Oil & Fuel Filled with on road diesel - do i have to drain it?

Volfandt · Jul 13, 2008

I think ole George Jones got a DUI when he was caught making a spirits run on his John Deere. Seems he ran into a bridge support

Don't know if he was charged for running Off road fuel tho

davitk · Jul 13, 2008

Bird said:
As to the other part of your question . . ., it's actually unlawful to drive your tractor to work (unless it's farm work) whether you have your license or not. Technically, you can only operate farm equipment on the public roads for agricultural purposes. However, in reality, I'd be surprised to see an officer stop a farm tractor to inquire as to the purpose of the trip, unless he sees it regularly going somewhere that no farming is being done.

And of course, I'm talking about Texas law; don't know what it might be in other states.

I run a light construction business and cleared it with my American Family insurance agent that with my business policy I could drive my Kubota down the road to a job site. I may or may not be breaking the law but at least I am insured

Oh, and I switch from that off-road stuff for the road trip, better safe than sorry.

Ob1kubota · Jul 13, 2008

Robert_in_NY said:
There is no real difference between on and off road diesel and you can run either in your tractor without worrying.

Red dye = No Federal Highway Taxation, Green dye = You can run your tractor on the Interstate. (LOL)

Bird · Jul 13, 2008

davitk said:
I run a light construction business and cleared it with my American Family insurance agent that with my business policy I could drive my Kubota down the road to a job site. I may or may not be breaking the law but at least I am insured

Oh, and I switch from that off-road stuff for the road trip, better safe than sorry.

Of course I was talking about farm stuff, but yes, construction equipment also uses the off-road or untaxed fuel, and it's legal in Texas to drive the equipment on the road to job sites. It's done all the time. And you don't even have to switch fuels.

LBrown59 · Jul 13, 2008

Sully2 said:
Try having them deliver 10 gallon at a time!!!

I probably could do it.
I know i can get 25 gallon .

Sully2 · Jul 14, 2008

LBrown59 said:
I probably could do it.
I know i can get 25 gallon .

If they will give you 10 gallon drops with no surcharge...you better get all you can cause they wont be in business too much longer!

And "I" wont use 25 gallon of diesel this whole summer...so I dont even need that much sitting around

have_blue · Jul 14, 2008

Bird said:
Of course I was talking about farm stuff, but yes, construction equipment also uses the off-road or untaxed fuel, and it's legal in Texas to drive the equipment on the road to job sites. It's done all the time. And you don't even have to switch fuels.

If you get caught driving on road with offroad diesel, you get a heavy fine,,, but if you get caught driving offroad with onroad diesel, I bet they won't give you a rebate.

davitk · Jul 14, 2008

Bird said:
Of course I was talking about farm stuff, but yes, construction equipment also uses the off-road or untaxed fuel, and it's legal in Texas to drive the equipment on the road to job sites. It's done all the time. And you don't even have to switch fuels.

Whew, now that's a relief. It was getting pretty embarassing leaving that puddle of red fuel on the customer's drive.

LBrown59 · Jul 14, 2008

Sully2 said:
If they will give you 10 gallon drops with no surcharge...you better get all you can cause they wont be in business too much longer!

Here is how it works with where I get my off road delivered from.
They will top off my 30 gallon tank whenever they are in my area making other deliveries or if they are going rite past my place.
But If I call them up and say I need fuel tomorrow and they aren't going to be in my area tomorrow I would have to order 150 gallon or pay a special delivery charge.

Sully2 · Jul 14, 2008

LBrown59 said:
Here is how it works with where I get my off road delivered from.
They will top off my 30 gallon tank whenever they are in my area making other deliveries or if they are going rite past my place.
But If I call them up and say I need fuel tomorrow and they aren't going to be in my area tomorrow I would have to order 150 gallon or pay a special delivery charge.

Uh-huh! When they are in the area. But when I need 5 gallons to fill my Kubota..I need 5 gal NOW...not when someone is in the area!

Myusage is very very low...and I dont need even 25 gal of fuel sitting here. I used my 3030 2 weeks ago for a hard 3 hrs...then it sat till today when I used it for 1 hr to level the dirt I hauled in 2 weeks ago. Very low usage

LBrown59 · Jul 14, 2008

Sully2 said:
Uh-huh! When they are in the area. But when I need 5 gallons to fill my Kubota..I need 5 gal NOW...not when someone is in the area!

Myusage is very very low...and I dont need even 25 gal of fuel sitting here. I used my 3030 2 weeks ago for a hard 3 hrs...then it sat till today when I used it for 1 hr to level the dirt I hauled in 2 weeks ago. Very low usage

I can see how that could be a problem for you but for me in my situation it works out great.
I also have the option of taking my drum to the supplier and picking up fuel.

My cousins next door neighbor heats his house with fuel oil so my cousin gets a drum full there whenever he needs fuel.
I guess he could even drive his tractor over there and fill the tractor tank.

Bubba_Jr · Jul 14, 2008

Either one is fine but there actually is another difference between the two. ON road diesel has 15 PPM (parts per million) content of sulfur and OFF road or non-tax is much higher, usually around 500 PPM. Either one is fine in your tractor, but non-tax is of course cheaper. I run all off road diesel myself.
One other thing to consider if you are running off road diesel is the oil specification. With the higher sulfur content it is best to use the CD CE or CF, the -4 specs are for the lower sulfur content. If you use -4 and off road it will be fine, but I would just change it a little more frequently.

Bubba_Jr · Jul 14, 2008

One other thought, a lot of people ask why diesel is so much higher than gasoline now, it is because to achieve those low sulfur contents they have to run it through the refining process three times. It is no longer just a by product.

FullBucket · Jul 14, 2008

Thanks Bubba. I have been wondering why diesel fuel suddenly became more expensive than gas. Mentioned it to few people and nobody had any good explanation. Thanks for sharing that thought.

RickB · Jul 15, 2008

Bubba_Jr said:
Either one is fine but there actually is another difference between the two. ON road diesel has 15 PPM (parts per million) content of sulfur and OFF road or non-tax is much higher, usually around 500 PPM.

In many parts of the country, including mine, that statement is patently false. Off road fuel "here" is ULSD.

Bubba_Jr · Jul 15, 2008

Sorry Rick, should have qualified my answer. I was going by the fuel delivered to my local bulk plant.

Sully2 · Jul 15, 2008

Bubba_Jr said:
One other thought, a lot of people ask why diesel is so much higher than gasoline now, it is because to achieve those low sulfur contents they have to run it through the refining process three times. It is no longer just a by product.

THAT plus the fact that COMMERCE is moved via diesel! The more the truckers ( and farmers..etc..etc) are GOUGED by higher diesel costs..which they HAVE to pas on of course...the more of a strangle hold "certain people" have over the majority of the population!

Harry c · Jul 15, 2008

Diesel fuel has 10% more energy content than gasoline. Makes sense that it would cost 10% more.

Zick · Jul 17, 2008

Harry c said:
Diesel fuel has 10% more energy content than gasoline. Makes sense that it would cost 10% more.

Maybe but it's actually a byproduct during the creation of gasoline so before ULSD came into play it didn't actually cost them anything more in making Diesel.