New to diesel & 4x4

[Bob_Skurka]

Yourare . . . the YELLOW can is such a simple thing, I'm glad you mentioned it. I have a BLUE one for diesel, but all my gas cans are RED. My neighbor has red cans for gas and diesel and has to open them up and smell them to determine what he has in what.

I think your point is excellent because it is easy to mix fuels if you are not paying attention. I also have 1 small can for PRE-MIX Oil & Gas and it has a band of GREY Duct Tape wrapped around the handle and then around the can itself.

I also only buy PREMIUM grade gasoline for my small engines. For the 25 or 30 gallons I use each year, the cost adds about 15 to 20 cents extra per gallon, or about $6.00 per year. But the engines don't get "varnish" on them that needs to be cleaned and the maintainence costs on my small equipment has dropped substantially since I started using premium gas exclusively in the small engines.

While we are talking about fuel, and this is for the new guys, diesel fuel does not need STA-BIL if you store it for a couple of months like gasoline does. The Anti-Gel that is referred to is for the cold months because diesel fuel can actually freeze and turn into a goo that looks similar to almost set jell-o. If the temps in your area rarely drop below 20 degrees then I would not even bother with anti-gel. But in the areas of the country were temps can hit ZERO or below, then a quart of anti-gel will probably last you the entire winter season.

Also, the reason you want to top off your tank, especially in the winter, is to prevent condensation from forming in the tank in the winter. It is a HUGE issue in places where the temps fluctuate above and below the freezing point often. Water in the tank from condensation will really give you fits.

As previously mentioned, if you run out of fuel in the tractor you may have to prime the system and that can be a huge pain, that is another very good reason to top off the tank all year around.

 

[GerardC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Two suggestions:

Try to find a source for "off road" (dyed) diesel. It's the same product with a red dye added and the Federal and State Highway Use Tax removed. This could save you as much as 35-40 cents per gallon. If one gets caught using this off road diesel on the highway, there is avery stiff fine.)</font>

How to I go about finding a source for "off road" (dyed) diesel?

 

[alpha]

not sure off road fuel is available in all states, never seen it here in Ma. anyone know what low sulfer diesel is? I've seen it in Rhode Island they had diesel cheaper and the low sulfer stuff /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Any one know if an oil co can fill a55 gal drum for tractors?

 

[Bird]

Gerard, contact a wholesale fuel distributor in your area; undoubtedly listed in the yellow pages. I bought my diesel in 55 gallon drums from the local Exxon distributor. I did not use the dyed fuel, but they had that, too, if that's what you wanted.

 

[Joe1]

Like Bird suggested, I just contacted several fuel distributors. I applied for a special card to slip into the pump. I go to the pump, pick up 5 or 10 gallons at a time and they send me a bill. They don't seem to care that it may be a few months between transactions.

The Dye in the fuel will not harm your diesel engine. This has been used in Canada since the mid to late 1980's and in the US for about 8 - 10 years.

Some people have their own storage tanks at home and have it delivered in volume. If you use a lot of it, that may be worthwhile, however is your use will be low like mine, you don't want the stuff aging.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The Dye in the fuel will not harm your diesel engine )</font>

I feel sure that you're right because it's used as much as it apparently is; however, my farmer neighbors never used it, and neither did I. One fellow (not one of the neighbors) told me about buying his new John Deere and having it stall out and quit on him twice; once in the field and once on the road. He said both times, the dealer told him it was because that red dye plugged his fuel filter. And the fuel distributor I got my diesel from said it wa OK if you were going to use it within a month or so but not to keep it any longer than that.

By having the proper paperwork with the state, and providing that to the fuel distributor, I did not have to pay the taxes on undyed diesel; paid the same price I would have paid for the dyed, but that law has changed since I moved back to town and the state sent me a notice that only the dyed fuel could be bought tax free in the future.

So . . ., no personal experience with the red dyed fuel; just decided from what others in my area told me that I didn't want it.

 

[cp1969]

Bird, I don't know how you managed to get untaxed, undyed fuel because it is a Federal law that any untaxed fuel be dyed. Otherwise, a less scrupulous person than yourself could put the undyed fuel in his road vehicle and avoid paying the tax without detection.

Also, the dye in fuel is way, way, way, way, WAY smaller than a fuel filter could stop. I have no way of knowing what clogged your friend's filter, but I'd bet the farm it wasn't fuel dye.

Diesel fuel will stay good for far longer than a month. I wouldn't have any qualms about using year-old diesel. The only bad diesel fuel I've ever seen was over ten years old.

 

[Larry_T]

Bob Soundguy Bowhunter How about the rest of the story.

 

[GerardC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( #3 you can run 40% kerosene in winter for an easy start and to prevent gelling. dont run this in summer it burns hot.)</font>

What do you do if you were to have, lets say, 3-4 gallons left in the 5+ gallon tank when spring comes around? Do you siphon it out and store it for the next season or do you just keep topping it off and burn it out? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Lazy]

Hi
I obtained 2 55 gallon plastic drums (5 dollars each) and bought a 100 gallons of diesel about 4 years ago I have about 30 gallons left. the winter time temp has been as low as -10 degrees. I have not added any thing to the diesel and seems as fresh as the day I bought it.

Charlie