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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

FUEL QUESTION

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Allen

10-03-2003 05:16:29




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I replaced my oil furnace one year ago. The tank has nearly 200 gallons of what I believe they call #2 oil. Someone told me that it could be used in my diesel tractor. does anyone know? I would hate to mess up the tractor engine. Thanks for your time. Allen




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paul

10-03-2003 14:15:53




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 Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Allen, 10-03-2003 05:16:29  
Here in Minnesota, where it does get down to 20F below (was out in -33 once...) we burn #2 in the furnace, but the tank is in the basement. :) Most folks use a blend of 1 & 2 if their tank is outside.

Anyhow, can you ask your supplier what they put in the tank? In most cases, it is just diesel fuel, would work fine in a tractor. If it is #1 it is better to use in winter, as it doesn't lube quite as well, the engine runs hotter, & you lose a bit of power. But it works fine. If it's number 2, you don't want to run it straight below 20 degrees...

There is a chance it is heating fuel, which as others say doesn't have quite all the additives for lubing the fuel pump or centane rating. Same basic fuel, but missing a bit. Many suppliers don't want to tie up seperate tanks and use engine fuel for both fuel & heating oil.

If it were me, I'd try to find out what the supplier delivered. I'd probably mix it 50/50 with regular fuel & use it up in a tractor even if I didn't know what grade or type it was. Then tho maybe I wouldn't want to use it for extreme use like heavy plowing in hot weather....

--->Paul

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JMS/MN

10-03-2003 11:17:18




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 Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Allen, 10-03-2003 05:16:29  
Diesel and fuel are the same product, within the same grade number. Here, the colored fuel is off-road use, clear is on-road, tax payable. Heating fuel is the same as diesel.



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Jed

10-03-2003 08:13:05




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 Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Allen, 10-03-2003 05:16:29  
Number 2 diesel fuel and heating oil are basically the same. Just like gasoline has an octane rating , so does diesel have what is called a cetane rating. I run a fuels testing lab by the way and we handle a lot of fuel R&D samples along with probelm samples. Diesel engines require a minimum of a 40 cetane to perform well. Most of the home heating oil is around there, but usually a little lower. Think about it for a minute, the oil companies aren't going to add a nitrate cetane improver to home heating oil. That would be giving away money. You will get away with using heating oil, but in the long run you would be safer using a 40 or higher cetane fuel.

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Ludwig

10-03-2003 08:18:53




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 Re: Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Jed, 10-03-2003 08:13:05  
You could of course use a Cetane improver yourself. I use Diesel Kleen in my Mercedes car and it makes a big difference. In the amount I use (1/4 small bottle per tank) its supposed to add about 6 points of cetane.
Wouldn't be too expensive per tank if you bought it in the big bottles.



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Red Dave

10-03-2003 07:18:02




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 Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Allen, 10-03-2003 05:16:29  
About a dozen or so years ago, I had 5 or 600 gallons of heating oil that I had to use or lose. I made a deal with a farmer friend that he would come and pump it out for his tractor use for half the going per gallon price.
He used it in his tractors, no problems.



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Allan

10-03-2003 07:27:48




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 Re: Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Red Dave, 10-03-2003 07:18:02  
Dave,

Yep, Diesel oil is fuel oil; plain and simple.

Allan



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Paul Janke

10-03-2003 06:01:50




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 Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Allen, 10-03-2003 05:16:29  
When I delivered fuel, diesel and burner fuel came out of the same tank. Burner fuel and diesel can are both available as No. 1 or No. 2. You might be able to tell by putting small jars of each in a freezer to try to compare when they gel. No. 1 has less power and costs a little more. It should cause no problems in your tractor.



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Allan

10-03-2003 07:06:38




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 Re: Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Paul Janke, 10-03-2003 06:01:50  
Hi Paul,

Yes, I would suppose it would depend upon where a guy lives. I've never heard of #2 being used as fuel oil here (Nebraska).

However, it should not matter which it is if it is mixed with a fairly large quanity of diesel farm fuel. If it is #2, no big deal; if it is #1 going into #2, it will just thin the farm supply a little.

I've cut #2 down to #1 with no-lead gasoline at a ratio of 1:20 because #2 starts to thicken at about 10 degrees. At 0 to -10, it will not flow (this has been my experience anyway).

Allan

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Allan

10-03-2003 05:26:00




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 Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Allen, 10-03-2003 05:16:29  
Hi Allen,

If it was in an oil burner tank, I would think it was probably #1 diesel as #2 will gel in the wintertime and is normally not used to fuel a furnace.

If it were I, I would mix it in with my existing diesel fuel supply tank. If it is good, clean fuel, the worst it would do is heighten the octane rating of your existing fuel a small amount and should power your equipment just fine.

Regards,

Allan

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Allen

10-06-2003 06:33:51




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 Re: Re: FUEL QUESTION in reply to Allan, 10-03-2003 05:26:00  

Thanks to all who responded. As always some good advice. I am going to use it. regards, Allen



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