Fueling tractor

[dogrv]

What you guys find to be the better way of fuel transfer to get away from lifting 5 gal jugs to fill tractor
Don’t use enough for 50 gal drum with pump

 

[dogrv]

Ditto the harbour freight pump. Takes
about three minutes to empty a five gallon can. Good deal for $10 on sale

 

[RammerJammer]

If you have a smaller tractor, don't need to move a lot of fuel, etc., worse comes to worst, transfer to a gallon container with a hand siphon "pump" and pour from the gallon jugs. Slow but reliable and, when I've done it that way, never spilled a drop.

I could handle 5 gallon containers but I could also dig ditches and move dirt in a wheelbarrow. But, that's why I got a tractor - to make life easier! However, if you need to move gallons and gallons of fuel and need to refill often, better find another way than a gallon at a time.

I like the idea of an elevated container and siphoning/draining directly into the tractor tank. But, I'd prefer not to get into any "dregs" at the bottom of a larger tank without a adequate pre-filter.

I find that some fuel sources are more prone to contamination that others - Including algae. (Even with a biocide.) I have tested a couple of sources and found one to be much better than my original source. Shop around.

 

[SylvainG]

I know it's crazy. You guys had snow and me more north only had rain.

I've used one of the old school hand pumps (mine happens to be from the 50's) and installed a filter on the outlet side of it. Snowing like crazy now so I don't have a picture but pretty much the same as the picture below. Easy, no power needed, fairly fast. Uncomplicated.
View attachment 694858

 

[Kolohe07]

Put some 2x4s across your loader arms and put the fuel can on them. Then raise a little so the can is higher than the tank opening.

 

[Hamlin6]

What you guys find to be the better way of fuel transfer to get away from lifting 5 gal jugs to fill tractor
Don’t use enough for 50 gal drum with pump

I use a Tera pump. It screws right onto the fuel can. It has auto shutoff also. It uses 4 AA batteries. I have been very pleased with it. I found it on Amazon.

 

[mikedodd]

What you guys find to be the better way of fuel transfer to get away from lifting 5 gal jugs to fill tractor
Don’t use enough for 50 gal drum with pump

I went whole-hog and bought a used 275-gallon fuel-oil tank. I plumbed it directly to our 6KW diesel generator (emergency backup to the solar power system), and added a hose and nozzle made from PVC pipe and a valve to fill the tractor. Photo is attached.

The generator and the tank live behind our octagonal tractor shed. Here's a link if anyone is interested in that: Octagonal tractor shed

 

[JLH4]

i still use 5 gal. cans but I leave them on the ground and fill a 1 gal. can with a big funnel to fill the tractor. It takes about 4 trips but I only need to do it about once or twice a month.

 

[JWR]

Well, you only have 11 pages of goodies so far and more has to be better.

I use one of these 35 gal tanks intended for insecticide and farm chemicals. You do need to replace the gaskets at the outlet with fuel tolerant ones. I find the 35 gal size to be just right for my rate of utilization.

This was all from Tractor Supply. Works fine using gravity feed out of pickup truck or however you move it around. Actually I have an old junker Subaru wagon at the farm and this fits in the back of the Subaru nicely. Use a large heavy plastic pan under it for spills. Then I got tired of waiting on the slow gravity feed and the nuisance of finding high and low ground adjacent, etc. ... so I bought a 12v pump via Amazon Amazon.com: New 12V 175W Biodiesel Kerosene Pump Cast Fuel Oil Diesel Transfer Pump 45L/Min: Automotive which is so much handier and quicker. It pumps 12 gal per minute. I attached some transparent hose so I can watch the fuel flow. Also I drive the pump typically with a battery charger so I can plug it in the wall of the garage but it is nice to be able to use 12v when needed too.

 

[Martin Roper]

What you guys find to be the better way of fuel transfer to get away from lifting 5 gal jugs to fill tractor
Don’t use enough for 50 gal drum with pump

Started with 5 gallon cans with a hand pump all mounted on a small trailer, then 40 gallon drums with a hand pump then 3 years ago moved to a 300 gallon bowser with an electric pump which has paid for it's self because the fuel delivery is at a much better price.

 

[pokey1416]

Flofast 10 gallon and the rotary hand crank. I can still lift full jugs into and out of wife’s SUV.

 

[OldPaint]

Pretty hard to set diesel on fire, unless you manage to compress it just a little.

 

[gbward3]

I built a 12v system for under $100 dollars that fills my tractor in about 1 minute. This describes it:

 

[AgentH2]

The small electric pumps are great. Don't buy the cheap ones though. Terea pump makes a higher quality product that will last. I bough 2 cheap one and they are crap. The Terapump is faster, better built and has an auto shutoff so you can just clip the nozzle on and hit the go button.

Amazon.com : tera pump

 

[xkrfan]

For my gas-guzzlers, I still use 5-gallon cans. But I have a 4 AA battery powered pump with auto shutoff. I only have to get the can there, not lift it anymore. Most often I wheel the gas can around on a dolly. The pump will screw onto the gas can. It came with three adapters to fit many different cans.

For my diesels, I use 30-gallon closed top barrel. I have it strapped to a dedicated dolly with a 12v pump, filter and standard fuel pump nozzle. I added a flow/gallon sensor inline. For 12v power, I use one of those rechargeable auto battery jump packs. I can still handle the 30-gallon barrel on a dolly and I have a way to load and unload the barrel to/from the truck with a barrel lift chain.

Any photos? Screw on Pump sounds interesting.

 

[xkrfan]

No need to post photos....I think I just saw them on Amazon. Great idea.Thanks.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I got tired of 5 gal cans so got this 100 gal transfer tank and put it on a pallet. The pallet is reinforced with plywood for stiffness. The tank is mounted on rubber bumpers that allow the pallet to flex without stressing the tank. To avoid cracks.

I put it in back of the truck to take to the gas station, and then put it wherever it is out of the way when not in use. The fill-rite pump runs off the tractor battery. Works fine.

 

[grsthegreat]

Pretty hard to set diesel on fire, unless you manage to compress it just a little.

..?.. I use diesel to get my burn pits going. Works great.

 

[Joe Batt]

...
I modified two caps on the drum so that I can apply some compressed air from my compressor.
...

After buying a "compressed air pump" from Northern Tool and having made one on my own for a 30 gallon gas caddy, you definitely need a real fuel nozzle and hose, but they are inexpensive. I would also recommend a clear filter (goldenrod?) and a drain. In my barrel, I just drilled a 1/8" hole near the bottom and put a sheet metal screw in it. This year I had to drain about 2" of water out of the bottom of my barrel.

 

[beenthere]

Wow!! Interesting methods.

A 5 gal diesel can once or three times a month works for me. Only 15 miles to the diesel pumping station.

At 82, can still lift it to the tractor hood fill point, but when that time comes that I cannot, simply will just put fewer gallons than 5 in the diesel can.
Original plan was to get 30 gal at a time in 30 gal barrel, then just lift it with the FEL and gravity flow to the tractor tank. But turned out to be way too much extra horsing around, so went to the few gal at a time when needed.
Have the two Yanmar diesels in the 455 and the 4300. Frequency of fills has not been a big problem, the Yanmar's sip fuel.