gas vs diesel 880 oliver

tri106.8 · Dec 19, 2009

looking at buying my first oliver, i was always partial to the gas 880's i like how smooth they run, but i don't want to just shut out buying a diesel though ether, i don't know a whole lot about them & was wondering how the gas 880's compare to the deisel 880's, which ever i choose it won't be doing awhole bunch of work but would be used on the 20 acre hobby farm

ontarioparts · Dec 19, 2009

I can give some headups on the diesel engine. As the maxim goes:-

"there are many reasons why a gasolene engine is better than a diesl engine, its just that I cannot think of any right now."

The advantages of the diesel engine are:-
1.0 Diesel engines uses aproximately 30% less fuel than the gas engine of comparable size
2.0 There are less parts to maintain, no distribrutors, caps, spark plug, spark plug lines, no carburetors. Get the picture?
3.0 In idle, diesel engines uses a miniscule amount of fuel, thus these engines can be idled for hours with little fuel use
4.0 Overhaul, the diesel engine is more reliable

The diesel engine tends to be a little noisy (diesel knock), and the engine costs more to manufacture, thus thus tractors with the diesl engine may cost more.

My vote is for the diesel tractor anyday.

regards
Marlon Khan

Anonymous-0 · Dec 19, 2009

It's not a good idea to let diesels idle for long periods. Diesels need to be worked. If your just putzing around and not really working the tractor much, a gas may be a better choice. Diesels can be a lot more expensive to fix as well. I prefer diesels because if they are in good shape, they don't need a lot of extra maintenance like a gas engine. Dave

Anonymous-0 · Dec 19, 2009

88-880 dsl.s are dogs, a gas Oliver will outwork them and they don't start real great . Injection pumps such as an 880 used can be spendy to repair and AB inj. pump parts are getting hard to find, rebuilding your injectors will run $50/ea or more. Lots of points and spark plugs!

Tramway Guy · Dec 19, 2009

Later 880's used the Roosa Master type pump, they are no problem to get parts for.....

ontarioparts · Dec 19, 2009

A diesel engine draws the same volume of air per cycle, regardless of the engine rpm. Typically, a diesel engine will draw approx 100 lbs of air for every lb of diesel fuel. At full speed this drops to about 20 lbs per lb of fuel. This is due to the fact that there are no throttle plates on diesel engines. Compared to gas engines, which has a throttle plate, placed across the intake manifold, and this regulates the amount of air available for fuel combustion.

Its the absence of this throttle plate that allows a large amount of air to be drawn into the diesel engine at low speed. This very large amount of air is also the reason why diesel engines can be idled for long periods of time with very little fuel used (not recommended for climate change purposes), unless necessary. There is nothing wrong with that. For more info, read "How To Repair Diesel Engines" by Paul Dempsey.

With a good diesel engine and rebuilt pump and injectors, this engine will work for years on end without any problems. The reason why there are many points, plugs and other parts is that they need to be changed regularly.

oliver power · Dec 20, 2009

One thing I've noticed with the gas olivers, they start good in cold weather, where as the diesels start real hard. Also, any gas models bigger than the 770 drink lots of gas.

Mike M · Dec 20, 2009

Sounds like you may be served well by either model with that little of acreage ?

I purposly went looking for a gas tractor for what I wanted to do with one. I needed a large loader lift capacity and wanted to also use a back blade for snow along with the loader. Found a JD4020 gas put a loader on it and also found a large HD rear blade for it. Gas ones seem to sell about $3,000 to $4,000 cheaper in these.
I think we have only put 600 or so hours on it in 16 years ?
VERY low maintenance ! I just went over it very throughly when I first got it.
VERY good for all the starting and stopping and quick short runs.
Still has plenty of power for the big jobs when called upon. Just takes more gas ! but with only an extra 600 hours on the clock hardly enough extra spent on fuel to matter.

John Harmon · Dec 20, 2009

I agree with you. Back when Diesel fuel was a lot less than Gasoline you may be could justify the increased costs of owning and maintaining let alone buying a diesel but not any more. I owned a 88 diesel,bought used, and on a Dairy farm in the winters in ILL. it was a dog to get started on a 20' below morning. Had to have a block heater for sure and even then it was a hard starter.My old case CC with a hand crank started better than that 88 did. I was real glad to trade it for an AC 190,Gas of course.

JDemaris · Dec 20, 2009

Much depends on your ability to work on diesels, or at least know someone that does.

I like having diesels because: #1 they are more fuel efficient, #2 diesel fuel can can sit for years and not go bad like gas, #3 off-road fuel is usually cheaper then gasoline.

Downsides are:

#1 they are not simple as some people claim. Diesels have ignition systems and fuel induction systems basically built into one unit, unlike a gas engine that spreads it out with a distributor, coil, carburetor, fuel pump, spark plugs, wires, etc.
Also, few people have the correct tools to work on them. How many people do you know own a diesel timing light? An injector tester? A stanadyne timing window?
So, as I see it - unless you know how to work on the fuel inejection pump and/or injectors, it's not simple. That is, unless you call sending out components to get fixed elsewhere for a high price, "simple."
#2 Cold weather starting. It takes planning, and often a good block heater and winterized fuel.
#3 The need of a big, or dual batteries.

JDemaris · Dec 20, 2009

Any diesel engine is going to have less power then an equal sized gas engine (unless the diesel is turbocharged).

That why many tractor companies that sell tractor models by horsepower, use bigger diesel engines then the gas versions. The ones that don't, get accused of having diesel "dogs" which is true, in a way.

Farm fuel here (off road diesel) is still cheaper then gasoline, but not by much. Just bought a load for $2.40 per gallon.

The Stanadyne injection pumps are dirt cheap to work on, as long as you do it yourself. Nice thing is, all the parts are available aftermarket at half the Stanadyne prices.

JDemaris · Dec 20, 2009

A few points I disagree a little on . .

"A diesel engine draws the same volume of air per cycle, regardless of the engine rpm"

Not really true. Most diesels do run wide open air intakes but still suffer from volumetric efficiency losses as RPMs climb, unless supercharged.

"This is due to the fact that there are no throttle plates on diesel engines"

Some diesel tractors, e.g. some IHs and Fordsons do use throttle plates.

"This very large amount of air is also the reason why diesel engines can be idled for long
periods of time with very little fuel used"

Some diesels are very inefficient at low idle speeds and just as bad as equal sized gas engines.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 20, 2009

A neighbor allways had Oliver gassers, I liked the way they purred, very smooth and absolutely trouble free. I keep an old Case gasser around cause I like it too and stale gas is easy to manage. For your use fuel cost just cant amount to much.

rrlund · Dec 20, 2009

Ain't it amazing how much tractor we think we need these days? Dad worked an 80 acre farm and bought several additional acres of hay every year and did it easily with an Oliver 66. My uncle farmed several hundred acres and did untold hours of custom work with an 88 Diesel.That was quite an upgrade from the 70 and the Sheppard SD3 that replaced it.

As far as the 880 goes,the diesel was a hard starter. That was the only drawback to them. Big thing that led to hard starting on them was the primary fuel pump that pushed the fuel up through the filters to the injector pump. To only play around on 20 acres,you've got plenty of time to get one started and maintain it. If that's what you want,buy one. No sense having something you don't want.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 20, 2009

Some diesel engines can be idled for long periods with no ill effects but idling some others will cause engine problems. A 3204 Cat is an example of a diesel that shouldn't be idled for extended periods. I was told this by the shop that rebuilt mine and they rebuild a lot of engines, mostly Cat. The service manager said that an engine like the 3204 can actually get to the point where it won't rev up if it's been idling for too long. The newer Cat engines don't have this problem. A lot of diesels will also slobber out the exhaust if idled a lot. Dave

gas vs diesel 880 oliver

tri106.8

New User

ontarioparts

New User

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Tramway Guy

Well-known Member

ontarioparts

New User

oliver power

Member

Mike M

Well-known Member

John Harmon

Member

JDemaris

Well-known Member

JDemaris

Well-known Member

JDemaris

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Similar threads