I have need for a farm diesel tank. ? Obround tank for outside farm fuel storage?

[Gary Fowler]

Not to hijack the OP's threads, but what do you guys use for additives in your farm tanks?

I don't use anything in my tank and have had it in operation for over 6 years with no problems. We don't have cold weather here normally that requires an anti-gel agent but if I did that would be the only thing I use. All my tractors are designed to use ULSD so there is no lubricity issues with my tractors and I doubt there is really any issues with any tractor but you will get a lot of opinions on that from this site.
Keep your fuel inside a building out of sunlight and large temperature changes and you will limit the condensation and thus water contamination that could cause algae to form. I have had zero water in my tank after 6 years of use(I can visually see the bottom and there is none) but is has always been inside my totally enclosed shop.

 

[LD1]

Power Service

cleardiesel?

The stuff thats supposed to remove water/slime and prevent microbes/algae?

Have heard some bad stuff about some of the other PS products. But I use the clear diesel in my truck as well as howels. But havent ever put anything in the farm tank, but know I should.

 

[DiskDoctr]

Not sure if this works the same, but a screen wire of fine gauge can allow fuel to pass but traps water. My Dad used one from the 1940s that worked that way so it is not new technology.

I think the mesh is plastic now

Traps water and debris, just don't fill over the cap or the weight of the fuel can force water through the mesh. It's a balanced setup

Works very well.

 

[DiskDoctr]

cleardiesel?

The stuff thats supposed to remove water/slime and prevent microbes/algae?

Have heard some bad stuff about some of the other PS products. But I use the clear diesel in my truck as well as howels. But havent ever put anything in the farm tank, but know I should.

Power Service White bottle for winter, Grey bottle for summer, is what many of us with Power Strokes use. My 7.3L Excursion likes it

I don't really add anything to the offroad tanks, except for anti-gel. My tractor is 2004, so made for ULSD.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

A few points of interest.

1. Home heating oil and diesel are NOT always the same. HHO can be #3, where diesel is #2, kero is #1. Diesel CAN be used as HHO, meaning all tanks are filled with the same diesel.

I use to deliver fuel, I've never seen #3 for home heating oil...ever.

Kerosene is NOT number 1, at least not any place I've ever been. Kero has always been hotter burning....again, that's the way it's always been any place I've been involved with fuel.

This is the way it was at the refinery where we got the fuel and the way we bought/delivered/sold the fuel.

SR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Not to hijack the OP's threads, but what do you guys use for additives in your farm tanks?

Nothing, as nothing has ever been needed...

SR

 

[LD1]

Nothing, as nothing has ever been needed...

SR

If only.

I had to replace the bosch cp3 injector pump on my truck at ~84,000 miles. Had to do it again, about 18 months later and only 90,000 miles. And they wouldnt even warrant it, said it was due to contamination.

I am religious about changing the filter. They mentioned that due to the miles and time.....that my fuel was probably sitting too long and that I needed something that would prevent the slime/microbes/algae....whatever. Apparently the OEM filter and water separator is inadequate?

 

[daugen]

I had a diesel boat in Florida for three years and if one did not use algaecide like Biobore, the tanks would become petri dishes, slime up, clog everything. Learned that the hard way. It's all a matter of local conditions. Most of us don't want to take the chance and dump in some additives. Lowest temp I've seen here is 9 degrees, and that wasn't for very long, but yes I put in some antigel The stuff allegedly has lubricant to maybe avoid LDI's pump failure, maybe..., and some cetane to offset natural aging.
Seems like cheap insurance. If one uses a lot of fuel and keeps it moving and restocking, yeah, I bet one could use nothing. But that's not the reality for most of us.
Also matters how fresh it is when you get it, and not much control over that other than dealing with the biggest supplier around.

The last thing I wanted was to get a nice new tank and then dump one year old fuel in it. Too bad fuel doesn't come with a dating system that one could dip for age.
We can dip for water, and maybe a few chemicals, but not age.
Oh gosh, should I be asking for organic diesel fuel??

I'd like to run my two diesels on waste cooking oil. I'd have the whole place smelling like popcorn.

My tank cost me about 1400 bucks filled. Seemed like less than ten bucks for a gallon of additives
was decent value. Worst it can do one hopes is do no harm.

When the OP gets his tank installed, would be nice to get pictures. Maybe others who have made tanks this way could show
some installs. We'd all learn. I need to raise mine for flooding. Going to wait until just before refill, say less than 50 gallons, and lift it up and put a concrete structure
under it. Need to do the same thing with my whole house gen. Every once in a great while we get 2 feet of water here, even many miles from the River. When we get over ten inches of rain I start going underwater. House is raised three feet anyway. Barn, equipment and fuel tank right next to main water diversion ditch. So far it has never overflowed, but then I wasn't here for the last major hurricane.

A good side benefit then of a no pump gravity feed tank is you get it high enough to not worry about water.
I'd put a strong oversized step in to hold the guy pumping the fuel though and high enough he can see inside.

I had replaced a seven year old battery in a tractor that was still going and use that to power my DC diesel pump.
I put a smart charger on it once a month and so far, it keeps plugging along. By the time it fails, I'll probably have another battery
from another aging motor. And when they are really dead, I'll take the ten bucks credit on the next one. So battery operated does not always mean
opening up equipment and jumper cabling to run your pump. Just means you need a battery.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

If only.

I had to replace the bosch cp3 injector pump on my truck at ~84,000 miles. Had to do it again, about 18 months later and only 90,000 miles. And they wouldnt even warrant it, said it was due to contamination.

I am religious about changing the filter. They mentioned that due to the miles and time.....that my fuel was probably sitting too long and that I needed something that would prevent the slime/microbes/algae....whatever. Apparently the OEM filter and water separator is inadequate?

I had a injection pump go out on a truck of mine, I took it to my pump rebuild place and as it was quite a distance to drive, I asked him to open it and give me an estimate.

He took the pump to his bench and all of a sudden he says, "you been using Power Service, eh?" I had to admit that I had... He insisted that no additives were needed, as long as you keep the water out and filter what goes in...

That was MANY years ago, and also was the last time I ever used additives...

BTW, when I picked the rebuilt pump up, he said, "use Power Service in this one, and there's no warranty" !

He was right, I didn't need any additives, I had just bought into the BS some guys were floating around...

SR

 

[4570Man]

I usually buy one 55 gallon barrel full a year. After that runs out I just fill up 5 gallon cans at the station. Ive never used any additives.