alternative methods of farming to save fuel

[Egon]

Chances are the easiest way is to stop farming! But if you insist on having a farm buy some Good draft horses and the gear for them. Knock your fuel usage down considerable it would! Maybe even cut down on fertilizer costs!

Heck; the whole world may slow down to a reasonable rate>

 

[wolc123]

I am doing more work with my small gas tractors. The low sulfer diesel they sell these days has less energy (aprox 10%) in it than the old stuff. Couple that with diesel costing over $1.00 a gallon more, for the first time I can remember, it is often cheaper to work with gas. My little Ford 8n, Allis Chalmers C, and Farmall cub really sip the gas and minimize the fuel cost for smaller jobs. My diesel is my only 4wd however, so It gets used for all tillage operations, as pushing a "dead" axle doing tillage these days is an almost criminal waste of energy/fuel. For vehicles, synthetic oil is the only way to go. Twice the cost is canceled out by twice the interval between changes, and 10% or better fuel economy is pure bonus.

 

[slowzuki]

I think you may be mistaken in your info, the diesel has the same energy but the new low emission diesel trucks that require ULSD make about 10% less mechanical energy from each gallon. Old diesels extract the same energy.

I am doing more work with my small gas tractors. The low sulfer diesel they sell these days has less energy (aprox 10%) in it than the old stuff.

 

[wolc123]

Either way, the tree-huggers picked a good time to cut our fuel economy by 10%. What would we do without them? Good thing they wont let us drill on any new Alaskan ground so we can look forward to paying these high prices for the forseable future.

 

[ToadHill]

What I can't figure out is how the tree- huggers (a very vocal minority) have demanded and gotten all these restrictions on drilling and refining. I guess it's our fault for not being as vocal as they are.

 

[WTA]

I just had my first experience with ULSD problems today. in my 6 month old tractor too!!! I was out mowing hay and came in to refill. About the same time I got back out to the field and engaged the mower it started white smoking and dying. It was gelled somehow and was a fresh batch right out of the pump that I got that morning. I can't understand it. It was 105 degrees outside.
It cost me 2 new filters for it and the time wasted cleaning out my tank and blowing all the lines out. Also 100 gallons of new fuel at 4.89 a gallon.
I put it all in my parts washer.

I'm about sick of all this mess with fuel prices and messed up diesel that certainly isn't better for our engines.

Oh, I talked to a neighbor of mine. This will probably make most of you sick. He is spending 1500 bucks a day on fuel right now with his kids out cultivating cotton.

FWIW, I am using my horses. A LOT! They are pulling the hay wagon on the farm and I ride them to town as much as possible. I was even looking at a restored doctors buggy the other day. It's really nice and would suit my wife really well. That's what she does for a living anyway. She can't ride but she can sure hitch up my sons thoroughbred and go for a drive.

 

[slowzuki]

I suspect thats a fuel suppliers problem, I've not heard of any gelling problems. Almost all the problems so far are people adjusting to the new emissions devices. The recovery phase on some pickups will force you to do it if you ignore it too long because they get ruined if left.

We all hate emissions devices but given the increase in diesel popularity, nobody wants the early 80's LA smog to happen again. I love diesels but lets not pretend its rainbows and puppy dogs coming out the tailpipe. That overfueled Dodge CTD puking a black cloud leaving the stop light is pumping out piles of stuff we shouldn't breath.

I just had my first experience with ULSD problems today. in my 6 month old tractor too!!! I was out mowing hay and came in to refill. About the same time I got back out to the field and engaged the mower it started white smoking and dying. It was gelled somehow and was a fresh batch right out of the pump that I got that morning. I can't understand it. It was 105 degrees outside.
It cost me 2 new filters for it and the time wasted cleaning out my tank and blowing all the lines out. Also 100 gallons of new fuel at 4.89 a gallon.
I put it all in my parts washer.

I'm about sick of all this mess with fuel prices and messed up diesel that certainly isn't better for our engines.

Oh, I talked to a neighbor of mine. This will probably make most of you sick. He is spending 1500 bucks a day on fuel right now with his kids out cultivating cotton.

FWIW, I am using my horses. A LOT! They are pulling the hay wagon on the farm and I ride them to town as much as possible. I was even looking at a restored doctors buggy the other day. It's really nice and would suit my wife really well. That's what she does for a living anyway. She can't ride but she can sure hitch up my sons thoroughbred and go for a drive.

 

[wolc123]

Hey slowsuki, It turns out that I was not mistaken about the low sulfer diesel. It actually does contain less energy, although it is closer to 5%, in any engine you use it in, no matter the age. I learned this from a local oilman who is a buddy of mine. What they are selling now is "ultra-low" sulfer and that contains 5% less energy per unit volume than low sulfer which is still available at some locations. Worse yet is the 2x ultra low sulfer stuff that he told me about which contains even less energy. That is what we have to look forward to, but at least the air we breath will be a little cleaner. Also, he told me that the lower the sulfer, the more susceptable the fuel is to jelling. Oh well, I guess there is no price that is too high for clean air to breath.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

What I can't figure out is how the tree- huggers (a very vocal minority) have demanded and gotten all these restrictions on drilling and refining. I guess it's our fault for not being as vocal as they are.

Far more ex vice presidents, more congressmen's daughters, more media mogul's wives are tree huggers as opposed to "working class". Most ordinary people just deal with life and only complain mildly. Most tree huggers don't even recognize the complexities of life and/or it's realities, muchless learn to deal with them. They just spend their days complaining about the "great injustices" done to them for the needs of working class people. All things equal, I'd rather not resort to their tactics.

 

[Reg]

"Right turns only" is a crock.
If you need to (logically) turn left to get where you're going it makes no sense to make 3 right turns and run a whole extra friggin' rectangle to do it.
Idling at the light HAS TO take less fuel.