Diesel versus gas horsepower

[wcampbell47]

I borrowed my son's 17hp rider to mow a piece of property I had just purchased. Four hours were required to mow the front side. Drove around to the back and the mower just bogged down and died. Came to the conclusion I needed a lawn mower on steroids. Enter the 3 cylinder 21 hp diesel mower. Been mowing that same piece of property since 2007 with that mower in about an hour's time. No bogging down. I can hear the gas mowers fire up several houses down the road. I can't hear mine mowing from the far end of the property. The diesel has been efficient, powerful, quiet, reliable and easy on fuel.

Now on the other hand my neighbor goes with gas and figures he is better off buying a new one every two to three years. Gets the new bells and whistles that way not to mention the ethanol in the gas issue.

 

[buickanddeere]

If both engines were rated at the same low end RPM they should be equal. If you have a 75 hp gas rated at 6500 rpm and a 75 hp diesel rated at 1800 rpm the diesel is going to eat the gassers lunch. HP is a useless number. Toque is the name of the game.

Why use distorted figures by comparing a light duty 6500rpm engine to a heavy duty 1800 rpm engine ? Want rpm do you think those Wisconsin, Herculies, Budda operated at year after year on bakers and in trackers , combines etc? How long did those engines last running on dirty leaded fuel? Think how long road engines used to last , 75,000 miles at overhaul. Now with unleaded and fuel injection , 300,000 miles is no surprise .
HP is HP. A 25HP gas, LP, water turbine etc will make the same amount of power connected to a generator per hour as a 25HP diesel.
How does the performance of the Olds 5.7, and Chev 6.2/6.5 compare to the 5.3 DI in a pickup truck ?

 

[buickanddeere]

I'd buy the diesel one. It will last longer and burn drastically less fuel. What models are the mowers. They probably had to make the gasser 32 hp to get equivalent power as the diesel. My 25 hp Kohler is thirsty. I'd sure hate to be feeding the 32 hp one gas.

An $$$ tier IV emissions diesel burning more $$$ diesel vs a fuel injected gasser burning cheaper fuel? Let's keep track of the total operating cost over 10 years.

 

[Egon]

Back in the past there were many natural gas/propane burning single cylinder engines under fifty horsepower that ran 24/7/365 year after year. Points to a high torque low HP low RPM gas engine was entirely possible.o

[video]https://www.google.ca/search?q=pump+jack+engine&client=safari&hl=en-ca&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3jIDVya7KAhXIOz4KHYWCD3gQ_AUIBygB#imgr c=bmrf7RCo_y1fAM%3A[/video]

 

[pmsmechanic]

Ah I can see I'm on the wrong track here. You guys just want to argue.

 

[Egon]

Ah I can see I'm on the wrong track here. You guys just want to argue.

Ahh --- the answere was given in the first few posts.

 

[4570Man]

An $$$ tier IV emissions diesel burning more $$$ diesel vs a fuel injected gasser burning cheaper fuel? Let's keep track of the total operating cost over 10 years.

We don't know the machines he is looking at have tier IV emissions. The operation costs on my Dixie chopper gas VS my F 2560 Kubota diesel is drastically cheaper for the diesel over 10 years. Of course that's assuming you put enough hours on them to justify such a mower. If you are one of the 50 hour a year guys get the gas. My Dixie chopper has 900 hours and we bought it new about 3 years ago. Your fuel price difference crap doesn't hold up. You need to use ethanol free gas in these machines which cost more than diesel locally. I'm burning farm diesel in the diesel ( at a rate of less than half as much per hour) and ethanol free gas in the gas ( at a rate of over twice as much per hour ).

 

[DK35vince]

I have read that a lower hp diesel engine has virtually the same power as a higher hp gas engine. Is that true? What are major advantages of either? I know most large tractors are diesel, most zero turn mowers seem to be gas. I am looking at a 25 hp diesel compared to a 32 hp gas, both kubota. Thanks

Which models are you looking at ?

 

[GManBart]

An $$$ tier IV emissions diesel burning more $$$ diesel vs a fuel injected gasser burning cheaper fuel? Let's keep track of the total operating cost over 10 years.

I use nothing but ethanol-free gas in my small engines, and it costs quite a bit more than diesel does right now....like $1 more per gallon.

 

[presnewt]

Which models are you looking at ?

I am looking at steiners and ventrac, both have kubota 25 hp diesel and kubota 31 hp gas available, both are liquid cooled


Thanks