Oil & Fuel Drove tractor to diesel station to refuel.

[dooleysm]

There is an old co-op gas station about 1/3 of a mile from my house. It's very convenient for me to fill up. Except in the winter, then it becomes the longest 1/3 mile ever!

I don't even bother unhooking whatever attachment I'm using at the time.

 

[Doc_Bob]

My question would be this If I drive to or from the station with off-road diesel already in the tank and get stopped am I subject to fine?

My guess would be yes, whatever your reasoning might be.

My guess is no, since farm tractors routinely drive on public roads to and from fields. In Wisconsin, as I assume in every AG state, it is the law that you can drive a tractor on public roads. The fellow who leases my land drives 10 miles on a public road to farm my land. 350 NH tractor and he does it every year.
Bob

PS If you get stopped for not using your 4 way flashers, having one set of wheels on road and one on shoulder, you would get fined for those infractions, but not for off road diesel in a off road tractor. Now, if it is your diesel truck picking groceries at the Quiki-mart, you are toast.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

My question would be this If I drive to or from the station with off-road diesel already in the tank and get stopped am I subject to fine?

My guess would be yes, whatever your reasoning might be.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a purist as I have driven my tractor to several neighbors within several miles of my home and I use off-road diesel too. Interesting conversation though.

Next time I'm in the station in question, I'll run it past the station owner....who happens to be County Road Commisioner. Wanna bet on what his answer will be? (Buy my fuel and FORGET any aplicable laws...(?))

 

[PineRidge]

Looks like I might be a minority here guys. Remember I'm not talking AG tractors, I'm talking CUTs, there is a big difference.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Looks like I might be a minority here guys. Remember I'm not talking AG tractors, I'm talking CUTs, there is a big difference.

We still love you, even if you do run R4. I never thought tires dictated if a tractor was a tractor with a little t (R4?? ) or a TRACTOR, with a BIG T (AG tires).
Bob

 

[frank_f15]

Well, after I called the local cops, the DMV and County Cops, I drove my NH TN70A to the local diesel truck stop (2 miles one way) on public roads to refuel. Two lane roads, lightly traveled, good sun light and good visibility. 4 way flashers on, headlights on, SMV mounted. So much easier than moving fuel in 5 gallon yellow diesel cans. I don't have a truck, so carrying smelly diesel in my sedan was ruled out early. Carried four 5 gallon diesel cans in the bucket. I got 20 gallons in the cans and filled the tractor. Entire trip took 0.3 hrs on the meter. Traveled in eighth gear at 1500 rpm. Smooth and easy. And not a drop of stinky diesel spilled in my sedan.
Bob

PS One car passed me on a curve, marked by double yellow lines . Darwinism in action.

my question would be, if you are in a rural area, and following all laws IE flashers on, smv on tractor etc, why would you get stopped? And if you did get stopped for whatever reason, do you think they would even check to see what kind of fuel is in the tank?

 

[Doc_Bob]

my question would be, if you are in a rural area, and following all laws IE flashers on, smv on tractor etc, why would you get stopped? And if you did get stopped for whatever reason, do you think they would even check to see what kind of fuel is in the tank?

I agree.
Bob

 

[neverenough]

Whether a vehicle is an on/off road vehicle, is defined by the main purpose of the vehicle. Tractors (no matter the size), skid steers, frontend loaders, crawlers, ect... have a main purpose of working off road, yet can still use the shoulder of the road to go from one work site to another. Driving to a fuel station, as inefficient as it is, does not make an off road vehicle an on road vehicle.

 

[daTeacha]

Pine Ridge -- If you go west from your NE Ohio location to Bucyrus and Crawford county, you'll find very large tractors running between fields at pretty good speeds using off road fuel. Some farms over there have fields 50 miles apart and they need to drive the equipment from place to place to get the work done. No one hassles them about what kind of fuel is in the tank. It's very similar here in Wayne County. Tractors on the road are farm equipment, no questions asked.

The big thing about off road fuel is the sulfur content and emissions plus the whole road tax thing. However, Amish buggies do more damage to the roads than tractors do and they only pay a voluntary user fee, maybe, and that's through their church.

 

[Doc_Bob]

Whether a vehicle is an on/off road vehicle, is defined by the main purpose of the vehicle. Tractors (no matter the size), skid steers, frontend loaders, crawlers, ect... have a main purpose of working off road, yet can still use the shoulder of the road to go from one work site to another. Driving to a fuel station, as inefficient as it is, does not make an off road vehicle an on road vehicle.

0.3 hours for 40 gallons of fuel was much easier for me than moving 2 sets of 20 gallons each and then putting 20 gallons into the tractor.I used about .24 gallons of diesel fuel (guess, I use 0.8 gallons an hour in the TN70A) which is 75 cents. With two trips in a car or truck, it would have been 8 miles or at 24 mpg, about 1 dollar in fuel. Then, running the tractor on the road was a great experience !

Also, in Wisconsin, the only time you can use the shoulder is if the entire tractor can fit on the shoulder safely. The DMV, City cops made it very clear that a tractor cannot ride one set of wheels on shoulder and one set on roadway. Considered unsafe. They will ticket me if I do that.
Bob