Diesel type fuel

[Jy durocher]

Gaz station offer 2 grade of diesel: regular and premium/low sulfur.
My l3901 -2015 owner manuel doesnt say anything about which one if recommended... does this make a difference?

 

[The Evil Twin]

I'm pretty sure all diesel in the US is now ULSD (ultra low sulpher). So "premium" or not, that part is the same.
"Premium" diesel is typically higher cetane and a better detergent package.
Now, how much higher is the cetane number? Maybe 4 or 5 points. Normal good stations (BP, Shell, Exxon) are usually 45 cetane already. Budget stations (Wawa, Sheetz, Royal Farms) are closer to the 40 minimum.
The local place here that sells "premium" is 50 cetane. 11 cents a gallon more. Over 1500 miles, I saw absolutely no difference with the truck. Regen didn't change, economy was the same.

 

[85Hokie]

I'm pretty sure all diesel in the US is now ULSD (ultra low sulpher). So "premium" or not, that part is the same.
"Premium" diesel is typically higher cetane and a better detergent package.
Now, how much higher is the cetane number? Maybe 4 or 5 points. Normal good stations (BP, Shell, Exxon) are usually 45 cetane already. Budget stations (Wawa, Sheetz, Royal Farms) are closer to the 40 minimum.
The local place here that sells "premium" is 50 cetane. 11 cents a gallon more. Over 1500 miles, I saw absolutely no difference with the truck. Regen didn't change, economy was the same.

What he said^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

"premium" diesel has to be a joke or a gimmick.
We don't have it here.
But I know I can add a bottle of cetane booster for much cheaper and get better results.

 

[GeoHorn]

Kubota states their minumum cetane standard is 45…and Texas (and most other states) have a regulatory minimum of 48…. Sooo…What’s the problem, exactly…?? (other than the typical nuttiness of folks wanting to throw money away at a non-problem…?)

 

[Nicksacco]

A gimmick.

Next we'll have "Limited time Pumpkin Diesel"

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I have also seen the "premium" diesel on occasion. I just shake my head and smile.

It makes me think of all the people using high octane fuel because it's like "jet fuel"

I did have a F-150 way, way back when, that I had to run mid-grade. If not it would spark knock like crazy.

IIRC it had a sticker in the gas cap area stating such, and they were not kidding.

 

[MountainMeadows]

The premium verses reg. has been covered but I'm wondering about off-road diesel (dyed, no road tax) verses #2 heating oil, also dyed, no tax and low sulfur.

Is there a difference between off road diesel + #2 heating oil when it comes to using it in a tractor?

 

[The Evil Twin]

The premium verses reg. has been covered but I'm wondering about off-road diesel (dyed, no road tax) verses #2 heating oil, also dyed, no tax and low sulfur.

Is there a difference between off road diesel + #2 heating oil when it comes to using it in a tractor?

Except for the color, indicating road tax, they are essentially the same fuel.

 

[lynnmor]

My fuel oil supplier sells both off-road diesel and heating oil, he does not recommend that heating oil be used in a diesel saying they are not the same. A couple of months ago a heating oil tank sprang a leak and I had to pump it out and remove it from the basement. The scrap yard would not accept it until a one foot hole was cut in it to prove it was empty. After a complete draining and cutting the hole I scraped about three gallons of thick sludge from inside the tank. I won't be using heating oil in an engine.

 

[fried1765]

My fuel oil supplier sells both off-road diesel and heating oil, he does not recommend that heating oil be used in a diesel saying they are not the same. A couple of months ago a heating oil tank sprang a leak and I had to pump it out and remove it from the basement. The scrap yard would not accept it until a one foot hole was cut in it to prove it was empty. After a complete draining and cutting the hole I scraped about three gallons of thick sludge from inside the tank. I won't be using heating oil in an engine.

Same sludge issue can occur with diesel.
I had a boat with 900 gal. capacity.
After a few years, I needed to clean the sludge out.

 

[MountainMeadows]

My fuel oil supplier sells both off-road diesel and heating oil, he does not recommend that heating oil be used in a diesel saying they are not the same. A couple of months ago a heating oil tank sprang a leak and I had to pump it out and remove it from the basement. The scrap yard would not accept it until a one foot hole was cut in it to prove it was empty. After a complete draining and cutting the hole I scraped about three gallons of thick sludge from inside the tank. I won't be using heating oil in an engine.

How old was the tank?
Generally, no additives are used with heating oil unless requested. I use "hot shot" in my outdoor heating oil tank because it helps prevent exactly what you found. If I had to guess I'd say your tank was 20+ years old?

If I decide to go with #2 for convenience of delivery it will get the required additives we use in Diesel fuel.

 

[lynnmor]

How old was the tank?
Generally, no additives are used with heating oil unless requested. I use "hot shot" in my outdoor heating oil tank because it helps prevent exactly what you found. If I had to guess I'd say your tank was 20+ years old?

If I decide to go with #2 for convenience of delivery it will get the required additives we use in Diesel fuel.

Yes, it was well over 20 years old and it was in a dry basement with moderate temperatures. Do people pull their diesel fuel tanks on their trucks, tractors and cars every 20 years?

 

[Russell King]

Yes, it was well over 20 years old and it was in a dry basement with moderate temperatures. Do people pull their diesel fuel tanks on their trucks, tractors and cars every 20 years?

Does the same fuel sit in their tanks for several year? How does the fuel exit the tank on cars and trucks compared to a fuel oil tank? I think they use a different level as “empty” in the vehicle versus storage tank.

 

[lynnmor]

Does the same fuel sit in their tanks for several year? How does the fuel exit the tank on cars and trucks compared to a fuel oil tank? I think they use a different level as “empty” in the vehicle versus storage tank.

Heating oil tanks have a hole in the very bottom and you would think that it would plug up with just a small amount of sludge. If you would have seen the mess in my tank you wouldn't have believed that oil passed thru, but it did make a channel to the exit, sort of like a small stream thru a swamp. Vehicles pump fuel from a pickup near the bottom and sludge like I had would have stopped them.

 

[MountainMeadows]

According to my heating oil supplier a bottle of "hot Shot" with every fill up will take care of and prevent the problem with sludge as you describe it. I've been using it. The outdoor tank at my business is 23 years old with no issues. It draws fuel from a line out of the top and the fitting on the bottom is for draining accumulated moisture from condensation. I usually drain the moisture once a year. Never had an issue with any kind of clog.

 

[cthomas]

Also, a vehicles tank is moving/slushing around. I have had to clean a few diesel fuel tanks over the years. Usually from biodiesel or WVO, but 2 Mercedes that had been parked for decades.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The premium verses reg. has been covered but I'm wondering about off-road diesel (dyed, no road tax) verses #2 heating oil, also dyed, no tax and low sulfur.

Is there a difference between off road diesel + #2 heating oil when it comes to using it in a tractor?

A very slight difference, but nothing that you'll ever notice.
Up here they actually don't use a differnt heating oil it's all #2 diesel.

 

[mikester]

"premium" diesel has to be a joke or a gimmick.
We don't have it here.
But I know I can add a bottle of cetane booster for much cheaper and get better results.

For a while "premium diesel" sold here was biodiesel or a blend with biodiesel.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Well, for giggles I called my local supplier Quarels. They told me that LSD (>500 ppm) is still permitted for use in some areas of the USA. He couldn't speak for every area they serve, but said that the off road diesel and that used for heating is the same thing for them. They made the switch in 2017 because of logistics and simplicity. Everything north of Maryland requires ULSD (>15 ppm) for heating fuel. So it simply wasn't economical to have different fuels.
Regarding sludge in home tanks vs. cars‐ yes, it can form there as well. Cars are agitated as you drive though. That keeps stuff in suspension and it gets caught by the filters.