basic on lp tractors

I'm buying a propane powered tractor from my uncle and looking for some basics on running one. Do they run on the vapor or the liquid or both? how about refueling procedures? If one doesn't have a big lp tank for the home use, what's a good way to refill? How well do the lps work in the winter months? Any other info would be appreciated as well.

I'm pretty sure you start them on vapor and once the engine is warmed up, you switch to liquid. If you don't have a fill port on an LP tank in the yard, refueling is not going to be convienient. Seems like I've heard you can use a 20lb grill tank in the past, but now with the OPD in them you're going to have a tough time transferring from them to the tractor.

I'd check with your local LP supplier, might not be as hard as you think.
Good luck, LP gas engines tend to run a long time without much attention. Our LP forklifts at the plant ran for years with just regular service and ignition system maintenance.
Paul

I know this has been covered before but sometimes the search engine here makes looking tough. Good subject to cover again anyway.

Will attempt to answer your queries in the order asked.

Lore always used to say you started them on vapor and once warmed up switched to liquid. Some manuals say to run on liquid unless you are having problems. I think the vapor option was truly for Butane which we don't see up here in Iowa. Guys used to tell about southern belles coming into a local dealership and would either frost the tanks or wouldn't run at all. Had butane in them and it boils at something between 0 and freezing (not sure as to the number). In my experience I just run on liquid. Even my Cockshutt factory LP didn't even come with a vapor valve on the tank. And here I go out of order. I can start that Cockshutt on liquid on days around 10 degrees here in Iowa.

As for refueling without a big tank you are pretty much SOL in todays world. Used to be able to fill off 20# cylinders but there is a tipover-safety aspect to the new OPD valves that are required on those so no way to get liquid out of them. You do have two options though. There are small tanks out there in the 100 to 150 GALLON (not pounds) range. If you can pickup a old converted anhydrous applicator tank that would be ideal. Nother option is if you only need to fill once or twice a year make good friends with your local supplier and have him catch you on his way past when needed.

As to filling if you do it yourself. If you live near town you need to go pretty much whole hog. That means the tank with liquid withdrawal, pump hose's etc. I think I did price a new Krug hand pump a few years back and the pump alone was up in the $750 range, Not sure as memory sometimes fades. If you are out in the boonies like I am you can do what I used to do before I bought my hand pump. Run a liquid line from the source tank and then vent off the vapor. This isn't recommended and can be pretty dangerous so I am NOT recommending this method. It isn't a bad idea to put together a hose to run from a 20#er to your tractor tank. Makes it easy to get your horse back to the fill point when you run out of gas, But dang spendy way to run a tractor. If you put one of these together and they start asking what you want to do tell them, the same line can be used to steal Anhydrous for Meth production, also makes it prudent to keep that hose under lock and key.

One more thing about running your new rig. If it has Ensign carburation there is no half choke, Those systems sorta had a separate carb for starting. If it has Century I think most of those have a Primer button, Deere did some goofy things with Century though and Deere and Cockshutt are the only ones that I have run across that used Century.

Hope this helps.

jt

Open vapor only to start it on. Once engine is warmed up good the engine coolant water going through the vaporizer will vaporize the liquid fuel open the liquid valve and close the vapor valve. If doesn"t run well on liquid it wasn"t warmed up enough or may have restrictions in the fittings, hoses, lines or vaporizer heating coil not warming the liquid LP fuel enough to vaporize it. You refill it with liquid LP and need a vapor return line to your LP nurse tank. If the nurse tank doesn"t have a valve with the liquid dip tube you won"t be able to refill it that way. Check with you LP fuel dealer for all that. Most companies had a special LPG operators manuals for their LPG tractors find one for yours. If engine and fuel system is good condition it should start and run fine in winter.

The tractor runs off the vapor. The vapor is drawn off the top of the tank and goes through the pressure regulator to the engine. Some of the liquid boils off to replace the used vapor. As for filling, check with your uncle and see how he does his refueling. Basically, if you only use your tractor occasionally, have the propane dealer refill it. Otherwise, you will have to lease/rent/buy a propane tank. You will have to have a filler hose to connect to your tractor. Your propane dealer will show you how to refill the tractor, but it's just a matter of connecting the fittings, turning on the valve and bleeding off the vapor. Remember to always turn off the valve at the tank when finished. (See below) If you work strictly at home, a stationary tank will do, but if you work different areas, you will need a tank on a trailer. As to cold weather starting, I was in a mild winter situation, so someone else on this forum will have to answer that. C.L.

P.S.: Anhydrous Ammonia (NH3) has basically the same characteristics as propane. A guy filled a nursery tank from a just filled 12,000 gal main tank. He turned the valve off at the discharge end of the hose, but didn't turn off the valve at the main tank. He just dropped the hose beside the nurse tank and drove off, running over the valve, which ruptured the hose. Twelve thousand gallons of NH3 blew out through the wildly whipping hose (no one could get near the valve). I'm told they had to evacuate everybody downwind for two counties. Turn off the valve at the tank.

No smoking. Check for leaks every couple of months with soapy water. Park the tractor away from pits or low areas in a shed.
Home brew fill hoses from LP tanks, used by untrained personal. Tend to keep firemen,paramedics, police, funeral homes and insurance adjusters employed.

The carburetors actually run on vapor. But if running hard they pull vapor from the tank so fast that the tank freezes up . So they run liquid to a heat exchanger heated with the engine water, then to the carburetor. At least the ones I have run.
These new little tanks could be a problem to fill from.

Have your local LP suppler train you in the correct way to fill your tractor. ALWAYS wear gloves and face protection when doing so or it might be the last thing you ever see of fell with your hands. LP is known to freeze body parts fast then you can move. Learned how to fill tanks back when I drove fork lifts and it is not a fun thing to do filling those tanks. Smells bad and will cause major frost bite even with gloves on if your not careful

Big jt has it mostly right. My LP manual for my Massey Super 90 explains it well. They start on vapor from the top part of the tank. After the engine is warmed up then open the liquid valve. The vaporizor will vaporize the liquid to vapor then. There is not enough vapor coming from the tank(with just the vapor valve open) to fuel the engine under full load. It needs the liquid to vapor to get enough fuel.
Also remember these old LP tanks may be 50 to 60 years old or so. Many LP suppliers will NOT fill that old of a tank. Ideally they should be reinspected or use a new tank.

Thank you for all the info and tips guys. What I have is an early (1958-59)Oliver 770 lp, so I don't know what brand of carb the tractor has. My uncle believes he still has the manuals for the tractor, and I'm sure he will be glad to show me how they filled it up

I do have a 1000 gal. lp tank for the house I'm renting but the problem is it's leased from the co-op and they won't allow any extra supply lines due to insurance reasons. This tractor will not be used much so hopefully a fill up will last awhile, at least until I can figure out a way to refill it.