Fuel consumption

[lreops]

Yes, to compare some parameters need to be established......like @540, under a load, etc... Probably need a minimum number of hrs operating to calculate fairly accurate fuel usage.....like at least 4 hrs?

As well as using a real clock and not the tractors clock, as I've been told that some tractor clocks vary with rpm's.

That's my 2¢, I'll "SHUT UP, SIT DOWN" now.

Ron

 

[Orange Turbo]

YA, A lot variables and grey area there, I used my Watch when timing it. The mower wasn't much of a load, Never tried to pull down. Was just board and thinking about what it might use (fuel) with the generator hooked up. So I can have extra on hand if the electric fail's. I'll just hook it up and give it a real time Trial.............I just thought 2-gal (hr) was a little much.

 

[Tx Jim]

All depends on the task but my M9000 (92 hp) burns just over 1 gph, and that's mowing hay, baling or pulling a batwing. It uses less than that doing lighter work.

OCED tractor test #1805 shows a M9000 at a lot more than 1 GPH as in 5 times as much fuel usage. You must have a one of a kind tractor. My M7040 uses around 2 GPH pulling a 9' disc mower

 

[Bulldog]

OCED tractor test #1805 shows a M9000 at a lot more than 1 GPH as in 5 times as much fuel usage. You must have a one of a kind tractor. My M7040 uses around 2 GPH pulling a 9' disc mower

I was doing hay last week and cut for 17 or 18 hrs with my 9' disc mower, it took 23 gallons to fill back up. That's about 1.3 gph average which is about normal when it's working hard.

I know what the difference is but most either don't want to believe it or just don't want to hear it because it's different.
The proof is in the numbers and I see them every day.

 

[Tx Jim]

It odd your 9000 & my 7040 both have 3.3L engines and my 7040 weighs a lot less than your 9000. Maybe I need some Amsoil oil???

 

[Bulldog]

Tx Jim, it would probably shock you at the difference it makes.

The test you listed seems way off to me @5 gph but I've never really used mine without Amsoil. I used light duty during break in and changed everything over at about 20 or 25 hrs then put it to work. All I know if those test numbers are correct and I'm using 3.5 gph less than what it should, that's super. @$3 per gal for diesel that would mean I save about $10 per hour just in fuel cost. Doesn't take long for the oil to pay for it'self.

 

[Tx Jim]

Tx Jim, it would probably shock you at the difference it makes.

The test you listed seems way off to me @5 gph but I've never really used mine without Amsoil. I used light duty during break in and changed everything over at about 20 or 25 hrs then put it to work. All I know if those test numbers are correct and I'm using 3.5 gph less than what it should, that's super. @$3 per gal for diesel that would mean I save about $10 per hour just in fuel cost. Doesn't take long for the oil to pay for it'self.

How much does a gallon of Amsoil cost and what's the recommended oil change interval? Do you use Amsoil hyd oil also? PS: I'm burning $2 per gallon diesel not $3.

 

[Bulldog]

Tx Jim, I use the 5w30 heavy duty diesel oil and the retail price is $47 per gallon. Dealer price is about $34 a gallon but I order mine in drums which makes the price per gallon a little cheaper. The rated change interval it's 3x the manufacturers specs which would be 600 hrs on our kubotas but I change mine once a year. As far as hrs go I don't put no where near 600 but all oil should be changed once a year due to contaminants from normal use.
Yes, I do use Amsoil hyd fluid. It's also rated for 3x the manf. specs so that's either 1200 or 1800 hrs depending on which change interval you tractor has. My L3000 is rated at 400 and my 9000 is at 600 hrs.
Just in case you're curious I also use Amsoil gear oil in all my gear boxes.

My question now is, where did you find diesel for $2 a gallon. I haven't seen fuel that cheap in years. What I have in my tanks I paid $3.09 for and I got a $.10 cent discount.

 

[Tallahassee Kubota Man]

Ok, got some numbers from some work earlier today.

Equipment:
M5140HD Hydro Shuttle
FEL w/800lb grapple
6' Land Pride rotary mower (750 lbs)
All 4 tires loaded with water (gonna drain the front ones soon)

Ran for 3.17 hrs at around 2200 rpm's. 2.75 hrs mowing light bahia and fennel weed, the rest moving limbs, rotten trees. Timed by a stopwatch.

Started the work with a full tank and stopped on the way home to top it off and used 2.82 gals. That would be around .88 gals per hour. This was a very pleasant surprise to me. She's got around 70 hrs.

If I continue to get similar results with other work I'll be one happy boy, especially with a tractor this size.

 

[Bulldog]

That sounds better TKM.
I've been kicking the idea around about another tractor in your hp range. But when everybody kept saying that saying smaller tractors were burning more fuel than my 92 horse it makes me want another 9000 even though I really don't need one that big.

 

[Tallahassee Kubota Man]

That sounds better TKM.
I've been kicking the idea around about another tractor in your hp range. But when everybody kept saying that saying smaller tractors were burning more fuel than my 92 horse it makes me want another 9000 even though I really don't need one that big.

Bulldog, With a 92 hp that sips fuel not much reason to change other than initial price. With the new M60 series they no longer make a 50+ hp or at least one that compares to mine. Now they start at 60 hp (M6060) and go up. Doesn't make sense to me since the lower hp is a real bargain if you don't need more hp. Go figure......

Some times if you look at the work a larger tractor does in a given amount of time vs a smaller tractor the larger one is more efficient. I'm guessing my L3010 gets around .7/gal/hr running a 5' mower, so the M5140 with a 6' using .88/gal/hr is a bargain. The larger tractor can usually do the mowing about 50% quicker.

 

[Tx Jim]

My question now is, where did you find diesel for $2 a gallon. I haven't seen fuel that cheap in years. What I have in my tanks I paid $3.09 for and I got a $.10 cent discount.

30 miles South of Ft Worth when I had my 500 gallon bulk diesel tank filled on 02/27/2015 with tax exempt fuel

 

[Tallahassee Kubota Man]

30 miles South of Ft Worth when I had my 500 gallon bulk diesel tank filled on 02/27/2015 with tax exempt fuel

Just paid $2.45 today for red diesel near Tallahassee. Around here the big truck stops (Pilot, FLying J) are more expensive for diesel than our local stations that are away from the Interstates. Used to be the other way around. Last time I looked at Pilot they were $3.05 compared to $2.89 local.
Is it that way for the rest of you?

 

[Bulldog]

Seems like our local stations try to stick it to you just because they're out in the middle of nowhere. The price is up and down no matter where you go around here. TKM, do you have a local fuel distributor near by? When I had my tanks filled @ $3.09 the local station with off-road was selling theirs @ $3.50.

Now I have some current data on fuel consumption.

I started the tractor at 9 am. Went to the other side of the farm and moved my baler back home so I could get to my mower. (Not enough shed space) Went back and hooked the mower up and started mowing at 10. It took me 2 hrs to cut what I had left at home. Stopped for lunch and then at 1 went 5 minutes down the road to another farm and mowed till 7:30. I talked to the property owner for maybe 20 minutes but we'll call it 30 for easy figure. So that's 9 hrs of run time, 8 hrs of actual work time and it burned 9.4 gallons of fuel.

Work time average would be 1.18 gph
Run time average would be 1.04 gph

I'll add this, the hay was thin to average so it wasn't under much of a load.

 

[Tallahassee Kubota Man]

Bulldog, even though I do commercial work I don't run enough fuel through my tractor to warrant a tank. I'm sure the price would be better, but I try to use the freshest fuel I can. If my business picked up I'd consider that route.

I haven't done a lot of research, but seems the Kubotas are really good at sipping fuel compared to other brands. Kubota knows how to make a diesel engine!

 

[olthumpa]

Best I can do, have never don an actual fuel consumption measurement. 2.5 hrs bush hogging, 1+ hr of moving gravel, 5+ hrs of disc harrowing - 8.5+ call it 9 hrs = less than 5 gallons.
Sooooo, about .5 gal per hr.

 

[Bulldog]

Bulldog, even though I do commercial work I don't run enough fuel through my tractor to warrant a tank. I'm sure the price would be better, but I try to use the freshest fuel I can. If my business picked up I'd consider that route.

I haven't done a lot of research, but seems the Kubotas are really good at sipping fuel compared to other brands. Kubota knows how to make a diesel engine!

I don't know how much fuel you use but my distributor will fill 55 gallon drum if you go there. They will fill them at the farm to but charge delivery fee for everything under 200 gallons. It hurts my wallet but I normally get 700 or 800 gallons at a time.

Your right about the other brands eating fuel like it's free. I help another farmer when he needs me during hay season. He has 2 newer JD's, 85hp and a 105hp. Both of them will nearly burn a tank of fuel a day mowing and in good thick hay the 105 will burn a tank pulling the baler. I was shocked at the difference.

 

[BruceGeisert]

I just started a month ago working at a place with an MX-5100. Not sure of HP.

I had to do some major maintenance, and started tracking the hours for maintance, and how much fuel it was burning. I came out with .6 gallons per an hour initially. (Some one might have thrown off the data.)

Can anyone send me a basic chart of expect fuel consuption? or Kabota numbers.

I'm making a case here, that buying bulk farm use fuel is cheaper, than refilling when the tractor runs out of fuel ;-)

 

[Bulldog]

I just started a month ago working at a place with an MX-5100. Not sure of HP.

I had to do some major maintenance, and started tracking the hours for maintance, and how much fuel it was burning. I came out with .6 gallons per an hour initially. (Some one might have thrown off the data.)

Can anyone send me a basic chart of expect fuel consuption? or Kabota numbers.

I'm making a case here, that buying bulk farm use fuel is cheaper, than refilling when the tractor runs out of fuel ;-)

.6 gph is good for a 50hp tractor. Kubota's are pretty easy of fuel to begin with compared to other brands.

Where do you get fuel for the tractor now? If you're buying on-road fuel I guarantee the bulk farm fuel will be cheaper.

 

[sheepfarmer]

FWIW my 35 hp L3560 calculates fuel consumption, and runs at 0.4 gal per hr overall average. That is my relatively inefficient useage on a hobby farm, and including high rpm dpf regens and all. I am grateful. I put 3 gal in the tank every 2 or 3 weeks to keep it topped off unless I have a bunch of pasture mowing to do.