Mixing used oil with diesel in the tractor.

oldpilgrim · Jun 6, 2022

I have a 50 gal barrel with an electric fuel transfer pump that uses one of these. I'm tempted to try mixing a gallon or two of engine/hydraulic oil in my tank. Waddaya think?

Hoho223 · Jun 6, 2022

DaveinValdez said:
Anyone mixing used oil in with their diesel to cut the cost? I have old hydraulic and motor oil that I can filter and maybe mix in a quart per five gallons of diesel. We went to $6.40 a gallon today and if I project out the increases to winter plowing season, it looks like I might be shoveling this year.

Imagine the crap that would be coming out of your exhaust.

greenrider1 · Jun 6, 2022

You'd be further ahead to just look for people selling their heating oil, which is the same as off road diesel. Around me people are getting rid of their fuel oil fired furnaces and boilers. It does go quick though so you have to check ads daily. I recently scored 168 gallons of fuel oil for $400, or $2.38/gallon. The 275 gallon tank and boiler were included in the price.

Sawyer Rob · Jun 6, 2022

I've burned a lot of used oils in my equipment too, even though the nay-says say you can't do it.

It used to be an option on Cummins engines, then along came the EPA.

SR

5030 · Jun 6, 2022

Hoho223 said:
Imagine the crap that would be coming out of your exhaust.

Nothing more than comes out of it all the time anyway. None of my engines are T4. Not even T3. With 22-1 compression and compression ignition, it all gets incinerated anyway.

LouNY · Jun 6, 2022

I have no issue with up to 20% used oil in a diesel as long as it has been filtered well.
I have always added some to my Home Heating Oil tanks and I believe that they will get quite a bit this year.

WilliamBos · Jun 6, 2022

DaveinValdez said:
Anyone mixing used oil in with their diesel to cut the cost? I have old hydraulic and motor oil that I can filter and maybe mix in a quart per five gallons of diesel. We went to $6.40 a gallon today and if I project out the increases to winter plowing season, it looks like I might be shoveling this year.

Price injectors and injector pump, dirty oil will cost more...

Sawyer Rob · Jun 6, 2022

WilliamBos said:
Price injectors and injector pump, dirty oil will cost more...

So will dirty fuel, that's why they invented filters.

SR

marhar · Jun 6, 2022

etpm said:
If you really have a lot of used motor and hydraulic oils it may be worth your while to buy or build a waste oil heater for your house. There are tons of plans floating around on the internet and on YouTube. Some folks are converting wood stoves to waste oil heaters. I don't know if your oil burning furnace will be able to use a mixture of motor oil and fuel oil but it might tolerate the mix better than your tractor engine. I have worked on old oil furnaces to repair them and they seem pretty simple, especially compared to engines with injectors.
Good Luck,
Eric

I had a fried that had a shop heated by a wood stove. He created a system with a steel bucket, copper line and a ballcock valve. After he had a fire going he would allow used motor oil to drip into the furnace. I bet the EPA and the fire marshal would not have been happy. It worked for my friend but I would only run the system in a brick shop away from the house.