Is their a noticable difference gas vs diesel

[ddivinia]

One has to wonder about the future of diesel powered vehicles in the US. $6-7K up front and then pay more per mile. I don't get it - what a mess. I still love my Dodge 3500.

D.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

One has to wonder about the future of diesel powered vehicles in the US. $6-7K up front and then pay more per mile. I don't get it - what a mess. I still love my Dodge 3500.

D.

Once upon a time, diesels only appeared where they were truely needed. Then they became trendy and popular. Next they became ungodly expensive to buy and operate. Soon they'll only appear where they're truely needed.

 

[D7E]

Big difference...Diesel tractors will achieve some power and be reasonably reliable ,unlike gas...?

 

[TheDingy]

Once upon a time, diesels only appeared where they were truely needed. Then they became trendy and popular. Next they became ungodly expensive to buy and operate. Soon they'll only appear where they're truely needed.

We just did the math comparing a 2500HD gas vs diesel from Houston to north central Oklahoma. Loaded both ways, in the 08 Chevrolet lineup the diesel saved about $200.00 in fuel. We have very good fuel numbers with the exact same loads on the gas vs diesel trucks.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

We just did the math comparing a 2500HD gas vs diesel from Houston to north central Oklahoma. Loaded both ways, in the 08 Chevrolet lineup the diesel saved about $200.00 in fuel. We have very good fuel numbers with the exact same loads on the gas vs diesel trucks.

Let's see, $200 savings by spending $6000 to $7000 more initially? I just snapped my pencil halfway through doing the math. If you constantly drive back and forth between Houston and middle Oklahoma with a loaded truck, you might have a legitimate need. (30 to 35 trips before you break even) However, not everyone does a long haul every time they fire up the ol' pick-em-up. That goes back to my comment about NEEDING a diesel. MOST folks buying them these days don't really have a NEED for one so much as they have a WANT for one.

I have a diesel and a gas pickup I use in my business. I've done MY math. At this space in time, I do about 80% of my driving in the gasser because it's cheaper to operate with gas/fuel prices where they are. I do about 80% of my towing with the diesel. My point is, MOST people and MOST of their driving habits don't pencil out to a diesel being "cheaper" in the long run.

 

[TheDingy]

Let's see, $200 savings by spending $6000 to $7000 more initially? I just snapped my pencil halfway through doing the math. If you constantly drive back and forth between Houston and middle Oklahoma with a loaded truck, you might have a legitimate need. (30 to 35 trips before you break even) However, not everyone does a long haul every time they fire up the ol' pick-em-up. That goes back to my comment about NEEDING a diesel. MOST folks buying them these days don't really have a NEED for one so much as they have a WANT for one.

I have a diesel and a gas pickup I use in my business. I've done MY math. At this space in time, I do about 80% of my driving in the gasser because it's cheaper to operate with gas/fuel prices where they are. I do about 80% of my towing with the diesel. My point is, MOST people and MOST of their driving habits don't pencil out to a diesel being "cheaper" in the long run.

I have to admit that a lot of people that have the diesel's do so because they want, but don't need them. Another thing to look at is how much better the resale value is on the Truck, also how much longer the diesel will last. Also it doesn't take but for few times of not having the Diesel to go on a hill tow where you have to rent one to go to pay for that Diesel engine. I admit it is a hard pill to swallow, but if you are serious about towing diesel's are the way to go. If gas vs. diesel prices were the same right now through the life it would take ~31,500 miles to pay for the diesel option under towing with us, so anything after that is savings.

I don't know exactly how many miles we have put on the diesel's around the barn this year, but I think the number is more than 45,000 miles. I would estimate that 90+% of those were loaded with a minimum of a 4 Horse trailer and 2 horses. We are making another round trip in a week or so to North East Oklahoma and just went Hou to Northern North Dakota (Weekend trip from heck) last month.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I have to admit that a lot of people that have the diesel's do so because they want, but don't need them. Another thing to look at is how much better the resale value is on the Truck, also how much longer the diesel will last. Also it doesn't take but for few times of not having the Diesel to go on a hill tow where you have to rent one to go to pay for that Diesel engine. I admit it is a hard pill to swallow, but if you are serious about towing diesel's are the way to go. If gas vs. diesel prices were the same right now through the life it would take ~31,500 miles to pay for the diesel option under towing with us, so anything after that is savings.

I don't know exactly how many miles we have put on the diesel's around the barn this year, but I think the number is more than 45,000 miles. I would estimate that 90+% of those were loaded with a minimum of a 4 Horse trailer and 2 horses. We are making another round trip in a week or so to North East Oklahoma and just went Hou to Northern North Dakota (Weekend trip from heck) last month.

If gas vs. diesel prices WERE the same right now, we wouldn't be having this conversation. However, currently, in this immediate area, diesel is $0.77 a gallon HIGHER than gasoline this morning. (and going up every day) Running two trucks side by side, one a gas (Hemi Dodge) and a diesel (HO Cummins) not even considering the MUCH higher routine maint cost of the diesel, it's decidedly cheaper to drive the gasser. With average towing milage on both trucks, advantage still to the gasser. Higher resale needs to be tempered with the higher initial cost AND higher operating expenses while in operation. The numbers can be arrainged to reflect whatever end results a person wants. In the end, by using a gas and a diesel side by side, doing exactly the same job, at CURRENT fuel prices, it's simply less expensive to run the gasser which has a $6000 to $7000 smaller price sticker on the door. That's how I do my math.

 

[ihookem]

With my 05 duramax it was 5k more, I will never come out ahead with these diesel prices. 2.90 for gas 3.40 for diesel now. In summer diesel is the same but was .50 a gallon cheaper than gas for a while. When my truck is junk with 500k mi. on it I will only break even. But I sure like the diesel.

 

[chh]

Right at 50 cents a gallon difference here right now. The Dodge 2500 4x4 diesel is my feed and trailer towing truck. The wifes gas F150 gets all the other driving. I'll most likely never tow enough to make the diesel pay out, but it is the best truck I have ever used for trailering.

My father used to use a Farmall M and a B for all the work here on the ranch. The M's engine gave out and he traded it for an IH 454 diesel in the late 60's(I think). He always wondered why he waited so long to make the switch. There have been several tractors on this ranch since then as the operation has changed, but if its bigger than a riding lawnmower, it diesel.

 

[RobJ]

So why is it better? First of all, the diesel engine doesn't have the parts that normally wear out or give problems. There are no spark plugs, rotors, points, or distributor caps like the gasoline tractor. Secondly, diesel engines in most tractors are water cooled. This will allow the engine to run at a more consistent and cooler temperature, which will extend the life of the engine.

Diesels have parts that wear out to. In northern climates glow plugs must be used to start an engine. More diesels also carry block heaters becuase of the method used to burn the diesel. Also diesels have injection pumps, injectors (priced some of those lately). The internals of the diesel are heavier built and thus cost more. As far as I know when gas engines were popular in tractors (not counting riding mowers), they were water cooled. I worked on a line of air cooled diesels and they would maintain a constant operating temp, that's just a simple design of the air flow system.

I'm not realy disputing the claims made here, just stating that a diesel may go longer between overhauls, but can be costly when you get into them.

Rob