Do you use home heating or pump at the diesel

[Dave P]

Ok, I know what some of you are saying not again,:thumbdown:but with the price of fuel going up I just wanted to know how many of you are using home heating fuel ? I'm still getting fuel at the pump 5gal. cans,($4.29 gal.) I guess I feel that spending all them $$$$ on a nice tractor I didn't want to take a chance on messing up the motor trying to save a few cents now to have to pay out big $$$ later.
Does these newer tractors need pump fuel or is it the same as what we burn in our homes?
Anyone have trouble burning home heating fuel in your tractors?

My tractor is a JD 4320, 1020 hrs on it. Probably 75% of the fuel I have run has been #2 fuel oil or home heating fuel. No problems at all. I just happen to call a local fuel dealer the other day for pricing for my Mom. I don't heat with fuel oil, heat with wood. No grid power either, "off road " has a lot of different meanings. Anyway, this dealer told me the sulfur is not a factor, the "low sulfur" is now the same in both type fuels. He did mention off road fuel has an additive called C-Tane, where heating oil does not. In his opinion he would not put heating oil in a Diesel engine. I think that is crap to be honest. If you go to google and search on C-Tane, it is an additive that one can purchase if you feel you should have C-Tane in the fuel. I am going to purchase 275 gallons of home heating fuel this weekend from a guy who is converting to LP. I bought some last year also, converted to Natural Gas. Last years fuel cost $2.00 per gallon. This time I am paying $2.75 per gallon, still a good deal. The first guy even gave me his tank. As you can see, I have no problem using it. I use it in my 350 C JD Dozer (mid 70's) 2000 mini excavator, along with the JD 4320, 2006. Hope this helps.

 

[nspec]

First of all it is called cetane. It is not an additive. It is a measure of how easily or quickly the fuel will combust. The higher the number, the more quickly and easily the fuel will combust. It is similar to the octane ratings of gasoline. It is ONE measure of fuel quality (lubricity, etc...). One can buy a cetane booster that will supposedly raise the cetane rating by a couple of numbers. It is a liquid that is added to the tank. The cetane number is posted at the pump.

I would be concerned about the lubricity of home heating oil. Low sulfer fuel has inherent lubricity problems. Ulsd from the pump has lubricity additives added so it is kinder to our fuel pumps. I have several cases of injection pump issues using lsd or ulsd without extra lubricity.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I switched late last summer to HHO and all seems OK so far. I wondered about the gelling issue, too, but wouldn't that also be a problem for flow from outside furnace-fuel tanks?
The price difference is substantial here (at least 20 to 25 cents per liter).
BOB

 

[Jay4200]

I switched late last summer to HHO and all seems OK so far. I wondered about the gelling issue, too, but wouldn't that also be a problem for flow from outside furnace-fuel tanks?
The price difference is substantial here (at least 20 to 25 cents per liter).
BOB

Outside-tank furnaces can't use #2 heating oil. They have to use kerosene (or a 50/50 mix).

JayC

 

[MrWhippy]

I've been using HHO in my tractors for 20 years. NEVER have had a fuel pump problem. (Thats with over 5000 hours combined use) RARELY have gelling issues (sometimes when temps are below 10F). Maryland only allows low sulfur diesel and HHO.

YMMV

 

[nspec]

You never had a problem because 20 years ago there was no such thing as low sulfur and ultra low sulfur fuel. This is a fairly recent development. As I previously stated, some fuel pumps have had significant problems with the lack of lubricity of these new blends - fact. LSD and ULSD have additives to increase fuel lubricity and address these issues, while most #2 does not. Does this mean everyone will have problems? No way. I too used to run #2 with no problems. On an older machine with an injector pump that has many hrs on it, there will probably be no issues. It's already worn and built to much less exacting tolerances. New pumps and injectors will not hold up as well.

 

[TCJatko]

Outside tanks can use #2 oil, just use diesel fuel additive. I've done it for decades. Use it for the tractor, too.

 

[MrWhippy]

You never had a problem because 20 years ago there was no such thing as low sulfur and ultra low sulfur fuel. This is a fairly recent development. As I previously stated, some fuel pumps have had significant problems with the lack of lubricity of these new blends - fact. LSD and ULSD have additives to increase fuel lubricity and address these issues, while most #2 does not. Does this mean everyone will have problems? No way. I too used to run #2 with no problems. On an older machine with an injector pump that has many hrs on it, there will probably be no issues. It's already worn and built to much less exacting tolerances. New pumps and injectors will not hold up as well.

Guess we'll see on the Workmaster 55. So far, no signs of trouble at 90 hours. When I checked the specs, it said nothing other than Low Sulfur diesel/fuel oil. Also asked at the time of purchase about fuel oil.

This may vary from region to region, but I was assured that if it ran well in the 1710 and the 5600, it will run well in the WM55

 

[LBrown59]

1*I just wanted to know how many of you are using home heating fuel ?
2* I didn't want to take a chance on messing up the motor trying to save a few cents now to have to pay out big $$$ later.
3*Does these newer tractors need pump fuel or is it the same as what we burn in our homes?
4*Anyone have trouble burning home heating fuel in your tractors?
5*No problem burning HHO in your tractor..... its the same as pump diesel around here, just has the dye added.
6*Most new tractors use low sulfur Diesel; do you really know what you are getting?
7*At the rate I use fuel I wouldn't consider using anything other than off road Diesel in my tractors.
8*Where I am located it is the exact same diesel #2 fuel, for the tractors in my bulk barrel, or in my furnace tank.
9*Delivery guy pulls from the same tank on his delivery truck.
It's possible there is #2 heating fuel without the lubricity additives out there,
10* but I've not seen it.
11* They have a limited number of tanks and pipelines to hold & deliver this stuff across the country,
12*cheaper to just keep it all the same, instead of a different tank & fuel lines for the suppliers to deal with.
13*If you are talking about dyed fuel vs non-dyed fuel, it's the same stuff, dyed does not have road tax paid on it; your tractor nor your furnace owe road tax so the cheaper stuff is good for your tractor.
14*Don't put the dyed stuff in your diesel pickup, depending on the state you are in most have about a $10,000 fine for that....
15*First thing to remember is home heating oil doesn't have anti-gel added to it
16*it so you'll want to add something like power service until it warms up.
17* In this state dealers can't sell HHO as off road diesel, their trucks have different tanks for each.
18*It could be because off road diesel went low sulfur sooner than heating oil .
*or if it has to do with different additives for each one.
19*There are three options here, (road) diesel, of road diesel and heating oil.
A quick check online shows the average road diesel price here is $3.90/gallon, putting offroad diesel at probably $3.72/gallon or so. And our current price for home heating oil is significantly more at $4.20/ gallon.
20*So, don't assume you'll be getting a better deal by going with heating oil.
21*It's more convenient having it delivered though.
22*I would run any of the above in my tractor. It's an early 90s NH 3230 (~350 hours) that has been run on mostly home heating oil, but off road diesel for the past few years.
23* using HHO would be far too inconvenient and I typically don't use much more than about 20 gallons a year.

1*Any one using ULSD which is 95 to 99 percent of the fuel sold no matter what it's called,.
2*Paying un owed taxes won't help you one bit on that.
3*As of 2010 everything was switched to just one fuel - ULSD .
4*It's all ULSD so why would there be a problem ?
5*Yep it's all ULSD.
6*Yes because they don't make the other stuff anymore.
7*You can use any of it no matter what rate you use it.
8*Its all ULSD.
9*Yep all same stuff.
10*Neither have I.
11*That's one reason they went to ULSD only.
The EPA was going to force it on them in steps down the line anyway so they just got it over with back in 2010.
12*Exactly.
13*Correct.
14*Good advice.
15*Since it's ULSD and ULSD comes in winter blend so then does home heating oil .
16*That's what i use but not because of jelling.
17*Why not they are both ULSD? ? so why the 2 tanks. ???
18*It could be because off road diesel went low sulfur sooner than heating oil .
That was the EPA plan but the refiners skipped the second step and went to the last one and made everything ULSD,
thus doing away with Home heating oil VS off road verses on road.
*or if it has to do with different additives for each one.
*Additives had nothing to do with it.
Your state is still back in the dark ages Concerning ULSD .
19*The choices aren't 3 fuels but rather Just one fuel called different names.
20*They are taking people with the $4.20/ a gallon price because people don't know any different.
21*. Rite.
22*Since it's all been ULSD since 2010 it doesn't matter any more.
23* Why would using HHO be anymore more inconvenient than any other Fuel ?

 

[RickB]

First of all it is called cetane. It is not an additive. It is a measure of how easily or quickly the fuel will combust. The higher the number, the more quickly and easily the fuel will combust. It is similar to the octane ratings of gasoline. It is ONE measure of fuel quality (lubricity, etc...). One can buy a cetane booster that will supposedly raise the cetane rating by a couple of numbers. It is a liquid that is added to the tank. The cetane number is posted at the pump.

I would be concerned about the lubricity of home heating oil. Low sulfer fuel has inherent lubricity problems. Ulsd from the pump has lubricity additives added so it is kinder to our fuel pumps. I have several cases of injection pump issues using lsd or ulsd without extra lubricity.

Before you get all huffy, Google C-Tane and discover it is in fact a fuel additive, just as Dave posted, and exactly as he spelled it. The common spelling and definition of cetane is as you suggest.
The lubricity of ULS HHO won't be materially different than most ULSD on- or off-road fuel you buy. Some individual fuel retailers may add various additives to fuel they sell, but making an industry-wide blanket statement that ULS Diesel fuel is materially different from ULS HHO is impossible to substantiate. They are both typically marketed as #2 fuels, and there is a reason for that.