First winter for new tractor owner...what do I need to know regarding fuel additives?

[Mustard Tiger]

Never owning a diesel engine machine before, what do I need to know going into the winter months? Tractor will remain outside under a carport. I live in the foothills of the Cascades, with weather and elevation similar to Denver. Should I consider anti-gel additives for the fuel? Is it as simple as adding it to each 5gal fuel can when I fill them up at the gas station? Have tire chains and lights on the way and was curious about fuel to prevent gelling/condensation. Thanks!

 

[Bee-Positive]

Definitely use an anti-gel additive. I've had to cover my tractor with a tarp and run a 155,000 Btu heater for an hour just to get it back in the garage on a -15 day with 22 mph winds. It put the FU in FUN. And that was even with an (inferior) additive.

Check out ProjectFarm's review on you tube. There are also several posts on OTT discussing this issue if you search long enough.

P.S. - you've likely just started another "I use this kind and it's the best" type of war.

 

[Bee-Positive]

P.S.S.
Yes it is as simple as adding it to each 5 gallon can.

 

[chim]

The starting point for me is knowing what has or has not been done to the fuel that I purchase. In this case, I had a supplier deliver 150 gallons of ORD this Summer. The supplier treated it with biocide only. Just yesterday I treated it with Power Service "white bottle" antigel. I ran the pump dumping fuel back into the drum to mix it.

 

[D2Cat]

Chim mentioned ORD. That is off road diesel. It's less cost because road tax is not added to it, and can not be legally used on highways. All suppliers have it marked as such and in separate pumps. It simply has a red dye in the fuel to identify it, only difference.

 

[GeoHorn]

If not necessary, buy your fuel locally from a well-known retailer who has lots of traffic. Why?
Because that fuel will be frequently delivered and will already be treated for the season. Beginning around Sept freshly-delivered fuel will already be pre-treated with anti-gel. (Since we don’t know the exact time-of-delivery of “winter diesel”….it’s OK to use an over-the-counter anti-gel additive.….ONCE. Don’t keep adding additional treatment. (Hot Shots Secret is the one that gets the best reviews)

Don’t “over-dose” or over-treat your fuel with ANY additive. More additive is not better.

Also, unless the temps get down to 15-degrees F or lower and stay there for more than a few hours, the diesel won’t “gel” anyway. If you forget …and experience gelled-fuel…a hair dryer or other blown-heat can return the fuel to use. Don’t lose any sleep over this. In my experience, if it’s so cold the diesel gels…..it’s too cold to leave the cabin hearth and marsh-mellows anyway.

 

[RCW]

Not sure what kind of temperatures you see in the winter.

Can get real cold here. I’ve seen diesel gelled at the pump of the fuel station. Friend was trying to fuel up his service truck for his HVAC business….

This is my regimen. Use it 12 months a year. It’s readily available. Others prefer other products.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I agree with @GeoHorn ,

I’m in SE MI and have had a diesel Jetta, and 2 trucks with Cummins diesels.

I have been ice fishing in the Upper Peninsula when it was -20 over night, for multiple days in a row.

I have never had a problem with gelling nor added bio-side additives .

However as he pointed out I do go through lots of diesel, so I get the “winter diesel” as soon as it hits the shelves (but like pointed out, no one knows when that is)

I think for a “small user” , such as yourself, a bottle of additive, properly mixed of course, wouldn’t be a bad idea.

I will add that the condensation is best avoided by keeping your tank full.

Empty tanks are problematic, condensation wise.

 

[BX23S-1]

I`ve used Power Service in the winter, and still had fuel jell up and cause problems for me. I switched to HotShots Winter Additives, never had a problem ever again. Walmart & Tractorsupply carries HotShots.

 

[BX23S-1]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/hot-shots-secret-diesel-winter-anti-gel-16-oz-1075423

 

[BX23S-1]

If not necessary, buy your fuel locally from a well-known retailer who has lots of traffic. Why?
Because that fuel will be frequently delivered and will already be treated for the season. Beginning around Sept freshly-delivered fuel will already be pre-treated with anti-gel. (Since we don’t know the exact time-of-delivery of “winter diesel”….it’s OK to use an over-the-counter anti-gel additive.….ONCE. Don’t keep adding additional treatment. (Hot Shots Secret is the one that gets the best reviews)

Don’t “over-dose” or over-treat your fuel with ANY additive. More additive is not better.

Also, unless the temps get down to 15-degrees F or lower and stay there for more than a few hours, the diesel won’t “gel” anyway. If you forget …and experience gelled-fuel…a hair dryer or other blown-heat can return the fuel to use. Don’t lose any sleep over this. In my experience, if it’s so cold the diesel gels…..it’s too cold to leave the cabin hearth and marsh-mellows anyway.

You live in TEXAS! Of course you don`t need an anti-gel additive down there. Anyone living in the north will usually have gel issues during cold winters. Not everyone lives in "your world".

 

[chim]

One Winter when my Ford tractor was in the shop I borrowed a Case from my FIL to fill in. Unfortunately it was one of his tractors that hadn't been given a drink of winterized fuel. after maybe 1/2 hour it shut off and wouldn't restart. There's no hair dryer big enough to fix that. When it's "blue cold" and windy, lines filters and all get plugged up and by the time one small section is warm, everything else is cold again.

 

[RCW]

One Winter when my Ford tractor was in the shop I borrowed a Case from my FIL to fill in. Unfortunately it was one of his tractors that hadn't been given a drink of winteritzed fuel. after maybe 1/2 hour it shut off and wouldn't restart. There's no hair dryer big enough to fix that. When it's "blue cold" and windy, lines filters and all get plugged up and by the time one small section is warm, everything else is cold again.

My neighbor has gelled up a couple times with his BX. I’ve had to blow snow at -8* F.

We had a spell several years ago where you couldn’t find any diesel anti-gel anywhere.

Store shelves were empty for month or more. We’re very rural.

 

[GeoHorn]

You live in TEXAS! Of course you don`t need an anti-gel additive down there. Anyone living in the north will usually have gel issues during cold winters. Not everyone lives in "your world".

I know you meant well….. but …It doesn’t matter where I live. I suggested he buy his fuel LOCALLY …I.E., to HIM…so his fuel will be pre-treated according to his locale. I followed up with addt’l info that I believe to be germane also.

 

[notnew2diy]

I have a B7610. Original owner since 2004. It lives in an unheated dirt floor pole barn in north central Ill-noise. I change motor oil/filter in early October. I check antifreeze at the same time. I know...not what you asked(smile).

I get my diesel, like someone else said, from a busy gas station down the road. I have never used any fuel additives. On them real cold days, motor does crank over slow but I attribute that to a cold battery, 15W-40 oil.

YMMV...Don.

 

[Donystoy]

My original 1985 B7200 was stored in an unheated building for its first 32 years without any additives and never had an issue. I frequently got my fuel from an off road diesel pump until recently after which I started using regular highway diesel. I just was not confident that there was enough turn over of the fuel since most farmers have their own bulk tanks. My LX2610 is stored in a climate controlled shop with only a rare treat of injector cleaner.

 

[edritchey]

I use anti-gel in the winter months I never bother with bio treatment in the warm months I run my equipment weekly in the warms months so it gets turned over often enough to not get anything growing in it.

 

[BAP]

If not necessary, buy your fuel locally from a well-known retailer who has lots of traffic. Why?
Because that fuel will be frequently delivered and will already be treated for the season. Beginning around Sept freshly-delivered fuel will already be pre-treated with anti-gel.

Not true on the September change over date. I live in New Hampshire where it can get really cold and snowy, but change over to winter fuel can be as late as mid November if we are having a warm fall. Fuel suppliers will use the temperature, more than the date to determine when they change over from summer to winter.

 

[GeoHorn]

Not true on the September change over date. I live in New Hampshire where it can get really cold and snowy, but change over to winter fuel can be as late as mid November if we are having a warm fall. Fuel suppliers will use the temperature, more than the date to determine when they change over from summer to winter.

Agreed! November is when it usually occurs. I wrote incorrectly about Sept. (bran pharrt)

Diesel is usually stored in large tanks, often underground, and despite lower temps occurring in the atmosphere, the fuel being pumped is ordinarily much warmer.

Fuel sitting in Your vehicle might be thoroughly chilled if sitting out in the cold….But that must be below 15-degrees or it’s not an issue as far as gelling goes.

Just because your diesel cranks over and over and over …longer when Baby, it’s cold outside… Isn’t necessarily because of gelled-fuel.

 

[Shawn T. W]

As a truck driver that drives coast to coast, and southern board to northern border in a semi-truck ... I treat my fuel if I'm going to be operating below +30°F ... The "cloud point" of untreated diesel can be +32°F ... If buying in the South and I have a full 190 gallons on board, headed north, I treat it before getting to the cold ... My company recommends treating at freezing (+32°F) we usually end up buying B5-B20 biodiesel which tends to have a higher cloud point, and a slightly higher chance of water/condensation in it ... We buy from major truck stops only. Pilot/Flying J, or Love's. (I do see the PFJ's up north generally have a treatment bottles where there tank is in the winter, but don't know how much is treated, so I still treat it!)

Challenges for Fleet Operators due to the Variability of Diesel Fuel Quality in North America: Winter Operability - Power Service

The specific challenges posed by the variability in diesel fuel quality as it relates to winter operability in North America

powerservice.com

I too like and use the HotShot winter defense in my semi-truck (company buys it!) I use there "Everyday" in the summer for my tractors, along with a half dose of there LX4 for the added lubrication, as the ULSD has lost alot of the lubricity diesel use to have ... But this next fill will be putting in the winter defense in place of the everyday, both have a boost of centane too.

I use ORD off-road diesel dyed red, no biodiesel! From a local farm supply, The local county uses this supplier for both off road and there on road diesel too for school buses, road truck, ambulance and fire trucks ...

Check your fuel filter housing, some have a drain petcock you can use to drain off water, the water is clear and sits on the bottom, and will freeze when cold ...

I use 5W40 synthetic motor oil, all year long ...