Is their a noticable difference gas vs diesel

[BryanM]

I was wondering if you had a gas tractor with 50pto hp and a diesel with 50 pto hp is their a difference?

I know a diesel has more torque on a wider band and longevity is much higher motor wise. just wondering?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I was wondering if you had a gas tractor with 50pto hp and a diesel with 50 pto hp is their a difference?

I know a diesel has more torque on a wider band and longevity is much higher motor wise. just wondering?

The biggest difference, especially as you go up in HP, is how thick your wallet is (or ISN'T) after a day of use.

 

[Dmace]

The gas engine will need to run at much higher rpms to make the same power as a diesel engine, this means more fuel consumption and more wear and tear which leads to shorter engine life. One pro of the gas engine is it's ease of cold weather starting. A simple plug makes my diesels start even easier then the gassers though.

The thing about gas combustion is when the air/fuel mixture explodes, it "slaps" the piston and the slight pressure of the expanding air forces the piston down. On the other hand, when a diesel compresses all that air and forces fuel into it at very high pressure, the combustion is more of a burn rather than an explosion and this slow burn will constantly push the piston all the way down rather than just hitting it like a gas explosion.

This is why a diesel engine can take so much more load than a gas engine. Everyone has their own opinion but the gas engine will stall out and loose rpms much quicker than the diesel and produce less "work".

 

[bkheur]

The biggest difference, especially as you go up in HP, is how thick your wallet is (or ISN'T) after a day of use.

I agree a gasser will use more fuel than a BIG D

 

[Rara Avis]

I was wondering if you had a gas tractor with 50pto hp and a diesel with 50 pto hp is their a difference?

I know a diesel has more torque on a wider band and longevity is much higher motor wise. just wondering?

The market for tractors and commercial lawn equipment has been taking small steps each year to appeal to a customer base that's becoming less farm educated and more residential home owner. This type of customer is often confused by the difference between a 50hp gas engine, and a 50hp diesel. After all, they are both 50 horsepower right? Many people are also turned off by perceptions that are largely based on issues 20 years ago. Modern diesels are not only quiet and efficient , but they out perform their gas counterparts by a large margin.

There are several reasons why a diesel tractor is superior to a gasoline tractor. The diesel engine is the obvious difference between the two types of tractors. So why is it better? First of all, the diesel engine doesn't have the parts that normally wear out or give problems. There are no spark plugs, rotors, points, or distributor caps like the gasoline tractor. Secondly, diesel engines in most tractors are water cooled. This will allow the engine to run at a more consistent and cooler temperature, which will extend the life of the engine. The typical properly maintained diesel engine can run thousands of hours without breaking a sweat - and without having to be rebuilt.

Here's the technical solution...

ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/Economics/care/AAEA/PDF/ch5s97.pdf

Go to PAGE 32 and start reading the following...(The formulas don't copy worth a darn )

Engineering Equation Fuel Cost Estimates
The ASAE Standards give two methods for estimating fuel consumption. An average method can
be used when an estimate of annual average fuel consumption for power units is all that is needed. This
method is useful for predicting overall machinery costs for a given enterprise. When determining the costs
for a specific operation (planting), fuel requirements should be based on the detailed formulas.

 

[jimmysisson]

Best thing about a diesel in my woods work is coming down hills, much superior engine braking. I don't like the smell, but I do like the compression.
Jim

 

[ddivinia]

Best thing about a diesel in my woods work is coming down hills, much superior engine braking. I don't like the smell, but I do like the compression.
Jim

They sound cool too.

D.

 

[rambler]

The diesel will do more work more cheaply over the long haul.

The diesel will have more torq, which is hard to explain but it will get through tough spots better, even tho it does not have more actual power.

--->Paul

 

[nomad]

The diesel will have more torq, which is hard to explain but it will get through tough spots better, even tho it does not have more actual power.

--->Paul

Why hard to explain more power from the diesel? Simple answer: Compressibility ratio in diesels (14:1 to 25:1) is higher than that (8:1 to 12:1) of gasoline and higher energy capacity in diesel fuel than gasoline.

To understand the differences between the diesel and the gasoline, we need to know the differences between the fuels and the design of engines:

Here are main differences:

FUEL
Diesel (in chemical form of C14H30) has longer carbon form than Gasoline (in chemical form of C9H20.) This means diesel can be refined easily, in less number of stages than gasoline which much be refined more. This is why gasoline price is higher. But, diesel (more carbon elements) has more energy capacity, meaning that 1 liter of diesel will give more energy than 1 liter of gasoline. 1 lt of diesel has a capacity of about 40,000 kjoules while 1 lt of gasoline has about 35,000 kjoules. So, diesel has about 15% higher energy capacity than gasoline. Long carbon form (diesel) also means less volatility, higher boiling point (even higher than water) which is also an advantage.
Disadvantage of more carbon is more unburned carbons (causing CO gas) which is not good for environment.

ENGINE
Diesel engines are designed to give higher compression ration (around 20:1) while in gasoline, it is around 10:1. If we use same amount of fuels, then, this means diesel will release much higher energy, or, power. Here, we need to look at the efficiency (chemical combustion efficiency, and overall efficiency.) Diesel engines have higher efficiency than gasoline engines which will be effected by how well air-fuel are mixed, how well mixture is evaporated, etc etc.

So, if you need higher power, use higher energy capacity fuel and higher compression ration. These mean the diesel. Total power that will drive a car of 1 ton with a speed of 50 m/h is much less than total power that will drive a tractor with a plough behind with a speed of 10 m/h. So, even LPG (butane/propane) gas with a much lower energy capacity can be used at a car from which we need speed only.

 

[nomad]

I was wondering if you had a gas tractor with 50pto hp and a diesel with 50 pto hp is their a difference?

I know a diesel has more torque on a wider band and longevity is much higher motor wise. just wondering?

As for answer of this question:
If the both (diesel and gas tractors) are so designed that their outputs (including PTO hp) are same, then, there will be no difference at all between 50 pto hp gas and 50 pto hp diesel. If our need is 50 hp at PTO, then, who cares who and how that 50 hp is being given us? If you don't mind CO gas (more in diesel output) effect to environment, then, go for CHEAPER diesel fuel that is refined less.