What's your fuel consumption like?

[nerwin]

This is my first time owning a Diesel tractor. I'm gonna say the 3 cylinder..100+ci engine is the biggest engine out of all the "toys" I had.

My side by side had a near 10 gallon fuel tank. The L2501 is almost 11 gallons I think. I filled it on November 22nd and today is Jan 4 and I've only put 10 hours on it...burned through almost all the diesel fuel haha. I'm below 1/4 now.

The side by side I only had to refuel maybe once during winter. I was surprised to see how much more fuel the tractor used.

So I was just curious what your fuel consumption was like on your tractor. How long can you typically go without refueling?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Depends on what I'm doing.

 

[nerwin]

Depends on what I'm doing.

Yeah that's what I'm going to say will be the typical response. I know it's gonna vary, I'm just trying to figure out if I'm within normal or if it's burning more than it should? But I assume if it was burning more then there would be black smoke right? No black smoke here.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yeah that's what I'm going to say will be the typical response. I know it's gonna vary, I'm just trying to figure out if I'm within normal or if it's burning more than it should? But I assume if it was burning more then there would be black smoke right? No black smoke here.

Yes black smoke or a puddle on the ground are the typical signs that you have an issue.

It's hard to say your going to use X amount of fuel for X amount of hours, because there are alot of factors involved.
It's not as simple as a automobile MPG comparison.

I think you will find in a real world comparison kubota engines do a massive amount of work for the amount of fuel they use.

 

[ken erickson]

When running my L2501 hst for the two most common chores that I do.

Grapple work about 1/2 gallon per hour
6 ft rotary cutter running 540 pto rpm’s 3/4 gallon per hour to gallon per hour depending on how heavy/dense the material is.

 

[nerwin]

Yes black smoke or a puddle on the ground are the typical signs that you have an issue.

It's hard to say your going to use X amount of fuel for X amount of hours, because there are alot of factors involved.
It's not as simple as a automobile MPG comparison.

I think you will find in a real world comparison kubota engines do a massive amount of work for the amount of fuel they use.

I'm just trying to learn a little bit about it. I have been told Kubota engines are pretty efficient. But I couldn't believe I already went through 10 gallons of diesel haha. But I guess 10 hours of work is pretty good.

 

[nerwin]

When running my L2501 hst for the two most common chores that I do.

Grapple work about 1/2 gallon per hour
6 ft rotary cutter running 540 pto rpm’s 3/4 gallon per hour to gallon per hour depending on how heavy/dense the material is.

I have most plowed snow thus far, don't feel like I'm working it hard but maybe its enough.

 

[Scottly]

My B2601 has a 6-gallon tank I believe. From full I can mow my yard 5 times at 1 hour and 10 minutes per mow.
Then it is time for fuel. It usually has 1 to 1 1/2 gallons left between 1/4 and E.
I have always felt it was very economical to run.

 

[jyoutz]

My MX has a 12 gallon tank. If I’m rotary cutting with my 6’ cutter, I can go through 2/3 to 3/4 tank in a day.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I have most plowed snow thus far, don't feel like I'm working it hard but maybe its enough.

I'm not saying your wrong for asking, I just think its hard to get an exact answer.
But at least ballpark answers will help get you some idea.
Snow duties you will always use more fuel.
Diesel's are not as efficient in the cold.

39 HP Tractor i use about 1/2 to 3/4 gallon per hour.
51 HP Bobcat I use about the same maybe a little more.
21 HP B7100 I use about 1/4 a gallon and hour.

 

[Flintknapper]

Varies quite a bit with what I am doing. But suffice to say....it is miserly under most conditions.

 

[Mitjam]

This is my first time owning a Diesel tractor. I'm gonna say the 3 cylinder..100+ci engine is the biggest engine out of all the "toys" I had.

My side by side had a near 10 gallon fuel tank. The L2501 is almost 11 gallons I think. I filled it on November 22nd and today is Jan 4 and I've only put 10 hours on it...burned through almost all the diesel fuel haha. I'm below 1/4 now.

The side by side I only had to refuel maybe once during winter. I was surprised to see how much more fuel the tractor used.

So I was just curious what your fuel consumption was like on your tractor. How long can you typically go without refueling?

It truly depends what I’m doing with tractor. I find my lx3520 to be a little hard on fuel but could be just me and it may get better as it breaks in that’s a 4cyl turbo 1.5L. My 108s 3.8L gear drive is sooo good on fuel even if I’m pushing snow or dragging a batwing around. But that tractor doesn’t have dpf filter. Around here though summer fuel goes quite a bit further.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Good day.

To me what OP describe doesn’t seem unusual, although I don’t have an L.

For OP SxS, how many hours were you running the side by side to fill once a winter (how many gallons and how using during the hours ran?). That’s hard to compare to a tractor I think.

I would say if trying to compare it to use in previous side by side need to consider the hours that it was used for the fuel burn rate. Either way it’s probably a different engine and a much different use so not a fair comparison IMO. But look at the hours vs consumption across the board. Not time between refills….because the engine certainly wasn’t running all that time in the side by side.

As far as my usage, this is approximate:
For the B, it’s about .6 ish per hour, not more than .8ish per hour. My normal use is mowing in which case it’s running at 540 PTO speed to WFO if the grass has gotten tall, using grapple fork and skidding logs doing firewood WFO and putting between barns, gardens etc. I would estimate 25-30 percent of time I’m idling or puttering around on it. When its time to refill, i go ahead and grease it too.

For the MX, its every bit of double the consumption of the B…it’s closer to 1.8 - 2.0 gallons per hour. Aside from initial start up / warm, it’s not running less than 2000 rpm’, at PTO rated speed or WFO. If I am puttering on it I’m still at 2000 rpm’s. I only take it down to idle when heading to barn to put it away. (I don’t idle it like I do the B). Same general uses as the B but on larger scale of tasks/chores. Same routine though as the B, where she’s thirsty I give her a lubing too…and on the Mx I also check the build up of chaff on radiator screen (sometimes this needs done more frequently when mowing if pasture too tall)

As I mentioned the fuel consumption per hour is more per hour on the MX, but from efficiency of work completed it’s easily 3x more efficient, maybe more….so the fuel it consumes for the work is really less than it would be with the B for the tasks the B could do, if it could actually do them. Point here is I think fuel consumption really depends on how you are using the machine and the tasks completed.

Length of time to refill depends on the size of tank and burn rate….for both machines if I would actually them use all day at rated RPMs they will both get filled up and lubed.

OP, Is that what you were asking? I’m hope it helps to your question .

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Tough to put a number on it, but I would say 3/4 gallon per hour seems to be about right for my machine.

Most of my work has been loader or backhoe related and I generally run it at about 2200-2400RPM' ish for most work.

 

[Chanceywd]

I was keeping track in the first year 2021 I had it because I worried about running it out. The fuel gauge on mine is no where near accurate, it is down 5 gallons and only down to 3/4 on the gauge. I found I was averaging 1/2 gal an hour but mine is a L2501DT not the HST.
My son bought Mahindra new about the same time, I think it is 1626 hydro with a mitsubitshi engine that is smaller than the kubota and he goes thru a gallon an hour.
I don't gloat but I smile when I see the yellow cans with him when he stops by, I tried to get him to go with a L2501.
Bill

 

[GreensvilleJay]

for my BX23S ( 6 yr old, 1400+ hrs )
GREAT when it's sitting in the garage
ACCEPTABLE when it's out WORKING.

Really, to me MPG/ HPG is not a number I care about, though I care burn through 10 litres in 3-4 days most weeks in Spring,Summer and Fall.

 

[mikester]

My best on the M59 is about 15 hours on a ~50L tank, worst is 8 hours. Depends on weather and tasks being done. My experience is that the Kubota's are very fuel efficient small diesels.

 

[mdhughes]

I use my tractor to do firewood and maintaining driveway/private road. I have done some dirt work (FEL and backhoe). In the 36 tanks of fuel I have use, my average is 2.2 hours a gallon.

I have a transfer tank with a meter on it, that is how I know how much fuel I have added to the tank. I try to top the tank off at the same point each time I fill it. But with 36 tanks, I think the average give a good idea what I'm getting overall.

 

[85Hokie]

This is my first time owning a Diesel tractor. I'm gonna say the 3 cylinder..100+ci engine is the biggest engine out of all the "toys" I had.

My side by side had a near 10 gallon fuel tank. The L2501 is almost 11 gallons I think. I filled it on November 22nd and today is Jan 4 and I've only put 10 hours on it...burned through almost all the diesel fuel haha. I'm below 1/4 now.

The side by side I only had to refuel maybe once during winter. I was surprised to see how much more fuel the tractor used.

So I was just curious what your fuel consumption was like on your tractor. How long can you typically go without refueling?

One thing to consider - running around in idle doing work will use a bit more fuel than running up the rpm's in certain high ranges.

Never baby the engine - then again you need not run it the the hell WOT - even though it really is design to run high and long in that higher RPMS range.

I have 5 engines that have close to 7,000 hours on them (D1105's that get the sheee-it run out of them 8 hours a day! And they are abused too! But because they are run in the high rpm they may last a couple of thousand hours more.

You will be surprised HOW little fuel the engine uses over time.

 

[GrassLakeRon]

At it's worse, my b8200 is between 1/4-1/2 an hour. I mow my 2.5+ acres 5-6 times per tank. To compare my simplicity legacy 20hp was 1.5 gallons per hour and my pos troybilt super bronco xp 54" fab gt (mouth fill) was 2 gallons an hour with it's 26hp.