Is it time for a gasoline engine tractor?

[Sawyer Rob]

The old gasoline engine powered tractor are selling at higher prices at estate auctions than equivalent diesels. So there is definitely a market out there for gasoline powered tractors. Some of the prices being paid for a forty or more year gas driven tractor are jaw dropping.

ONLY because the diesels of those same time periods were rather hard starting and messy compared to the gas engines...

Then, there's the fact that the buyers of them TODAY, aren't farming with them! They mostly are only using them more for "nostalgia" than anything else...

I live in a big farming community... The only time you see gas tractors in use is, parades, tractor shows or a farmer who has his gran kids pulling a wagon around, while the diesels do all the real work!

SR

 

[Turbys_1700]

Back in the 60's and 70's we would do all our plowing and work with gassers. Mostly D17 Allis Chalmers. You could easily run through through 2 tanks of gas in a day. That is 34 gallons. My 4610 SU Ford is the same horsepower and will burn about half that amount. No comparison. Those power crater engines were built industrial with wet sleeves and were tough as nails but they were really thirsty. They did crank easily.

 

[newbury]

Why can a semi pulling an 80,000 lb trailer get 5 to 6 mpg while my F350 pulling 10,000 only gets 15 and my VW TDI only carrying 500 lbs only gets about 50 mpg?

Is it all gearing?

 

[Industrial Toys]

A friend says that once in motion, a rig doesn't use much fuel. So it's not the weight that figures into it so much at that point as wind and tire resistance. Just look at a train.

On the subject of new diesel technology, one of our farmers has a high dollar Fendt Tractor. He figures that thing has about a fifteen year life span before all the computers, sensors, cabling and connectors just become too old and expensive to maintain.

That, to me, is not very positive. Even his new JD bailer has a computer!

 

[Jay4200]

Read the 2nd article .Kubota Engine America - LATEST NEWS

Launch of New EPA/CARB certified Spark Ignited engine | News 215 | Kubota Global Site

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Kubota Engine Division

Kubota WG Series Dual Fuel ← Gulf Engine

LP fueled wouldn't be bad.

 

[Btown]

LP fueled wouldn't be bad.

only problem is fueling it up. LP up here in northeast is expensive, unless you use a lot of it. Then they cut the costs a lot.

 

[buickanddeere]

ONLY because the diesels of those same time periods were rather hard starting and messy compared to the gas engines...

Then, there's the fact that the buyers of them TODAY, aren't farming with them! They mostly are only using them more for "nostalgia" than anything else...

I live in a big farming community... The only time you see gas tractors in use is, parades, tractor shows or a farmer who has his gran kids pulling a wagon around, while the diesels do all the real work!

SR

Well of course "real work" is a HD 200HP+ application for several Hundred hours per year. Retired Uncle Putz on his rural estate moving some snow and mowing an acre with a CUT is light duty . Don't be comparing apples with oranges .

 

[buickanddeere]

ONLY because the diesels of those same time periods were rather hard starting and messy compared to the gas engines...

Then, there's the fact that the buyers of them TODAY, aren't farming with them! They mostly are only using them more for "nostalgia" than anything else...

I live in a big farming community... The only time you see gas tractors in use is, parades, tractor shows or a farmer who has his gran kids pulling a wagon around, while the diesels do all the real work!

SR

Well of course "real work" is a HD 200HP+ application for several Hundred hours per year. Retired Uncle Putz on his rural estate moving some snow and mowing an acre with a CUT is light duty . Don't be comparing apples with oranges .

 

[buickanddeere]

Why can a semi pulling an 80,000 lb trailer get 5 to 6 mpg while my F350 pulling 10,000 only gets 15 and my VW TDI only carrying 500 lbs only gets about 50 mpg?

Is it all gearing?

No it's efficiency of scale . Same as one 200 HP tractor will do more work on less fuel than two 100HP tractors to cultivate 500 acres.

 

[Soundguy]

Carefull. Somebody will use thier experience with 1960's gasoline and diesel tractors to make a decision in 2016.
.

And what's that suposed to mean?

If someone rolled out a brand new clone of a ford 861 gasser ( with a rops and seatbelt ), but otherwise the same basic tractor... I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

I recall cub cadet with a gas powered tractor ( large scut/small cut sized ) in the late 90's