what to look for at the pump

   / what to look for at the pump #1  

whitearrow

Silver Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2005
Messages
136
Location
philadelphia,ms
Tractor
john deere 5203
good morning fellas,i am about to embark on my first purchase of off road diesel.i was going to drive around to different gas stations and check prices.what do i need to look for on the off road diesel pump that would make one fuel "better" than another.i wnat to try to find some high sulfur off road diesel,some say that the higher sulfur will make the engine run smoother,what else do i need to look for to get premium off road diesel for my jd 5203?soemone mentioned cetane numbers or something in the 40-50 range.
thanks,
whitearrow->>>----------------->
 
   / what to look for at the pump #2  
The minimum cetane rating and maximum sulfur content should be listed in your owner's manual. Purchase your fuel based on those values rather than what you've "heard" is good for your engine.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #3  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( good morning fellas,i am about to embark on my first purchase of off road diesel.i was going to drive around to different gas stations and check prices.what do i need to look for on the off road diesel pump that would make one fuel "better" than another.i wnat to try to find some high sulfur off road diesel,some say that the higher sulfur will make the engine run smoother,what else do i need to look for to get premium off road diesel for my jd 5203?soemone mentioned cetane numbers or something in the 40-50 range.
thanks,
whitearrow->>>-----------------> )</font>

No idea where you are in the country, but the sulfer content may not be an option... Why would you want hi sulfer??? Its not a good thing.. It causes corrosion, oil contamination and soot, among other things. It is a contaminate... Diesel fuel went low sulfer for a reason, thats why its hard to find the low sulfer..

I recomend buying from a hi volume station, not a mom and pop store with a off road tank on the side of the lot. Condensation is your worst enemy, next to old fuel. Cetane ratings, if you can find them, are a good indication of the quality of the fuel that was put in the tank, but not the condition of the stuff you are getting out of the pump.(due to age and tank conditions). There are MANY threads here about off road(red) diesel fuel and everyones opinions of it.. The thing to remember, is that you are the only one seeing the fuel you buy(look in the can).. Different parts of the country have different concerns..

So, again, I'd recomend fresh fuel and an additve(no alcohol).. Look in your can, you shouldnt see any floaters or black stuff in the bottom(if you do, there are contaminates).. From there, burn it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif....Happy tractoring..
 
   / what to look for at the pump #4  
Sulpher content should be a non-issue by the end of summer when all refineries have switched to ULSD and all old supplies have been consumed. You should be more interested in cetane value and moisture content, especially moisture content. As was mentioned earlier, buy from a volume station to avoid moisture contamination and use some type of additive like PowerService. Today's diesel engines were designed to burn today's diesel mixture.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #5  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( good morning fellas,i am about to embark on my first purchase of off road diesel.i was going to drive around to different gas stations and check prices.what do i need to look for on the off road diesel pump that would make one fuel "better" than another.i wnat to try to find some high sulfur off road diesel,some say that the higher sulfur will make the engine run smoother,what else do i need to look for to get premium off road diesel for my jd 5203?soemone mentioned cetane numbers or something in the 40-50 range.
thanks,
whitearrow->>>-----------------> )</font>

A service station or truck stop is not necessarly the higher volume dealer.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #6  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( A service station or truck stop is not necessarly the higher volume dealer. )</font>

Well then, just what is a higher volume dealer (ie. one who will sell any amount to anybody off the street)?? Distributors are typically NOT dealers.

How about quantifying your statements. You are adding absolutely NO value with your statement.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #7  
Seems to me that most gas stations do not sell off road. I would also suspect that in smaller towns the off road even comes from the same distributor. It is kind off a hassle too if you don't have a "farm." Let us know how your purchase turns out.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #8  
I did my first purchase a couple of months ago. 50 gallons, but I could have bought one gallon since there was no minimum.

You need off-road diesel, can't be picky about the sulfur or cetane since I have never seen that info on a pump. I look for a station where the off road pump is being used or sees lots of use. It doesn't have to be clean on the outside and in fact spillage tells me that the pump sees use. My fuel depot sees lots of landscapers and excavators filling transfer tanks. You can bet that those small business guys wouldn't be repeat customers if they bought 100 gallons of bad fuel since that is a big hit to their bottom line. I'm not far from needing to buy another 25 gallons of OR and will save another 40 cents per gallon as gravy.

I do not believe that OR diesel is any better than on-road diesel but I do believe that a diesel engine is very flexible in what kind of fuel it can burn so I save my money and time by using off-road.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #10  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Seems to me that most gas stations do not sell off road. I would also suspect that in smaller towns the off road even comes from the same distributor. It is kind off a hassle too if you don't have a "farm." Let us know how your purchase turns out. )</font>

Why does not having a farm make it a hassle ? ? ?
 
   / what to look for at the pump #11  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( good morning fellas,i am about to embark on my first purchase of off road diesel.i was going to drive around to different gas stations and check prices.what do i need to look for on the off road diesel pump that would make one fuel "better" than another.i wnat to try to find some high sulfur off road diesel,some say that the higher sulfur will make the engine run smoother,what else do i need to look for to get premium off road diesel for my jd 5203?soemone mentioned cetane numbers or something in the 40-50 range.
thanks,
whitearrow->>>-----------------> )</font>
If where you are is anything like it is here you won't find anybody selling red diesel at the pump within 20 miles of where you live.
If it were me I'd call the service stations and truck stops around and ask them if they sell off road fuel. It may just save you a lot of wasted time driving all over the place for nothing.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #12  
<font color="blue"> Which one of these would you rate as the higest volume ; The Bulk plant or the local Go Mart truck stop? </font>

<font color="purple"> There are 2 distributors and a bulk plant here supplying RED DIESEL. These 3 places are the only places where you can get off road diesel around here.

Both of the distributors get the Red diesel at the bulk plant.

There aren't any pumps with red diesel at any service station or truck stop within 20 miles of my place.

Which one of these would you rate as the higest volume ; The Bulk plant or the local Go Mart truck stop?
</font>
 
   / what to look for at the pump #13  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="red"> </font>*** Seems to me that most gas stations do not sell off road. )</font>
<font color="red"> *** </font> Wonder why that is?????

None within a 20 mile radius of me.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #14  
In Texas, off road, red diesel, or whatever you'd like to call it, is only available at licensed suppliers and distributors, and because it is tax exempt, an Agriculture User Exemption Number (Sales Tax Exemption certificate) issued by the state is required to purchase it.

An Agricultural User Exemption Number (now called an End User Number) used in conjunction with a Signed Statement can be used to purchase only dyed diesel and is limited to a single delivery purchase of up to 7,400 gallons and no more than 25,000 gallons of dyed diesel in a calendar month.

You are required to obtain a Dyed Diesel Fuel Bonded User License if you exceed the above limitations.

It is a third-degree felony to use a signed statement to buy tax-free dyed diesel that is then used to propel a motor vehicle down the highway.

Good news however, B100 Biodiesel is tax exempt.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #15  
<font color="blue"> an Agriculture User Exemption Number (Sales Tax Exemption certificate) issued by the state is required to purchase it.
</font>
<font color="brown"> In other words </font>
Construction COs.
Excavation COs.
Contractors
Logging COs.
Individual home owners
and all others using fuel off road are prohibited from buying off road diesel even though they aren't using the fuel on road any more that farmers do.

<font color="red"> Am I correct on this? If So this sucks big time. </font>
 
   / what to look for at the pump #16  
It's now called an End User Number and as long as its use can be documented as for off road only, the users you listed are okay.

Unfortunately, I don't believe hobby farmers qualify for the End User Number.
 
   / what to look for at the pump #17  
That is definitely a Texas thing. No such restrictions exist up here in Kansas. Anybody can buy red diesel; I get it from a pay-at-the-pump station, usually in 5 gallon quantities.
 

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