Oil & Fuel diesel vs home heating

[Sailorcrew]

I just had a friend over admiring my new 3010, asking a bunch of questions. When we got around to the fuel, he commented, "why not siphon out of your fuel tank in the basement which holds your home heating fuel?" Good question, I thought. He said that it's basically the same thing and would be easier to transfer, etc. What do you all think? Has anyone done this? Any quality difference or performance issues? Most important, any ill effects on engine life or warranty? For some reason, I thought it was not legal to do this, a friend had a diesel auto and admitted to doing this but also alluded that it might not be totally on the up and up. I'm prepared to go the regular route but this does have it's benefits if there are no adverse affects. Thoughts and opinions appreciated, David

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Diesel cars are required to run road diesel on which there is road (gas) tax. Home heating fuel does not have this tax, and therefore, you are not supposed to run your car on it on the road. (Wait till you see what they're working on so they can charge road tax on electric cars). But, I've never heard of anyone having the fuel in their car checked as part of a traffic stop.

SHF

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>Any quality difference or performance issues? </font color=blue>

Diesel Fuel & Home Heating Oil & #2 Fuel Oil Etc.

One of the same...

Up here in the Northeast...very popular with farms... sometimes in dead winter, the home tank goes low...pull from the equip. tank and vice versa.

You're in NH...drive down the road and ask your neighbor farmer what he does.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[hayden]

Dito what John Miller said. I ran my equipment for well over a year using heating oil. Before doing it, I checked with several local fuel suppliers and they all said they were using the same fuel for off-road diesel and home heating. I've since rigged up a 30gal barrel with pump for fuel, mostly becasue my tractor lives at my place in VT now and I got tired of hauling 5 gal (of heating oil) every trip up.

The only thing to watch out for is cold weather. Your heating oil will not be treated for cold. I simply drew off 5 gal and added a cold weather additive before using it in the tractor. Some additives also add sulphur to bring up the content in low sulphur fuels. Read the label and don't use this with off-road or heating oil since they are already high sulphur and you don't want to overdose.

I'm in NH too, Mont Vernon to be specific. I get both my heating oil and off-road diesel from Ciardelli's in Milford. They have a drive up pump for off-road diesel. Last time I paid $1.25 /gal. Sure beats the gas station pumps. My last heating oil delivery cost the same.