off-road diesel/heating oil difference

[Dirt Digger2]

well we finally broke down and bought a big fuel tank for the farm and now its time to fill it. Before we had been loading up the truck with a whole mess of 5 gallon cans:dizzy: and filling that way but with my new tractor we need more fuel...

my question is whats the difference between heating oil and off-road diesel. I don't want to hear what anyone "thinks"...i need facts, because if i am putting this in my tractor i don't want to chance my injectors, fuel pump, and motor on what someone "thinks is the difference"

"off-road diesel" is advertised as $3.20 a gallon here and i can get heating oil for $2.55 is why i ask

[bobcat_ron]

Don't use heating oil, EVER!! Chances are it will plug up the filters PDQ, my dad tried that on an old Deere on the farm, and he changed primary and secondary filters every 20 hours.
You'll be coughing up more money for filters, the really big ship engines can burn it, but that's only because they pre-heat it to thin it out.

[Dirt Digger2]

thats what i was figuring...i talked to one of our truck drivers that is driving heating oil truck over the winter because he's laid off and he said he didn't think there was any difference...but i'm not going on his opinion...haha

[bobcat_ron]

Also, Diesel fuel has a lot of additives that the fuel injectors and pump needs to lubricate them, heating oil is basically oil, but if burning straight thin oil was a good idea, EVERYONE would be doing it.

[DUSTYCEDAR]

i know on the farm they run heating oil in all the tractors and there have been no problems that i know of so more info on this would be great.

[BIGBEN2004]

I know when the fuel company fills up my parents tank for their home heating oil they pull up to the off road tanks and fill them with the same stuff. I asked the driver if it was the same fuel and he said yes. I told him to fill up the off road tank for the price of the home heating oil and he said he couldn't it was illegal. I don't know why but it was. So in my opinion it shouldn't bother anything. I say go for it. If it was to clog filters on a machine then it would be clogging the filters in the house. My parents furnace has two sets of filters on it and they change them once a year.

[bobcat_ron]

There's a huge difference between the uber high pressure in Diesel Injection systems and the water gun type spray from a Oil burning furnace, so the Diesel filters will pick up more of the crap out of the Heating Oils.

[farmboy555]

I've always have been told that #2 heating oil is deisel fuel. I've used it when needed with no problem.

[DiyDave]

Heating oil is the same as #2 Kerosine, is the same as off road diesel. The only thing you should never do is to put red dyed fuel into an on road vehicle. That's a $10,000 fine, everywhere. Other than that, it is common sense to use diesel fuel anti-gel products in anything you want to start in low temps. I use a product named Diesel 911 to keep fuel from gelling in all of the diesel motors I use. You can even melt ice out of an already gelled filter with this stuff! I have been running equipment on repossessed heating oil for years, with no ill effects, as long as I mix in the 911 with it!:waving::waving:

[snoope]

Dirtdigger2,

Call a realible "Fuel jobber" and ask just that question.....Sometimes the only difference can be the State taxes....Depending on where you live can change how fuel is blended,so asking a local dealer should answer all your questions.....PLUS if you buy in quanity they could give volume discounts helping you avoid the "911" need :).........Good fuel,good service adds to everyone being happy..


Snoope

[DiyDave]

For the little amount that the "911" costs, it is still good practice to add it to fuel in the wintertime. I think I paid about $12 for a half gallon of it , and I'm sure I won't use it all in one year. It's not that the fuel gels, necessarily, its the line in the filter where the fuel floats on any accumulated water, that causes the problem, in most cases. What the anti gel product does is to keep the filter from clogging because of the water in the fuel. You can get rid of the gelling in the filter by adding heat, but heat is in short supply, in the middle of the winter!:laugh::laugh:

[BIGBEN2004]

I might be wrong but I believe the 911 is supposed to be used when the fuel has already gelled. It is not good for your engine to use all winter long. I would recommend using the additive to keep the injectors clean and to keep the fuel from gelling.
http://www.powerservice.com/default.asp

[grass_cuttin_fool]

There is no difference....both have the red dye and you dont have to pay the road tax....

wayne

[RockSet N' Grade]

I do not know the chemical difference between the two fuels. What I do know: if you care clogging filters in your machines an easy solution is to purchase some filters that are 5 micron absolute and run your fuel through these before or as you fill your machine tanks. Regular diesel fuel that is "out of the pump" has been processed to 10 micron absolute. Filters are easy and inexpensive to find. I purchase them by the case out of a supplier in Chicago and they average about $1.50 each and last quite some time, depending on what you are filtering and how dirty it is.

[Dirt Digger2]

we are going to put a filter on the pump...so hopefully that will take most of the grit out

then the tractor itself has twin fuel filters...so i should be good

[DiyDave]

Won't cause any problems if you use it as a fuel conditioner. Just costs a little more than the stuff in the white jug, same mfg makes both, if you only can afford 1, go with the diesel 911, it still eats ice/gelled fuel for breakfast!:waving:

[KPS]

When i worked at a gas station people would often use colored diesel in their stoves at home cause it was cheaper than stove oil, but i never saw anyone put stove oil in equipment.