Gasoline Tractors are they coming Back ?

[/pine]

Love those old continental Red Seal engines...had a L6 226 in a Willys pick up...used to see the same engine in Bantam cranes and other industrial machines like compressors, generators, pumps etc., etc...!

 

[Hay Dude]

Had old gasoline tractors, it is a nightmare and all of them had a unlimited thirst for fuel, have a MF135 diesel and a full tank seems last forever, no gas trakctor starts easier than a AD3-152 diesel.

I remember big block gas engines in class 7 & 8 trucks. They were a joke and got 3-4 MPG

 

[Hilbilly]

So after some of the feedback here and gathering more information, I see that the main reason for the increase in diesel vs gas, is the conversion to ULS fuel. However reading the link that Williy provided indicates the huge increases are mainly due to oil companies gouging us now to make up for the losses they experienced due to Covid. I'm sure there are lots of reasons / excuses for the ridiculous prices we are facing but like most people I am not pleased.

I guess I should have bought shares in the oil companies during Covid.

 

[finn1]

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but let's face it, diesel is in the public eye these days. Our current government would love to do away with it completely. If they somehow create an environment artificially that keeps fuel prices high, perhaps it will give the industry more incentive to start moving away from diesel. At least, that's the plan. And it seems to be working, with Cummins developing a gasoline version of their popular 6.7L engine, Ford dropping two new gas engines in the last 24 months, and semi-truck manufacturers showing off hydrogen fuel cell and electric options to fleets. I would say it's only a matter of time until ag equipment follows suit.

I would like to note that I do not personally agree with the way things are going. I'm just pointing out how it is. This current administration sees environmental issues as their key to staying in power. All they have to do is convince folks there is a problem, and then present themselves as the solution to that problem.

Your manifesto is the epitome of conspiracy theory propaganda.

 

[Cougsfan]

Having owned both gas and diesel tractors for years and put lots of hours on both, there ain't no way you could talk me into buying a gas tractor again for numerous reasons. I think a lot of people are comparing the simplicity of a 1960's gas tractor engine to the complexity of a modern diesel tractor engine. A modern gas tractor engine would likely be just as complex as a modern diesel engine, but likely have a much shorter life cycle and have a higher fuel consumption rate per ft lb of torque. Same as in the '60's.

The $2 per gallon diesel vs gasoline cost difference on average would be a fairly sizable exaggeration where I live. Off-road diesel vs regular gas is currently less than half that difference. Taxed diesel is around $1.50/gallon more expensive, but I never buy that for my tractor. And we are in an anomaly at the moment, it usually isn't that great of difference.

 

[Paystar]

Having owned both gas and diesel tractors for years and put lots of hours on both, there ain't no way you could talk me into buying a gas tractor again for numerous reasons. I think a lot of people are comparing the simplicity of a 1960's gas tractor engine to the complexity of a modern diesel tractor engine. A modern gas tractor engine would likely be just as complex as a modern diesel engine, but likely have a much shorter life cycle and have a higher fuel consumption rate per ft lb of torque. Same as in the '60's.

The $2 per gallon diesel vs gasoline cost difference on average would be a fairly sizable exaggeration where I live. Off-road diesel vs regular gas is currently less than half that difference. Taxed diesel is around $1.50/gallon more expensive, but I never buy that for my tractor. And we are in an anomaly at the moment, it usually isn't that great of difference.

Right now where I am north of the Sault in Ontario Canada, off road dyed diesel is more than clear on road diesel and gasoline! Why? Because they know we need to heat our homes for the winter.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Right now where I am north of the Sault in Ontario Canada, off road dyed diesel is more than clear on road diesel and gasoline! Why? Because they know we need to heat our homes for the winter.

So, go buy the clear and dump/pump it in the heat oil tank.

SR

 

[4570Man]

Right now where I am north of the Sault in Ontario Canada, off road dyed diesel is more than clear on road diesel and gasoline! Why? Because they know we need to heat our homes for the winter.

I’ve been burning road diesel in my equipment all summer because it’s been cheaper than red. There’s only one supplier in town for red is the only reason I see for it. But I’ve never seen red diesel at $1.50 cheaper than road fuel. It’s usually 50-60 cents cheaper. If you had a farm card the difference might be a little more. But us construction guys still have to pay sales tax on red fuel.

 

[cathy liebchen]

Gas tractors are not coming back, obviously.

 

[eagle628]

Now you have a naturally aspirated, simple gasoline pushrod 2.0L 3-cylinder that can make 38 HP and 110 lbf-ft of torque, theoretically. This would easily fit in our CUTs and burn hardly any gasoline when you're just loafing around doing basic work. Under sustained heavy load, it would surely burn more fuel vs our current diesels, but for guys like me that mostly do basic light-duty loader work? Who cares! It would be great. Keep in mind that my power figures were for just 1500 rpm! No reason not to rev it up to 3000 and BLOW away the power and torque that our current, lethargic diesels make. But at under 2000rpm, it should be pretty quiet and reliable.

"Loafing around doing basic work" is pretty much the ideal scenario for a an electric machine, plus it'd give you better power under short heavy load than either gas or diesel. The only place electric comes up short is sustained heavy load, until or unless the next big jump in energy storage, and diesel fills that gap perfectly, so what kind of target market does that leave for gas?