Newbie

[meanmerc]

Howdy fella's

Been coming by for the past while now, researching various kinds of tractors, very informative site! I'm the proud owner of a brand new MF 1528 with with R4's, 60" bucket, quick attach, 39" pallet forks, 6ft box scraper and a 64" hydro snowblower. Supposed to be delivered late this week. Already got a few ideas off this site for mods like a roof, tool box etc...
Just a quick question, probably stupid but, my neighbour was telling me to use the heating fuel oil for my garage furnace to fuel the tractor???? I was telling him that I was looking for a barrel to set up in the yard and fill it with diesel for the tractor.......I`m not to sure this is good...I can almost hear you guys saying, "Is this guy from this planet or what"
Anyways I`m open to any ideas to make this rig better with various mods!
Thanks

 

[plowking]

It could depend on what state you are in. I think there was a law passed ths year specifying what offroad fuel to use. Fuel should be ultra low sulfur after a certain date . I also don't know of the lubrication properties,additives that off road has compared to home heating oil...... Good Luck with your tractor. plowking

 

[jaybrad]

From one newbie to another - welcome.

I'm just getting back into tractor ownership after a decade without, but for many years I used home heating oil in my JD 755. Year around, with no problems, ever.

Here in Maine, diesel fuel is blended in the winter time with kerosene to keep it flowing - but home heating oil is not. Just the same, I never had an issue with perfomance and used my tractor all winter to clear lots of snow.

In a couple days my new tractor will be delivered, and I'm not looking forward to hauling 5 gal diesel fuel containers in my car. (We've moved to a new house and no longer have an in-ground tank from which I can easily pump fuel.)

Good luck!

Jay

 

[ChuckinNH]

Jay, I have one of those rubbermaid style under bed storage boxes in the back of my RAV4. I tossed the lid, and it makes a great container for keeping cans of fuel from sliding around (bungee cord) and the sides are about 4" high to catch any spills, and smells. It's worked great for me.

 

[jaybrad]

Hi Chuck,

That's a great idea! With my tractor being delivered soon, I want to be sure to have some extra fuel on hand in case a certain neighbor of mine needs help with a stump or two.

The idea of diesel fuel getting into the carpet in my trunk was not very appealing.

Jay

 

[meanmerc]

Thanks
Oh ok ...well maybe he wasn`t that off then, I'm in canada, so not sure what the difference is in the heating oil and diesel fuel here, thanks for the replies!

 

[shutt40]

I wouldn't use furnace oil it will gell in the cold. You won't need to haul that much diesel, I get 15 hours plus out a 5 gallon can with my 1529. Be nice to your new tractor and get it some nice clean diesel.
Frank

 

[WarrenF]

I wouldn't use furnace oil it will gell in the cold. You won't need to haul that much diesel, I get 15 hours plus out a 5 gallon can with my 1529. Be nice to your new tractor and get it some nice clean diesel.
Frank

That doesn't make sense. Furnace oil sits in a barrel outside my home all winter long. Have gone through winters of 0 degrees and it doesn't gel. Matter of fact furnace oil is mixed to specifically NOT gel.

 

[meanmerc]

I heard that the only difference was one is dyed (un taxed), but I think it's probably safer too just to use clean overpriced diesel!!

 

[jaybrad]

I could be wrong about this, but I regularly see home heating oil trucks deliver diesel to construction sites, then go on to people's homes and continue their deliveries.

Granted there is not as much construction activity in Maine during the dead of winter, but my own limited experience never yielded any problems - and a the time my tractor stayed in an unheated garage, and didn't have a block heater, either.

In this area I know there is a difference between the oil they deliver to outside tanks (I think it's K-1, kerosene) instead of #2 (diesel) fuel.

I don't have such a setup at my current home and am not going to go through the hassel of setting up a special storage tank just for this purpose. I don't know how many hours I'll get per tank in my 2310, but if it's anywhere near 15 hours, it won't be too much trouble to just haul the stuff from the gas station. Besides, I'm sure the state and federal government need the tax money from me to help pay for road and bridge improvements.....

 

[woody49705]

I was told the only difference is diesel is dyed and taxed therefore I did install a hand pump my friend gave me right into my home heating oil tank which is located in my garage right where I park my tractor.
woody

 

[studor]

The only difference in Ontario between "stove oil" and diesel fuel is dye and about 20 cents a litre in tax. I think Quebec is the same. The dye is there to catch people fueling on road vehicles with tax exempt fuel -- if you go to a gas station that sells both (some country ones still do) ask them -- they will tell you the same thing.
P.S. -- the dye won't harm your tractor!
I now have one of those little reciever hitch carryalls ($50 at Princess Auto or Harbour Freight) to carry gas and diesel from station to home. It keeps the odour outside the vehicle and SWMBO happy
Oh and yeah -- diesel fuel will gell and they do switch between summer and winter by extracting more moisture -- but they do it for stove oil anyway. I know having once had a fleet of 170 ton trucks shut down because our fuel supplier shipped the wrong season fuel (it was always dyed) -- needs to be pretty cold to do so (mustache freezes after a minute outside)

 

[shutt40]

Well if ou know what you are getting for home heating oil then you are ok the problem is they can substitute many different grades for HHO.

Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #4 and Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #6 have a higher BTU content. This is normally accomplished by adding much heavier petroleum oil distillate similar to automotive motor oil to the formulation. This allows a furnace to burn less fuel, for each BTU of heat produced, as well as often times reducing the cost per gallon of fuel. These types of Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil should NOT be used in a Diesel Fueled Engine or Generator.

In times of shortage, Standard Road Diesel #2, Diesel #1, Kerosene, K-1, Jet Fuel, JP-1, Agricultural Diesel, Diesel #2, Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #4, or Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #6 may be shipped by fuel distribution companies and sold for use as home heating oil. There may also be times that, due to economic and other considerations, fuel distributors sell any or all of these products, or combinations and blends of the same, to home owners, as simply Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil.

SUMMARY: Home Heating Oil / Fuel Oil #2 and Off Road / Agricultural Diesel #2 seem to be very similar products. More importantly, Home Heating Oil #2 is refers to a very specific product, and a very specific formulation, which, in many cases, may be a very similar product in terms of composition and formulation as Off-Road Agricultural Grade Diesel #2.

Take a chance with your nice new tractor if you like
Frank

 

[studor]

Frank -- thanks for the clarification.
Locally some of the gas stations have two pumps, one marked diesel and the other marked stove oil -- the stove oil is there as a convenience to people who run short of fuel oil and to folks who do not have ready access to offroad diesel. I believe it is #2 heating oil but will check next time I am in. If you pull up to fill up a container, they will ask what it is for and if you say tractor, they will direct you to the stove oil pump (@ 20 cents a litre less)
By the way my gelling problem was from a refinery in North Eastern BC and it was about -35 c or more for a couple of days. It is definitely not fun trying to drain fuel systems in that weather

 

[meanmerc]

Well thank you all for the great info, at least now I know and am informed! They didn't deliver my tractor on Friday as they stated......hopefully will get it soon, I've gathered a ton of great ideas from you all and ready to start doing some very useful modifications.............can't wait, I'll post pics when it arrives!

 

[JerryG]

mean,
The best thing to do is ask you HHO supplier. They will be glad to tell you what they use as HHO. That way you will know what you have in your tank and you will know if you want to put it in your tractor.

 

[meanmerc]

Well I finally got it last Friday, been having a ball with it, can anybody tell if there is a difference between an 07 and a 08 model? Other than price? They brought my snowblower but the delivery guy said I will have to cut the shaft for proper fit.....I told him where to go for a hike, and that they better come and install it properly and that it should of been done prior to delivery......but none the less I'm having fun with it!!!!

 

[northwoodpower]

If your 1528 is the gear model, it is the same for 2007 & 2008. The Hydro model has the new style foot pedals two pedals side by side, instead of a single rocker pedal.

Congrads, and enjoy the new tractor! Great choice.

 

[meanmerc]

Ahhhhhh right on! It's the Hydro with side by side pedals and the brake pedal on top which seems a little awkward but will get used to it! So far very happy with it... Thanks

 

[studor]

Nice tractor! -- by the way have you found out that the heat and diesel fumes really attract black flies and other biting pests Even so you will wonder why you took so long to get a tractor after you start using it.
regards