Oil & Fuel Getting That Diesel

Thomas · Aug 4, 2000

Von,
By the sounds you have it pretty well figure out on how to get fuel also getting some tractor time in./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Stay safe and be/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Thomas..NH

Bird · Aug 4, 2000

Kubota-monkey, if you don't have a pickup, don't you have a little trailer? I don't know how anyone gets by without one or both./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I just set the barrel in and out of my pickup with the front end loader.

As for how long diesel is good; I've heard a lot of different stories. Naturally, I'd prefer "fresh" and I use a 55 gallon barrel about every 3-4 months. But just last week I was talking to a neighbor who buys his diesel in a 250 gallon tank mounted on a trailer and he said he's kept diesel for over a year and had no problem (he also uses the Power Service conditioner).

Bird

W5FL · Aug 4, 2000

Yeah Bird,

They probably laugh at me when I show up with a Jeep Cherokee to pull back a fertilizer trailer that weighs as much as the Jeep, but the Jeep is Air Conditioned and the a/c on my pick up quit working! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Let's see, I have a 18 foot 12,000# GVW and a couple of small 8 ft trailers. The all have their uses and at one time or another they all get used. The truck sometimes goes several months without ever driving on a highway, but it is sure nice to have around the place for everything else. I put a headache rack on the truck so I could carry 16 and 20 foot lumber and steel, and that is really handy at times to not have to take a trailer to bring back supplies. I wouldn't want a big truck that could carry what the big trailer can carry. Just costs a few dollars to license it and it does not need to be used very often.

I am going to get either an overhead tank or use a couple of the 35 gallon poly barrels for diesel. Now I just take 5 Five gallons jugs and put them in one at a time. That is pretty dumb way to do it, but have done that for about 7 years now. The 5 gallon jugs just get heavier each year when you have a fairly high fill tube on the tractor.

I believe everyone missed a very important thing that is wrong with using 5 gallon jugs. Most of us also keep gasoline in Red jugs and try to use Yellow for Diesel, but always have some diesel in Red jugs. Just make that mistake ONE TIME and it will cost you about $5000 and you can't shut it down before it tears up. Now that will pay for a lot of diesel, tank, pump and someone to bring it to you for the next 25 years and still have enough left to buy two or three new implements.

Bird · Aug 4, 2000

Wen, I certainly agree about the red vs. yellow jugs, but I never found any yellow ones; everything I have is red (except my barrel and it's blue - not Hew Holland blue though/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif). But I did buy one for diesel that's shaped different from the one for gasoline, wrote "DIESEL" on the sides with an indelible marks-a-lot, and keep it in a different place from the gasoline./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Speaking of which, in '91 I spent 4 months working with my brothers in their garage and tire dealership in Anchorage, and I was surprised at the number of customers the nearest service station provided us when people put gasoline in their diesel cars and pickup trucks.

BirdEdited by Bird on 8/4/00 09:35 PM.

Rowski · Aug 4, 2000

Bird,

I got 2 yellow cans from NAPA. They are like a military style can but plastic. Has a handle on the top and the side which make pouring a little easier. They have a spout and a cap and hold 5 gallons. They cost me about $12 each. If you want to see a picture ask to look in their Balkamp book. If you want the part # let me know (I have the bill at work).

Derek

Mike H · Aug 4, 2000

FWIW, I got my yellow 6 gal. 'cans' at Quality Farm & Fleet for ~$10. I searched half a dozen places locally (SW MI) before finding these, then promptly also found them at Menards. There was no way I was going with anything but yellow as I've got some portable heaters that use Kerosene (blue 'can') and I've got youngsters old enough to fuel things. Now, if I ever need potable water, my rainbow will be complete.

Bird · Aug 5, 2000

Mike & Derek, thanks for the information. Hopefully, with the barrel now, I won't need any more cans.

Bird

Rowski · Aug 5, 2000

Bird,

Where did you get your barrel? My owner manual told me not to use a galvanized barrel. So I will be trying to find a plastic barrel and get a pump. I don't mind the cans but my fuel fill is in front of the steering wheel so with a cab and loader its a pain. Also if I fill it full usually it will slightly over fill and spill some. thanks

Derek

Edited by Rowski on 8/5/00 06:23 AM.

Bird · Aug 5, 2000

Derek, I'm afraid I can't help you much on where to find a poly barrel. The one I have is a fairly thick walled, and apparently pretty strong one, but it was given to me by one of our heavy equipment customers in Waco. They buy them with an industrial detergent/degreaser in them that's water soluble, so I just washed it out with water and left it upside down to dry for a few days before using it for fuel. And I use a cheap pump I bought at Gebo's, but Tractor Supply Co. has what looks like the same "lever action pump" (#39-57824) in their catalog for $25.49.

Bird

Rowski · Aug 6, 2000

Bird thanks for the help. I will go to a couple for industrial parks and see if I can find anything. I have found some cider barrels but that are a little to thin.

Derek