Propane tractor

[mike peyerl]

Does anyone make a propane powered tractor? And would you buy one? I'm looking to upgrade my 20 year old kubota with something in the 50-75 hp range but don't want to deal with the problems with the emissions systems on the new diesel engines. I know propane forklifts last thousands of hours with simple service and are low emissions if they can run indoors in a warehouse.

 

[ericm979]

They were popular in the '50s and '60s but I can't think of any made now. It's all diesels.

Diesel tractors over 25.5 hp mostly use a DOC or DPF but not DEF like diesel pickups and mostly not EGR as well. DEF and EGR are the bulk of diesel pickup problems. Most tier IV tractors emissions systems are reliable.

 

[i7win7]

Propane tractors are/were gas tractors converted to run on propane. Diesels have greater low rpm torque, that's why gas engines fell out of the marketplace

 

[Paystar]

I'm a fan of propane power. A propane engine stays so clean inside compared to running on gas. That's another reason they live forever. I used to love my propane powered pickup trucks.

 

[jaxs]

Any gasoline engine will run on propane and most can be switched back and forth with a couple on twists of valves. I have a propane 800 Ford we bought new in 1959. In addition to desirable features you mentioned propane engines can set unused for months then start and run like they had been used every day. 95% of standby generators are propane because they can be relied on to start and run after setting idle for months. If there is a disadvantage to propane fueled engines it is that two windbags named I Heard and They Said make stuff up and spread it as truth on internet forums.

 

[ruffdog]

I'm a fan of propane power. A propane engine stays so clean inside compared to running on gas. That's another reason they live forever. I used to love my propane powered pickup trucks.

I use to work on medium duty trucks and some were propane fueled. You are right about how clean the inside of the engine is....amazing. They were just hard to start when it got real cold.

 

[LouNY]

I've had propane powered trucks and run propane powered tractors. They do run clean and have a long life span.
As far as power and torque on the older tractors the gas and diesels both had good torque curves. Most of the factory propane tractors had higher compression from the factory to produce the same power as the gasoline versions. Those engines were low speed engines at the time many maxed out at 1400 to 1800 rpm from the factory. They did not start good when you got to the sub zero temperatures. Once started and warmed up they were fine, they used a water heated vaporizor to turn the liquid propane to a vapor for the carb.
The larger trucks and pickups also used a liquid heated vaporizer, some had a vapor bypass to get started when cold.
Years ago we refueled with "thief hoses", a simple hose from the fill tank to the tractor tank, open the fill valve and start venting vapors from the tractor tank till it started spitting liquid from the vent, shut the valves then as she was full.
You will not find any new tractors using propane as there are no new gasoline powered tractors.

 

[Hoss710]

when running propane it uses just over a 2 to 1 ratio of fuel over diesel engines and gas engines. so for every gallon of diesel you burn , you will burn just over 2 gallons of propane.

 

[LouNY]

BTU's per gallon;
Propane = 91,452
Gasoline = 120,214
Diesel = 140,000
So not quite 2 gallons of propane per gallon of diesel.
Your usage will follow approximately the same ratio.
The diesel will do the most work per gallon with the gasoline coming in second and the propane will use the most fuel for the same amount of work. Now start factoring in the cost per gallon, the dollars in maintenance and the cost of fuel gone bad.
For a low hour tractor (200 hours/year) propane would be a viable option if avilible, for the smaller tractors if they had "forklift" 30 pound tanks it would be very handy to have a couple of spare tanks.

 

[rScotty]

Anywhere rurat that has propane for the house usually has a propane powered stand by generator as well. Just too many advantages not to.

 

[Paystar]

My winters go down to minus 40 and my propane 351 Fords always started. The one time one didn't was because the mixer failed and needed to be replaced.
Also true what has been mentioned here....if you increase compression you will get more power out of propane.
There was a local guy here that had a nine second 57 Chevy drag car on propane....but he had high compression pistons.

In the city close to me all the taxi cabs used to be propane Chev cars too.....until they started using little Hyundai's and Kia's. Then the fuel cost savings levelled out.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Anywhere rurat that has propane for the house usually has a propane powered stand by generator as well. Just too many advantages not to.

My generator is maybe 50 feet from the main 1,000 gallon propane tank, but it's a diesel.

Why? Because with my luck the feces would hit the fan in the winter and the tank may only be half full. Now the heating and generator would be competing for that half tank, and one wouldn't work without the other.

In my case, the propane place is nearby so I could easily go get a full tank or three with the equipment I have, plus I know where the keys for their delivery truck are. Well, hooking up a full tank is doable, but wouldn't be fun or easy, and their truck would most likely be near empty in this situation. After all, if I don't have electricity, neither do they.

With 800 to 1,600 gallons of diesel on hand, it's painfully simple to add fuel to the generator. If that supply runs out I can take more from vehicle fuel tanks, or go get some from people that have large tanks but no diesel generators.

To me, there's just too many disadvantages to having a propane generator.

 

[mike peyerl]

I have easy access to refuel propane and it looks like a 60kw generator is about the same price in either propane or diesel

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I have easy access to refuel propane and it looks like a 60kw generator is about the same price in either propane or diesel

How does one get easy access, if you don't mind?

 

[groundcover]

Here's one !

Need em gone

John Deere is run by propane. It has hay forks, bush hog, blade, and a huge propane tank to go with it. Ford 3000 needs a fuel filter. Antique International Harvester supposedly runs good. Maverick tractor needs an engine but have one just needs installed. These were my father in laws tractors...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[ning]

factory propane tractors had higher compression from the factory to produce the same power as the gasoline versions

I hadn't considered that, but given:

it makes a lot of sense if you know you'll always be running propane and not gasoline.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Here's one !

Need em gone

John Deere is run by propane. It has hay forks, bush hog, blade, and a huge propane tank to go with it. Ford 3000 needs a fuel filter. Antique International Harvester supposedly runs good. Maverick tractor needs an engine but have one just needs installed. These were my father in laws tractors...

www.tractorbynet.com

I was going to mention that Deere!
He's in Mississippi, buyer Vermont though.
Today my wife said "I want the Deere!"
We're in Virginia...
You can buy a propane carburetor. A fellow I knew had a 1969 Ford Ranchero 351 Cleveland, propane tank in bed of it. Any propane vehicle I've known exhaust tailpipe is white, spark plugs & oil stays clean.
I had a Clark forklift here, after many hours oil looked new. It had a 4 cylinder Continental (I'm thinking).

 

[LouNY]

I have easy access to refuel propane and it looks like a 60kw generator is about the same price in either propane or diesel

A 60KW generator is going to be quite a fuel hog, if you use the 2 hp per kw you'd be running a 120 hp engine that will suck fuel reqardless of the type of fuel. Lots of electricity.

 

[groundcover]

A 60KW generator is going to be quite a fuel hog, if you use the 2 hp per kw you'd be running a 120 hp engine that will suck fuel reqardless of the type of fuel. Lots of electricity.

Just be careful going 60KW diesel , if you don't work it it can 'wet stack' . New ones with DPF, DEF even more so. Also need to mind your fuel, if it sits more than it runs watch for condensation leading to diesel algae buildup, bad times ! Keep tank full , winter diesel if in cooler climate, treat with a biocide . Fuel can be scrubbed or change it out to your oil burner or other diesels .

Ran a 60KW Propane ten days straight 24-7 during an ice storm , used 600 gallons. It wasn't working very hard most of the time but propane engines are ok with that.

 

[BassFisher]

Does anyone make a propane powered tractor? And would you buy one? I'm looking to upgrade my 20 year old kubota with something in the 50-75 hp range but don't want to deal with the problems with the emissions systems on the new diesel engines. I know propane forklifts last thousands of hours with simple service and are low emissions if they can run indoors in a warehouse.

My wife has a propane powered John Deere for sale. $3500 for tractor and $5,000 for tractor, hay forks, bush hog, blade, and huge propane tank