Any news on gas engine CUTS?

[Sawyer Rob]

No carb, put modern Tier 4 diesel 35 hp compact tractor versus a modern fuel injected gas engine 35 hp compact tractor in your mind. The latter doesn't exist but in atv's or UTV's I will say for certain that a modern fuel injected small gas engine is a different beast than a carb engine. They start easier and can be left longer with less ill effect.

B&D says he drains carbs to keep problems down, I was commenting on that...

As for NEW injected gas motors, I have them too, they are better than carbed ones, but they are NOT superior to the newer diesels... (or even as good in my book)

SR

 

[dusty3030]

B&D says he drains carbs to keep problems down, I was commenting on that...

As for NEW injected gas motors, I have them too, they are better than carbed ones, but they are NOT superior to the newer diesels... (or even as good in my book)

SR

Yeah as far as I know a modern "industrial" gasser doesn't exist. I would be open to one as opposed to a Tier 4 diesel personally. In my area I get road diesel cheaper from Kroger than I can farm diesel from the bulk place since I only burn 60 to 80 gallons a year. Even then it is at least a buck higher per gallon than gas. Every other engine on my place is a gasser (atv's utv's mowers, generators, pressure washers, saws, blowers , etc etc etc.)

 

[DavesTractor]

I'm a diesel guy, just about everything I own is a diesel. I'm currently planning on putting a Duramax in a Suburban because I want it to be a diesel, even though it will take decades to make it a smart move financially. I like diesel that much. However, with gas direct injection and all the advances in fuel injection I think it's a reasonable question to ask why nobody builds a gas tractor. I am wondering though, if the costs of such an advanced gas engine make it impractical. All of that technology, advancement in materials does not come cheap. I think a gas tractor would need a price advantage and then the market would be mostly small tractors I think. Guys that do 100 hours a year or less do not care so much about gallons/hour as the total fuel bill for the year is similar to what you pay making frequent stops at Starbucks for coffee.

I'm thinking a Kubota BX sized tractor that is battery/electric. Most guys with 2 acres or less could probably get most projects done with 2 hours of constant usage and then a charge. Totally quiet. Nice and heavy due to batteries, etc. Probably the hydraulics for a loader or backhoe would switch to linear actuators. Use for 2 hours until the battery meter shows low, have coffee and a nap, then go at it again.

I'm certainly not a mechanical engineer.....so I'll plead ignorance if my comments reflect an idea that simply is not feasible.

 

[dodge man]

That's one of the big things with a BX, a lot of people that have them mow with them, and that is a high load application. Same thing with other tractors and brush hogging.

There has to be a reason why diesels are used in these applications.

Comparing a motorcycle engine to a tractor engine? Sometimes the best way to look at things is to take the most extreme case you can think of. Maybe another extreme case would be can you imagine a diesel powered chain saw?

 

[GManBart]

Not a problem here. I purchase clean fresh premium gasoline and store equipment with the carb drained and the fuel tank full.

If it has ethanol in it...it still sucks.

Around here, ethanol-free gas is hard to find, but the one place that has it is getting $2.99 a gallon. Diesel is $2.79 a gallon at that same station. That isn't enough savings to make up for the lower efficiency of gas engines.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Yeah as far as I know a modern "industrial" gasser doesn't exist.)

Kubota has one, when I bought my new Grasshopper I could have opted for it...but I believe a diesel is a better choice for a work engine, so that's what I chose, and I believe I made the right choice... It's a grass mowing, sno-blowing fool!

SR

 

[buickanddeere]

As to gas/diesel. I had 1 acre of 12" grass to cut. The JD with 22hp and 42" deck would not cut it without crawling along at a snails pace.
I got out the Kubota with 22hp diesel and a 60" deck. The Kubota cut at a fast walking pace and never bogged down. Cutting at 4" high with both mowers, the Kubota cut more grass in less time with less effort.

Given the differences between the machines . The only say you could compare is by swapping engines. It sounds like the Briggs or Kawasaki gasser was worn and out of tune running too rich.

 

[buickanddeere]

Industrial spark ignition engines running on LP or NG are common enough . What do you think powers some standby generators and NG pipeline compressors?
Since the EPA did not eliminate the diesel from the market place as planned with emission specs they thought were impossible to meet . Just wait a little while for Tier V diesel emissions .
Diesel chainsaws, yes there were a few made. Diesel model airplane engines too.
Given the upfront price of Tier IV diesel emissions equipment and repair bills down the road .ight duty equipment manufactures are going to keep the DI gasser in mind.
As previously stated several times, the 50-200hr a year putting around user is a different market than somebody combining 2000 acres of crop.

 

[TomSeller]

All I know is I have a 35HP diesel tractor and a 35HP gas powered zero turn.
Mowing my lawn with the 35HP diesel tractor I'm averaging around 1,25 gal/hour fuel.
Mowing the same lawn my 35HP gas Z turn averages around 2 gal/hour.

Close to the same cost then?

 

[DK35vince]

Close to the same cost then?

That may be true just recently since the gas prices have fallen so low.
But for the past several years prior to that off road diesel and gasoline were running near the same prices in my area. So there was a notable difference in cost/hour.