Oil & Fuel Fuel Useage Rate for B7100 HST

yeagisyeag · Mar 14, 2009

Hi all,

I did a search to see if I could find this out, but the only thread that came close kinda drifted away from fuel use into hour meter theory...

Anyway, I'm wondering if any B7100 owners out there can give me an estimate as to how long I'll be able to run mine before worrying about checking the fuel tank.

I guestimate that most of my use initially will be mowing with a 60" MMM, but I also have a 12" plow that I'm working on, and expect to be dragging around some downed trees, among other things.

My property is about an hour's drive from home, I don't feel comfortable leaving my tractor out there if I run it out of fuel by accident, and I'm pretty certain I won't be able to push it back onto the trailer.

So, can anyone ease my mind? I sure don't want to be stopping every half hour, or worse yet stopping the wife or daughter, to check fuel level.

Or has anyone come up with a way to gauge the fuel in the tank? Mine is pretty opaque, guessing from age, so I really can't judge visually.

Thanks!
Jim

B2400 · Mar 14, 2009

It's been several years since I sold mine, but I recall that it was in the 1-1.5 gph range while mowing the yard.

KubotaSam · Mar 14, 2009

I am not sure about hours of usage till empty. I have a B7100 gear drive. I don't use it for extended periods of time at high RPM like you would with a mower or bush hog. When I use the backhoe it runs just above idle and I can run most all day on a tank of fuel. I had the same problem seeing the fuel level in the tank that I solved quite easily. I bought a two foot piece of clear fuel line and two "T" fittings. I cut into the fuel line where it leaves the bottom of the tank and inserted one of the "T" fittings. Then I ran the clear fuel line up the outside of the tank and cut the other "T" fitting into the return line from the injectors at the top of the tank. Now all I need to do is to look at the clear line running up the side of the tank to tell how much fuel I have left.

yeagisyeag · Mar 14, 2009

Thanks B2400, hopefully mine will be similar.

KubotaSam, that's a great idea for the "sight glass" made with clear tubing. I have been considering replacing all my hoses with Viton hoses, to make sure there'll be no issues with biodiesel. Maybe this will be a good time to add a gauge such as yours.

I've been buying B20 at the pump lately for my Jeep, so I have 5 gallons waiting here for the B7100.

Thanks,
Jim

Firefighter Kubota · Mar 14, 2009

perhaps bring a full 5 gal fuel can as a back up?

LBrown59 · Mar 14, 2009

yeagisyeag said:
I've been buying B20 at the pump lately for my Jeep, so I have 5 gallons waiting here for the B7100.

Thanks,
Jim

Why not go with the red stuff for the B7100 and save 30 to 50 cents a gallon?

GaryE · Mar 14, 2009

Jim,

When I had my B6000 with no fuel gauge, it would only run out of fuel when it was at the farthest end of the field so it was sure I would have to carry the fuel and tools as far as possible to get her going again...

It had a mind of it's own...

yeagisyeag · Mar 15, 2009

LBrown59 said:
Why not go with the red stuff for the B7100 and save 30 to 50 cents a gallon?

That's the off-road fuel? Where would I go to buy that? (I thought it was only for commercial users.)

Jim

yeagisyeag · Mar 15, 2009

GaryE said:
Jim,

When I had my B6000 with no fuel gauge, it would only run out of fuel when it was at the farthest end of the field so it was sure I would have to carry the fuel and tools as far as possible to get her going again...

It had a mind of it's own...

Now that sounds like it would happen to me! Or better yet, the kiddo runs it out, then dismounts and chases butterflies the rest of the day......

Time to go home!

Where's the tractor?

Oh I forgot to tell you, it just stopped.

When?

Before.

Why didn't you...... nevermind....... Where's the flashlight?

Don't worry dad, I left the lights on so you could find it!

Can't wait......
Jim

LBrown59 · Mar 15, 2009

yeagisyeag said:
That's the off-road fuel? Where would I go to buy that? (I thought it was only for commercial users.)

Jim

It's for anyone who does not use fuel on the highways and byways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Look in the phone book under
1*Fueling service
2*Gasoline wholesale
3*Fuel distributors
ETC
and other
such titles.

Also ask around at your local service stations.
You might find one of them that sells it.
Some of the local stations around here but not all of them sell on road diesel .
There is only 1 gas station in this area that has the RED off road stuff.
We have 3 fuel distributors here.
I have purchased the red off road fuel from 2 of them .
They are Green Valley CO OP
&
Englefield Oil Co.

Do you have either of those companies in or around your area?