Feedback on propane tractors

Hello All, I have been curious about older tractors that use propane for fuel. I have heard the engine remains very clean. What are some other attributes/drawbacks to this engine/fuel? How about reliability, etc. They don't seem to be very common, but I am wondering if it would be fun to own one on my small farm, or a headache. Thanks in advance for replies.

Only negative at all is fuel storage, and fact that you don,t want to run out in the field. The engine oil stays cleaner, and overall operation of engine is just as reliable is not better than gas. Usually a little cheaper to operate depending on your lpg cost.

If you're set up for fuel storage and transfer it's great, unlike gasoline the government hasn't messed around with propane, it's pretty much the same stuff we had 40-50 years ago. Oil stays cleaner and you don't get carbon build up in the engine, it's naturally high octane so true propane tractors run a bit higher compression (more power, better efficiency). One farmer I worked for did have an Farmall 806 LPG special. I remember stacking on the hay wagon and he'd hit a heavy or tough spot with the baler and that old IH would snort, could see water vapor coming out the stack. You can get a nurse tank that'll fill them in the field. When we first moved to the farm this neighbor had the 806 and a 2010 John Deere that ran on LPG. He farmed our place for a while and remember him bringing the nurse tank over to fill the tractors up so he could get them home. Eventually the 2010 got traded for a MF 255 Diesel, think he still had the 806 when he got killed in a accident with his Bobcat. He found out you shouldn't cut the roll cage off of them so you can get into lower barns, when they roll over you get squished.

I don't own one...yet, but the best thing I've heard is you can shut the fuel off and come back years later and turn it on and fire her up. No more gummed up carb or varnished tank. Perfect for this "few times a year" guy.

When Dad farmed back in the 40,50's his tractors ran on butane. Except for the F12.Then propane came along don't know what the difference is. I think propane has a little more pressure? I used his tractors when I started my discing business. Seamed like a lot of trouble for me to fill the tank. The gas company came picked picked up their 500 gal tank because I wasn't using enough. That was the end of that. All I use now is gasoline, and diesel. If I want to move the propane tractors, I just use my bbq tank. Stan

I would agree, engine stays clean, oil stays clean a long time, extended change intervals are fine with these, cold weather can be an issue, depends on your set up. Engine wear is much less, they do last a lot longer given the above.

The biggest concern is refueling, I'm on my 12th year with a LP ford 850, its set up for common 30lb forklift type LP tanks, you'll get 4-5 hour run time out of one tank. I refill at a local place and haul them home its less then 2 miles away, ideally, just have enough tanks on hand and have them filled, works well, I only use 2. If I could buy in bulk and have a nurse tank etc, I'd save money on fuel, when I first got this tractor, it was like $12 a tank, now its $30 + or -, it was a savings over gas, not anymore, unless you can get bulk, retailers who refill tanks, get the same or more than gasoline or so it seems to me locally.

when i had my ranch (off grid) i got a back up generator to charge my batteries (before i could afford solar) that was propane, yea, you would have to change the oil a lot less, but i put synthetic oil in it and would go to check it and 4 times over when the recommended change time was , it still looked like honey. same with my 03 silverado, switched to synthetic and a couple weeks later, still looked like honey, unheard of with standard oil.
sorry, since im a girl, i am supposed to spell it "710" , so's tha boys can understand i am on the same page as them

We had a pump powered by old v8 chrysler flat head that ran on propane. It was hard to start, started on gas, then changed over to propane.

I remember back in the 50's stealing gas was a big thing for farmers. That may be one reason why some changed to propane. And it was very clean burning.

My dad took the chrysler engine apart, thinking it was time to rebuild. Very clean, very little wear.

George i have never seen a v8 chrysler flat head i don't think they ever made one i my be wrong

Never saw a Chrysler flat head v8. They did have a flat head straight 8.

KEH

Jenny,
No disrespect intended here, but I don't get it.
Why would you want to be off the grid, unless you
live on a mountain top where you can't get
electricity, only to trade one energy source,
electricity, for another energy source propane.

How can that be self sufficient?

It would cost me a pant load to switch over to
propane heat, propane water, cooking. Not to
mention, how would I power my centeral air?
I would have to have an engine powered air
compressor, welder, table saw, planner.
I don't want to live like the amish.

I wouldn't live long enough to recover the
difference in energy cost, especially now that
propane prices are jumping all over. Not to
mention the cost of batteries and solar panels.

Just don't get it. I have a masters in Physics and
Math. Physics is all about energy. I just don't
see how the numbers add up, especially when the
best golf cart batteries may last 10 years,
depending on how many times they are recharged,
and they will cost a pant load to replace. I would
need a pole barn full of batteries to meet my
demands.

Just don't get it, why?

George

I could be wrong about chrysler, but is it really that important? I was a kid, thought it was a chrysler flat head. The pump had to date back to the 50's if not later. It was a flat head v8 of some kind. I think we had an old ford dump truck with a flat head v8. Dad in his later years had the engine rebuilt, very proud of it.

My major point remaind, propane was a pain to start, very clean burning, and no one could steal it like gas.

(quoted from post at 07:57:49 08/09/14) I could be wrong about chrysler, but is it really that important? I was a kid, thought it was a chrysler flat head. The pump had to date back to the 50's if not later. It was a flat head v8 of some kind. I think we had an old ford dump truck with a flat head v8. Dad in his later years had the engine rebuilt, very proud of it.

My major point remaind, propane was a pain to start, very clean burning, and no one could steal it like gas.

Click to expand...

guess that if we wish to delve into the minutia, it could have been a flat head Chrysler V8, as the last year the Ford flattie was made, it was made by "Chrysler do Brasil!" :wink:
The little v-60 was replaced by the 226 straight-6 in the 1941 Fords, though it would continue to be used after the war in the French Ford Vedette.
The engine was also installed in the SIMCA Vedette beginning in 1955.

oh good grief, not again.

Good grief back to you. When I posted above chrysler v8 flat head, critics were all over me. It comes with the territory posting on YT, you have to defent your point of view, which I think is healthy. I even big enough to say I'm wrong too.

If you post how warm and fuzzy it is not to pay the electric company, you need to defent it.

We all use energy, our country runs on cheap energy. You go off the grid, you need to invest in other energy sources to replace it, wood, propane, diesel. I couldn't possibly live on just solar. All I see with solar is a major investment and expensive repairs, especially when I get hit with hail storms or strong winds all the time. Farmers have to have crop insurance around here for that reason.

Even our space station can't make it on solar, thye have fuel cells.

As a physics major, I'm very interested in all forms of energy, that's my game.

I remember when Jimmy Carter invested mega bucks in alternate energy. Even put solar on white house, only to have another president take it down. In the 70 Carter wanted to make our country free from outside energy, didn't happen? Why? Energy is a good topic for discussion don't you think?

I'm not making this personal. I've learned if you can't handle your critics, don't post.

So good greif,
charlie brown.

Butane and propane are just two of the family of hydrocarbon molecules that we use for fuel.

The different fuel gasses are all hydrocarbon molecules, the difference being the number of carbon and hydrogen atoms that are joined together.



Methane or natural gas - 1 carbon, 4 hydrogen atoms.

Ethane - 2 carbon, 6 hydrogen atoms.

Propane - 3 carbon, 8 hydrogen atoms.

Butane - 4 carbon, 10 hydrogen atoms.

Pentane - 5 carbon, 12 hydrogen atoms.

Hexane - 6 carbon, 14 hydrogen atoms.



You can just keep going from there adding one carbon and 2 hydrogen to keep getting different molecules.



As the molecules get larger their vapor pressure drops. Methane and ethane require extremely high pressures to turn them to liquid form at ambient temperatures. Propane boils at -42° F while butane boiling point is about 30° F.

Here is more information on this family of hydrocarbons.

boiling points, vapor pressure

I have a Cockshutt 30 propane. Nice stuff. biggest pain is getting fuel. I have to buy 2 or 3 forklift tanks since my propane supplier is worthless as far as filling the tractor goes. If the wind is blowing the exhaust at me it tends to give me a little headache. Mine starts fine in cold weather. Right now it's running off 20 lbs barbeque tanks. I don't use it much.