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Furnace fuel and a gas start diesel?

T

tractorsam

Well-known Member
I'm here just wondering how much different furnace fuel is to diesel? Would it cause any harm to run one of the old gas start diesels on it - ignoring all of the obvious road taxation issues etc? Many thanks, Sam
 
There is no real difference between #2 fuel oil and #2 diesel (assumes the Fuel is not ancient and has no bacteria in it.). I would also say there is no road tax on either (unless your gas start diesel is powering a licensed road going vehicle.
Fuel additive/lubricant would be alright to use as a bit of insurance. Clean is manditory.
Jim
 
If you buy off-road diesel it is cheaper than heating oil. They are the exact same thing. On road diesel has a road tax on it and ultra low sulfer which is bad for your old injection pump. Find some off road or run heating oil.
 
I've been running all my diesels on heating oil for 40 years. That includes three IH gas starts. I can only remember one time when I had gelling problems due to cold weather. Moreover, I have never added any conditioners. I used to go through at least 1000 gallons a month.

In addition to that, several years ago I salvaged more than 5000 gallons from home owners who were switching to natural gas.

At my current usage, I have a lifetime supply. I am not concerned with spoilage. It doesn't happen in my tank. I don't have to worry about the ultra-low sulfur issues as well.

I have been told numerous times that heating oil and diesel come from the same ship or barge and are not differentiated.
 
I just brought home a WD-9 and was thinking that as I'm going to be hauling furnace fuel home (clean, well - new anyway) for the house that I could use the same in it and chuck in either some clean engine oil or hydraulic oil for added lubricity. The main reason for using the furnace oil was I though it might have a little more lubricity than on road diesel (less sulfur removed) and it would be cheaper. Thanks, Sam
 
(quoted from post at 08:58:52 10/25/10) I've been running all my diesels on heating oil for 40 years. That includes three IH gas starts. I can only remember one time when I had gelling problems due to cold weather. Moreover, I have never added any conditioners. I used to go through at least 1000 gallons a month.

In addition to that, several years ago I salvaged more than 5000 gallons from home owners who were switching to natural gas.

At my current usage, I have a lifetime supply. I am not concerned with spoilage. It doesn't happen in my tank. I don't have to worry about the ultra-low sulfur issues as well.

I have been told numerous times that heating oil and diesel come from the same ship or barge and are not differentiated.
Click to expand...

For what it's worth, I've also transferred several gallons of #2 diesel fuel into my home furnace tank because someone forgot to check the furnace tank. Niether the furnace nor I ever knew the difference.
 
The way I understand it, the only difference between #2 heating oil and diesel is the heating oil has a red dye added to it. At least that's the way it is in my area of the country.
 
"obvious road taxation issues"

WHAT road tax issues... it's a TRACTOR, right, not a diesel pickup or a semi so there's NO road tax issue at all.
 
OK, I'm not concerned about the road tax but I was fairly sure at least someone would cite it as a reason for not using the furnace fuel in the tractor. Just trying to leave a can of worms unopened. Also I've run tractors in the UK before and if they catch you with dyed diesel in the tank you're in fairly serious trouble unless you can prove bone fide farm use. Thanks, Sam
 
(quoted from post at 11:00:46 10/25/10) OK, I'm not concerned about the road tax but I was fairly sure at least someone would cite it as a reason for not using the furnace fuel in the tractor. Just trying to leave a can of worms unopened. Also I've run tractors in the UK before and if they catch you with dyed diesel in the tank you're in fairly serious trouble unless you can prove bone fide farm use. Thanks, Sam
Click to expand...

In theory, here in the U.S., a farm tractor is not legal on a public road or highway UNLESS it IS being used for purposes of agriculture. I did say "in theory" It's kind of hard to prove the tractor was being used for a joy ride and not just being driven to a field or repair shop.
 
The real question is:

WHERE do you get off-road diesel?

You can't buy it at a gas station.

The only way I know to get it is BULK delivery. That means having a tank on the property, which may or may not be allowed by your local laws.

I don't know if a private person can even buy off-road diesel... Don't you have to be a farmer or a contractor?
 
Not quite sure if off road diesel and furnace fuel are the same thing but most rural service stations around here sell furnace fuel at the pump. Sam
 
all diesel is the same, its all Ultra Low Sulfer (ULSD) the only diff between on/off road is one has the red dye put in it, no tax. Its all ULSD, and home heating is the same as off road, red and no tax, also ULSD.
 
Here in Western Wisconsin our local Cenex station has off-road diesel at one of their pumps. Since I don't use that much I always just get it from there. It is even one of those pay-at-the-pump ones. Roger
 
What road tax issue? It's not illegal to put taxed diesel in a tractor or piece of construction equipment. It is illegal to put off road fuel in a road vehicle. What little time tractors spend on the road don't make highway vehicles.

Rick
 
"You can't buy it at a gas station."

Actually, MANY gas stations here in ag country have dyed fuel at one pump to fill service tanks, etc. for farm use.
 
Sam there was a case a few years ago whereby a farmer was taking some FARM scrap to a scrapyard using a tractor and trailer and he was prosecuted because he was using red diesel! I know he got the NFU to fight his case for him but I cannot remember the actual outcome.
 
(quoted from post at 16:00:03 10/25/10) The real question is:

WHERE do you get off-road diesel?
Click to expand...

Just about every other gas station around here sells it at the pump. Contractors fill their equipment tanks up from it, farmers fill their tractors up from it, I use it in the furnace when somebody forgets to check the basement tank, I also use it in the tractors when I run the bulk tank empty.
 
It wouldn't surprise me at all. Somedays I have to stop and scratch my head and wonder where things are going to. Sam
 
(quoted from post at 21:27:12 10/25/10) "You can't buy it at a gas station."

Actually, MANY gas stations here in ag country have dyed fuel at one pump to fill service tanks, etc. for farm use.
Click to expand...

Yup. You don't see them just everywhere.

Back to the original point. By their documentation IH went to great lengths to make their early diesel tractors run well on poor quality fuel while using low compression for efficiency. Cat had to run 18:1 to match IH at under 14:1.
 
(quoted from post at 03:45:18 10/26/10)
(quoted from post at 16:00:03 10/25/10) The real question is:

WHERE do you get off-road diesel?
Click to expand...

Just about every other gas station around here sells it at the pump. Contractors fill their equipment tanks up from it, farmers fill their tractors up from it, I use it in the furnace when somebody forgets to check the basement tank, I also use it in the tractors when I run the bulk tank empty.
Click to expand...

Boy, it must be nice...

It just isn't like that anywhere around here. Out in the sticks where all the farms are, you're lucky if the gas stations have any diesel at all. When you get near civilization, most stations have on-road diesel pumps ONLY.

The only way to get off-road diesel is if you get it delivered in bulk, like I said earlier.
 
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