dyed kerosene or diesel?

[mtsman]

Ok, I'm a greenhorn when it comes to diesel tractors. I just bought a Yanmar. The dealer said:

-use off-road diesel #2
-do not use kerosene?
-just look for the red dye
-he gave me a small can of CD-2 cold weather diesel treatment to add to fuel during cold times

I go to the Exxon and ask for off-road diesel. The counter person looks at me funny. He has no clue. The have 2 pumps. One says diesel with no numbers (1 or 2). The other is a pump to a 250 gal exterior tank that says "Dyed Kerosene" not taxed, not for on-road use.

I am assuming the second one is the right one, but it says "Kerosene" not diesel. I've read 3 pages of posts in this fuel section. I don't think straight Kerosene is ok. Can someone direct me to the correct post or explain.

 

[BrokerBob]

I'll take a shot at the answer. As far as I know, "off road diesel" simply refers to diesel fuel which is not taxed. One would not expect to purchase this from a service station. In Connecticut (and I assume elsewhere), trucks are often pulled over and their fuel "checked". Off-road (non-taxed) diesel and home heating oil are not dyed the same color as on-road diesel. The intent here is to prevent people from using un-taxed fuels for highway use.

Kerosene is often used to "thin out" diesel fuel during cold weather use as the parafin in diesel fuel tends to solidify and restrict the flow. On the other hand, you do not want to use kerosene as an alternative to diesel fuel. Not a very good idea I would think. I am assuming here that the statement that the kerosene was dyed was for the purpose of indicating that that taxes had been paid and that it could be legally blended with diesel fuel. I invite others to confirm this or correct me.

 

[MJB]

If the kerosene at the service station is dyed red it is intended for use in portable heaters or other not highway uses. What you want is #2 (or #1 if you live in a cold area) off-road diesel. Regular on-road diesel will also work, but it will cost more with the taxes. You should be able to buy off-road diesel from any heating oil supply place. I heat my house with oil so I just take my tractor fuel right out of my heating tank. According to my local supplier, their heating oil is identical to off-road diesel except that they add some fuel conditioner additives to the off-road diesel. I bought a gallon of Power-Service fuel conditioner and just put some in when I refuel the tractor. Hope this helps.

 

[Surge]

Not sure where you are at but in our neck of the woods, Nebraska... all your local Co-ops have the dyed off-road diesel for tractors... I go to my local Cenex Dealership and buy it.. currently .78 cents per gallon.. bought my last batch at .72 cents per gallon.... It was winterized, meaning it had the blend of #1 and #2.... I also use power service diesel fuel additive for the additional benefits of lubrication of the fuel injectors and the higher centane number (similar to octane) reading.... Cheap insurance on the fuel... also get's cold here during the winter months... warming up now of course...

 

[mtsman]

Thanks fellas. I'm from Southwest PA and although there is a lot of farming in PA most of it occurs in central and eastern PA. The limestone belts start there. The soil around Pittsburgh is moderately acidic and in most cases is not outstanding for food crops. Less crop farming equals fewer tractors and off-road diesel is tough to find.

I did not know regular diesel would work, thanks. I have never seen "dyed kerosene" before. I'm too young to remember oil furnaces.

I went back to that station just to make sure I was not seeing things incorrectly. It was label "dyed kerosene". I have talked to a couple people and they said I could use the dyed kerosene but its not the best for the engine.

 

[EdKing]

MtsMan,
Where in southwest Pa do you live ? You can get farm/off-road deisel if you look in Washington or Greene county. My local gas station (in Greene Co) sells it for about a buck a gallon. Also check with local contractors, they will use off-road deisel in there equiptment. The guy who timbered my place gets his from Zappi oil in Washington Pa, if he buys 150 gallon or more, he gets it for $0.85 a gallon.

 

[mtsman]

Edman,

We live North of Pgh. Its about an hour drive to Washington, PA. I could do that but your second recommendation is exactly what I did. I looked for a contractor pulling a trailer. I saw one at a conveniece store so I pulled over and asked him where to get #2. He said the nearest place was in Mars and that he has always had trouble finding it in the North Hills. Mars is only about 10 miles.

Thanks. I bet there alot of big bucks in Greene County?

 

[labuba]

I may be able to shed a little light on this subject. I was in the fuel business for many years. The different fuels you are discussing here are all levels of refinement . Furnace oil is at the bottom, is the thickest with the most parraffins etc but has the most BTU's ie power but will gel in the cold weather and is colored. Stove oil is refined more, is cleaner won't gel in cold weather but has less BTU's (less power). In winter in cold climates Number two diesel is a product of 80% stove and 20% furnace and as it warms up the mix works back to the opposite of 20% stove and 80% furnace in mid summer so in the late fall or spring you might be getting 50% stove and fifty percent furnace. Number one diesel is 100% stove oil. All of these products are made clear but any that are meant for other than road use are dyed purple so anything in a truck on the road should be clear or amber in other words natural color which means the road tax has been paid. . Kerosene is refined even further, cleaner, with much less BTU's and is actually Jet "A" fuel used in the big 747's etc and the old lamps not at all good for a diesel engine not enough BTU's. If you are in a warmer climate furnace (heating) oil right from your tank would work the best and give you the most power If you are in doubt about gelling buy some stove oil and mix it in we also mix in methyl hydrate if it is really cold at about 1/2 gal per 100. The only thing for any of these fuels is to keep it from gelling and make sure you give your fuel filters propper mantenance. Where I am our winters get down to 40 below so we run straight stove oil or same thing( number one diesel) but in summer we run straight furnace oil the only time we mix it is spring and fall but we keep it as thick as we can for economy..regards David

 

[fractal]

I just buy regular diesel at the local gas station and pay the road tax on it. I have gone through maybe 6 gallons of fuel since I bought the tractor 9 months ago. That's what, maybe a dollar in road tax I didn't need to pay. I did spend one afternoon looking for off road diesel. I don't think there is anywhere around here to buy it retail and none of the wholesalers are interested in some home owner who goes through 5-10 gal of diesel every year.

So, my advice is to go back to exxon and buy the regular diesel fuel that the socer moms put in their mercs and not sweat it.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...Stove oil is refined more...</font color=blue>

I think alot of the terminology is regional...

The term "stove oil" is very popular up north in Canada, Alaska, NW Territories... etc.... not so anymore in our area...

If you ordered "stove oil" here... they will deliver kerosene...