Tractor Refueling

[DaleW]

Had the good fortune of finding a plastic (yellow in color) 6 gallon diesel fuel can for a reasonable price. LOWES has them for $9.88 with a spout and block off disc. For many of us 2 of these cans will be sufficient as they are easy to fill and transport and we would always be assured of fresh fuel.

 

[gordon]

Seems like the yellow jugs run in spurts. When I don't need one every store I go to has rows of them. Then when I do need a replacement jug it takes two or three stops to get one. Last one I bought was about 12.00 and it was from the dealer I was already there so I figured what the heck save me a trip to the store.
Gordon

 

[scruffy]

I guess I'm lazy, but I don't appreciate hefting a 6 gallon container of diesel up to fill my tractor! On top of that, the FEL gets in the way, leaving no acceptable angle to pour from without spilling some diesel all over he.. (heck).
Solution? Harbor freight has a barrel pump on sale ($12.99) that will fit a 35 or 55 gallon barrel. Now all I have to do is find a barrel (smaller size), and I will be in business. I don't mind hauling the cans down and getting them filled, OR dumping them into the barrel. I can keep what I feel comfortable with on hand that way.

 

[M. Sullivan]

Remember seeing a 10 gallon pump can with a 4-5' hose and plastic nozzle in Harbor Freight or Nortern Tool ($40ish). Thought it would be neat as I too hate lugging a 6 gallon can to the fill port, and trying to pour without spilling. Will post if I can find it again.....

 

[JATO_RaT]

I am a little puzzled about this "yellow" diesel container issue. Why not just get a regular gas container and identify it easily like I have with green or yellow. It seems so simple yet I see posts concerned over the availability of yellow containers. Perhaps states other then mine require it to be yellow and therefore I would understand. Rat...

 

[Harv]

Rat -

I probably made the biggest fuss over finding yellow diesel cans, and deep down I think it really was much ado about nothing. Most people have probably done exactly what you said and simply marked a regular gas can.

I'm a first-time newbie to this whole tractor thing and I have perfectionist tendencies (not to be confused with actually being a perfectionist). I already had gasoline in red cans and kerosine in blue cans, so why not keep things tidy and continue the recommended color conventions?

I say "recommended" 'cuz I'm not sure if it's actually required by any local, state or federal regulation. To me, it just seemed like a good idea, and I got swept up in the challenge of finding something that I knew existed but was playing hard-to-get.

Then there was the suggestion that the materials used in the construction of proper fuel cans were actually a little different for each type of fuel. In other words, the plastic used in making the yellow diesel cans was of a specific type to hold up well against diesel fuel. Fact or fiction -- or marketing hype? Who knows.

 

[RBrown]

I also purchased a 6 gallon yellow fuel tank from Lowes for $10. The FEL brace was in the way and by the time I was done refueling I noticed that the nozzle had leaked and I now had to clean off the tractor. I went back to Lowes and found a small fuel transfer pump that runs on two D batteries. It's main use is for refueling kerosene heaters, but I found it works great for refueling the tractor. I simply set the tank in front of the clutch pedal resting on the floor of the tractor. I insert the pump into the tank and the hose is just long enough to make it up to the tractor tank. The handle of the pump looks like a flashlight casing with a similar on and off switch. I will admit that it isn't as fast as pouring it in, but I have yet to spill a drop of fuel and my back has never felt better. I think the pump only cost $10 or $15.

 

[uppermich]

Thanks, Hawgee and Scruffy, for the Harbor Freight connection. Yesterday I was reading the Chalkey cup stuff and wound up ordering the magnet parts tray. Last week I lost a screw from a light switch while putting up a new light in the barn and it sure would have been handy.

Today it looks like I need to order the barrel pump. My brother-in law gave me some 50 gal plastic barrels for building a floating dock, but I used Styrofoam instead. Now when I have fuel oil delivered, I can have them put some in a barrel and won't have to wrestle with 5 or 6 gallon containers..... Or I could just have them go into the shop and top off the tank each time. The new tractor arrives next week - a 3710 HST. About how many hours to a fuel tank?

Before I go and place another order from Harbor Freight, what other neat stuff is desirable/necessary for the shop? (I have most all of the hand tools anyone would ever need and a fair share of power tools as well as a large and small air compressor)


Pat (Techno-Tractor Mom)

 

[W5FL]

If your barn is like mine, it has white gasoline, white gas mixed with oil, kerosene, naptha, coleman fuel, and diesel in 1,2 and 5 gallon cans. If you do make a mistake and pour 5 gallons of gas into the diesel tractor by mistake, you will be in need of another tractor - you won't be able to shut it down before it tears itself up. The laws are set up to prohibit refilling of cans of the wrong color or marking, but not paid much attention to where you do it yourself. Blue is for Kerosene, Yellow for Diesel, and Red for Gasoline. Certainly makes sense if you can accomidate always having the wrong containers when you need them. The worse problem normally comes when your wife, or brother in law, or someone else is searching for the correct fuel and does not know that the fuel in the can that says DIESEL is really galoline. Then you need another tractor.

Some of us even forget what we put in the can after a few months pass and hope we can smell or feel of the contents and guess correctly. The jugs are really not expensive to help sort out the different fluids, but masking tape falls off pretty quick.

 

[Bird]

Pat, awhile back there was a thread on fuel consumption, where those of us who kept up with it posted ours. I'll guess that your tractor will use something between .7 and .9 gallons per hour depending on how hard it's working.

Bird