Diesel Fuel question.....

[DieselPower]

Sounds like your buddy's equipment had some varnish and sludge problems that were amplified by the use of biodiesel. After a couple of tank fulls the systems should be pretty well flushed out by the detergent action of the fuel.

 

[LBrown59]

My new '07 JD 5303 is my first diesel fueled vehicle of any kind. Where should I get my fuel? Is the fuel at my local gas stations okay to use, or should I locate a co-op somewhere to buy the colored off-road diesel? I checked teh JD website and found the following article, but after reading it, I am even more uncertain. Any advice would be welcomed.

Does John Deere allow the use of Ultra-Low-Sulfur diesel fuel? : Ultra-Low-Sulfur diesel fuel in John Deere Engines.

Red diesel cost quite a bit less.
It's the same stuff it was before they added the dye so why not have them add the red dye and buy it for 40 to 50 cents a gallon less?

 

[LBrown59]

I (and everyone would agree Im pretty sure) would suggest you buy your fuel from a place that turns there fuel over on a regular basis so you get the freshest fuel possible.. If you see truckers filling up at a place, that would probably be a good place to get it.. You can always stop in and ask how often they get a load of fuel..

I love pay at the pump, but only Sheetz has that near me and it is just one pump that you hardly ever see anyone using.. So I end up having to go inside to pay at my place..

Brian

A better way is to buy from the same bulk plant the truck stop does: It's a miuch faster turn over than the truck stop is doing .

 

[LBrown59]

Thanks to all. As I read the posts it seems that the opinions are that on or off road fuel is fine, as long as it is from a pump that sees quite a bit of business. Then to be on the safe side some recommend the additives.

Seems that I read somewhere, perhaps in these forums about only using a certain brand in a JD tractor to avoid voiding the warranty. Any truth or validity to that?

I always add 3 oz of power service from the white bottle to 5 gal of diesel.
Never heard of that.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Seems that I read somewhere, perhaps in these forums about only using a certain brand in a JD tractor to avoid voiding the warranty. Any truth or validity to that?

Not aware of anything like that (I own a 2006 JD 5105). JD is cool (i.e. negative) on biodiesel but in terms of petrodiesel I don't know of any restrictions.

 

[cp1969]

A better way is to buy from the same bulk plant the truck stop does: It's a miuch faster turn over than the truck stop is doing .

You can't. Truck stop fuel comes in 7,000+ gallon loads direct from the distribution terminal; the fuel never goes to a 'bulk plant' as such. Truck stops turn too much fuel to haul it twice. We used to take two semi loads per day to one truck stop on I70; how much fresher do you need?

I should not have said you 'can't' get fuel there; all you need is equipment certified to bottom-load through 4" equipment and the fuel haulers' permits and trained personnel to do it. 'Impractical' would have been a better word.

 

[bota7800]

Red diesel cost quite a bit less.
It's the same stuff it was before they added the dye so why not have them add the red dye and buy it for 40 to 50 cents a gallon less?

Can you really do that or are you just kidding? The co-op near me shut down so there is no close source of off-road and I hate paying road taxes for a vehicle that is not on the road.

 

[LBrown59]

Quote:
Originally Posted by LBrown59
Red diesel cost quite a bit less.
It's the same stuff it was before they added the dye so why not have them add the red dye and buy it for 40 to 50 cents a gallon less?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Posted by bota 7800
1*Can you really do that or are you just kidding?
2*The co-op near me shut down so there is no close source of off-road and I hate paying road taxes for a vehicle that is not on the road.
******************************.

1*There are 2 fuel distributors here plus an Ashland/Marathon Bulk plant that I can get the red diesel from.
2* Find out where the farms and farmers and contractors and construction companies in your area are getting their fuel. They have to be getting off road diesel somewhere.
After you find out their source you should be able to get the red diesel there.
Another Idea is take your drum to a farmer and the distributor can fill it when he fills the farmers tank.
How about leaving your tank for a fill up at a home that uses home heating oil?
Home Heating oil and diesel are the same thing here.

 

[LBrown59]

Originally Posted by LBrown59
A better way is to buy from the same bulk plant the truck stop does: It's a miuch faster turn over than the truck stop is doing .

You can't.
1*Truck stop fuel comes in 7,000+ gallon loads direct from the distribution terminal; the fuel never goes to a 'bulk plant' as such.
2*Truck stops turn too much fuel to haul it twice. We used to take two semi loads per day to one truck stop on I70; how much fresher do you need?
2*I should not have said you 'can't' get fuel there; all you need is equipment certified to bottom-load through 4" equipment and the fuel haulers' permits and trained personnel to do it. 'Impractical' would have been a better word.

1*You'r talking about on road un dyed diesel but I'm talking about off road red diesel.
I believe the turn over volume for red diesel can be plenty high enough to assure freshness therefor it's not necessary to buy the more expensive taxed on road diesel from a truck stop to assure fresh fuel.

 

[AlanB]

My new '07 JD 5303 is my first diesel fueled vehicle of any kind. Where should I get my fuel? Is the fuel at my local gas stations okay to use, or should I locate a co-op somewhere to buy the colored off-road diesel? I checked teh JD website and found the following article, but after reading it, I am even more uncertain. Any advice would be welcomed.

Does John Deere allow the use of Ultra-Low-Sulfur diesel fuel? : Ultra-Low-Sulfur diesel fuel in John Deere Engines.

The answer to me is that you need to determine what suits your needs best.

The article in short says you can use what comes out of the pumps. (any of them)

The first question I would ask back is, how much fuel do you burn?

From that point you would then decide what is the closest, and what is the cheapest (at least for most of us that is a concern) and probably even more important what is the easiest way to keep acceptable fuel in your tractor.

Everyones situation will be slightly different.

Do you have a diesel station close that you can drive too with the tractor?

Do you trailer the tractor often and therefore drive by a station with the tractor?

From what you have posted, I am guessing relatively low use / consumption.

I am also guessing that there is not a diesel equipped gas station at the end of your street you could drive too easily. (there was at my old house, not at my new)

More then likely you will be doing the 5 gallon can routine, which will lead you to the other posts about how easier to fill a tractor as those cans are heavy and cumbersome when filling the tractor, there are several "systems" and methods out there to be used.

Personally, I use what is now called "high Sulfur" refered to in that way to distinguish it from the current "low sulfur" which is becoming available in our area, "offroad" which is the red colored diesel, that has not had all the road taxes paid thereby making it "illeagal" to run in your road going vehicle.

I buy 55 gallons at a time and they drop them at my house when requested. My oil company likes me It is a "non Standard" service that they offer too me. I use about 55 gallons a month. I use an electric 12 v pump.

In the past, we had a gas station at the end of our road that was between my house and rental property, so every time I drove by on the tractor, I would fill up.

Also, when going out to work with the tractor, we would top off at the local service station and top off prior to the start of the job.

Every region and area handles their fuels and oils slightly different, and has slightly different terminology. My best advice is to take all the stuff said on the board here with a grain of salt, and realize you are reading one person's usually local experience.

Look up Oils - Petroleum or similar in your yellow pages, or the closest fair sized town yellow pages and give the distributors a call. Most will be happy to help and point you in a good direction. The key piece of info you will need to know though is how much per day / week / month you will be consuming.

Good luck.