heat in...or none at all.

$175 to $750, really.  Cheap ones don't hold in heat as well and the elements might have hot spots.  Remember, regardless, you're not just heating the tire, you're heating the air inside the tire and eventually the rim.

Certain tires need more heat than others.  

Better more expensive warmers should be able to keep that heat in better.  Some have digital controls so you can change the temperatures for different tire brands, to heat cycle the tire, lots of things.

Less expensive warmers have no controls.  If you leave them on for too long, they can ruin your tires by cycling them above any temperature that they should reach.  A tire that is above it's operating temperature won't work right.

[TYRSOXRICHARD]

PRINCIPALS OF HEATING TIRES
  Preheating a tire reduces the stress the tire is initially subjected to on the track, and inorder to
reduce this stress it is essential to saturate the tire completely with heat, so that the entire surface, carcuss and operating pressures proximate track conditions before subjecting the tires to stresses.....
  Conventional wire and silicone heaters use very high wattages and use thermistors to regulate the operation of the circuits causing numerous on/off cycles while heating, but the high wattage subjected to the tire is still the same, just that high temperature set points fewer cyclings than low temp setting with higher cyclings.
  However the proof of what a heater produces in a saturated tire as opposed to a grilled or spotted tire can be seen using infrared thermal photography....
  A saturated tire optimizes the traction of the tire.
  A grilled or spotted tire reduces the traction........
Using low wattage, constant on circuit, total insulation of the tire and wheel assembly produces
a thermally saturated tire, which optimizes the intended traction of the tire and the benefits of consistency and performance ..... TyrsoxRichard