Bulk Fuel Tank for the Small Tractor Owner

[Anonymous Poster]

The legal capacity without need of plackards and a tanker regulations and license seems to be 113 gallons in most states. I have no idea what genius made that determination, but I'm certain it cost tons of tax dollars to come up with such brilliance.

I suppose with that sticker, you could always say it's Biodiesel, but I'm sure one of the DOT boys would find something to write up for that too. States all seem to be looking for new revinue sources, and fines are a nice source. They would also probably have a regulation for a barrel with pump attached that was improperly secured in the back of the truck.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Well, I've had the TC18 for just over a month (delivered 3/28) and it's going in for 50 hour service tomorrow -- a little late - it has 58 hours on the clock, but I just couldn't stop working over the weekend. John, your figures come out to a little less than 3 hours/gallon, but we must be working the poor little thing pretty hard - I'm seeing about 2 hours/gallon. I fill it (5+ gal tank) about every 10 hours.

We've gone through the first drum of fuel, but less than half for the Boomer - we've had a Cat 416C working on the clearing and have filled his tank a couple of times, and used the rest to start burn piles. The original stack of concrete blocks, thrown up in haste, has gone, replaced with a nice wooden platform up about 5' off the ground. It was a 4' x 6' temporary porch on my daughter's house and now that they're having their deck extended around that side of the house, it was available at the "right" price. I stuck diagonally braced 4"x4" legs under it, and now we have another horizontal surface to stack things on. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

When I move it to my property (next door to my daughter), I have an aluminum roof, about 10'x14', left over from another project that will cover the entire refuel station, including the tractor while it's being fueled.

So far, the gravity system has worked out great, and we've had no problem rolling the drum into the FEL, strapping it in, lifting it up and rolling it back out onto the raised platform.

Attached is a picture of the first, crude platform - I may get a picture of the new & improved version after I get a coat of paint on it.