cheaper diesel fuel

   / cheaper diesel fuel #1  

automech

Silver Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2005
Messages
226
Location
SE PA
Tractor
bx1500
what is the difference between regular diesel fuel and off road fuel? Are there any problems associated with using off road fuel in newer diesel engines? I was thinking of trying to save a couple of bucks by locating a source for off road fuel for my little BX. For some reason I thought off road fuel is the same as home heating oil, is that true?
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #2  
Did you hear that LOUD pop??? That was the lid coming off a frequently debated topic around here.. and on other boards..

Off road diesel fuel is also called dyed diesel or fuel oil/home heating oil because there are not state or federal taxes collected on it. Here in Va the both taxes total about $0.404/gallon.. Dyed diesel CANNOT be used in highway vehicles - penalties of around $10/gallon (min penalty of $1,000) if you are caught - The penalty is issued by both the state and IRS, so it works out to a minimum of $2,000 if caught.

There has been some debate on whether dyed/off road/heating oild fuel is low sulfur or high sulfur - 3 to 4 yrs ago, all off road fuel I saw (as a tax auditor) was hi sulfur. The owner manual for my 790 specifically calls for low sulfur diesel fuel. You can ask the oil company whether it is low or hi sulfur, they will know for sure.

This will get you started, ask any follow ups questions if you need clarification on anything..

BTW - In my observations - the off road fuel here in VA is almost always just a tad lower in price as the highway fuel. With that in mind, here in VA you are better of buying on-road fuel and applying for a refund on the state tax ($0.165) - I have beenn told that you can also apply for a refund or deduct the federal tax ($.244) somehow

good luck

b
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #3  
It is fine to use off-road in your tractor. It may differ from region to region, but up here all diesel is low sulpher. Most tractors can use high sulfer OK, but check your manual. Mine says not to use CF-4 or CG-4 lubricating oil if I am using high-sulpher diesel, and to use CF with a TBN (total base number) higher than 10 instead or, if using CF-4 or CG-4, to change oil more frequently.

The taxes amount to a bit more in Massachusetts. I found off-road diesel at a couple of heating oil retailers. You lost the price differential in a delivery charge if you wanted small quantities (less than 75 gal) delivered.

Initially (until I got lazy!) I kept it in a 30gal poly drum that I had palletized so that I could put it in the back of my truck and take it to an oil co to fill. Dispensed from a hand pump.

This fall, I decided to store in larger quantities and get it delivered. I took a tip from Pineridge and others and bought an old 275 gal home heating oil tank,cleaned it out, mounted a sump drain on the bottom and equipped it with guage, vent and electric pump. Oil co will drop what I think I want for the winter (I took about 120gal) of winter diesel and then, come spring, I'll fill estimated use quantity to last until late fall.

I figure my investment in the fueling setup will pay for itself in 3-4 years, not to mention the speed and convenience of refueling.

Hope this helps
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #4  
Hey Automech:

I just purchased a 55-gallon drum of off-road diesel and it cost me about $.43 cheaper per gallon than regular diesel. Note that this is in Louisiana. I've done some chatting with a fellow that runs heavy equipment for a living (dirt service). He said to me that the real difference for him is not so much in the cost of the off-road diesel, but the different levels of quality of the fuel from different bulk distributors. He's all but black-balled a distributor in our area because of their low quality off-road diesel. The kicker is, there isn't that much of a difference in prices between these distributors. My advice is to know who you buy your fuel from, and also check with other operators in the area to see if they've had issues with fuel from certian distributors.

Hope I didn't offend anyone with that nasty word...(advice).

BC
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #5  
I just ordered 150 gallons of offroad from our local distributor, price was $1.999 - which is about 70¢ per gallon cheaper than the two local stations which have diesel. There's no charge for delivery if you order the minimum, which is now 150 gallons - as opposed to 100 gallons last year when I got my first load.

Given the difference in price ($105 in savings per 150 gallons), and the convience of not having to run out constantly, the investment in a tank ($50) and 12v electric pump ($200) was worth it to me - I figure it will near have paid for itself with this load.

I just picked up a multi-fuel 170K btu torpedo heater for the polebarn so I'll see just how bad burning diesel is - if it's not all that bad, the 150 gallons may go pretty quick.
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #6  
Automech,

I have been using off-road diesel in my BX for the last two years. Don’t think that you need to purchase in bulk to realize the savings. My local bulk plant will let me buy in any quantity; the price is the same whether it’s 1gal or 100gal. Therefore, every couple of weeks I drive down with 2, 5gal containers and fill them up. Not all fuel suppliers do this, so you need to check into it. Just for comparison, I save $2.00 for every 5gal purchased over the on-road diesel.
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #7  
RS; I bought a 75k btu torpedo for my 24x26 barn this fall. It will burn diesel, but the dealer said that the smell was pretty bad, so I've been using Kero. Not that it smells so great, either. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

My barn is unheated and uninsulated. In sub 20F weather, the heater runs about 15 min/hour to keep the barn pretty comfortable to work in.
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #8  
Just a little suggestion. If you don't already have a ceiling in the barn, put one in if you can without to much difficulty. It's a great first step and although can't compare to fully insulating, it will make a big difference.
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #9  
Thanks, dj. My barn is a clearspan tubular arch barn, covered with heavy guage ripstop plastic. (Sort of a quonset hut) It is totally windproof, but the heat migrates through the plastic fairly quickly. Still, the heater makes working in the barn in even way sub-freezing outside temps pretty comfortable.

BTW, while I think it is nice, SWMBO says it is the "ugliest structure in the known universe." /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
   / cheaper diesel fuel #10  
I have often wondered if it is just a tax issue and nothing else,if you drive your truck on the public roads you have to buy the diesel with a tax on top of the fuel price,if you use a non licensed vehicle for off road you can legally buy the off road brand.The dye is just a way for the goverment to tell if you are paying your tax.
 
 
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