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fuel economy in tractors

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c4pw_dodge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1 New York State
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2005-08-15          114930

I'm trying to get some "gallons per hour" numbers for a JD 5203 or a MF 451 from the dealers without success. I know that it depends on load & type of use, but there have to be some sort of benchmarks that the manufacturers use to compare. They all claim better economy, but compared to what? For instance, I know that all of the combined uses for my '72 MF Ind 30 gas is 5 gal / hour. That includes mowing, skidding, plowing, snow blowing, idling, etc. Does anyone have any idea where to get some number for fuel economy in tractors? Has anyone tracted their own economy for ~50 hp tractors?

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fuel economy in tractors

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2005-08-15          114933

I can brush hog all day on 8 gallons in my NH TC33D. My NH LS185.b skid steer on the other hand uses 3 gallons per hour, which is kind of odd since a big CAT 320 excavator uses only about 4. ....

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fuel economy in tractors

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2005-08-15          114935

I burn about a gallon per hour mowing with 72" MMM on my 4410. I would guess that you machine would probably use 2 -3 gallons per hour. ....

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fuel economy in tractors

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BrendonN
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 89 Central Kansas
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2005-08-15          114937

For the official tractor tests, like those done at the University of Nebraska, the fuel economy is calculated as horsepower-hours per gallon. A common figure for full-size tractors would be around 15 to 18 hp-hrs/gal. Smaller tractors typically do not do quite as well, often around 12-15 hp-hrs/gal. These figures are for diesels; gasoline engines do a lot worse. The official economy is measured during a continous 10 hour run with the tractor pulling 75% of its rated power. (Operators change on the go using special platforms for safety, and there is an auxiliary fuel suppy on the test rig if the tractor can not go the distance on its own fuel.)

So, if we can assume that your tractor is putting out 20hp doing its thing and it gets 12 hp-hrs/gal, just divide the power by the economy (20/12) to give 1.7 gallons per hour. This will be a little off, of course, because in real work situations the load is constantly changing but it would be a ballpark figure.

The problem for us small tractor users is that our tractors were probably never tested like this and we don't know what the economy is. Nebraska use to test even two-wheeled walk-behind garden tractors (in the 50's) but anymore only "real" farm tractors are run. And, many tests are done at other official test stations in other countries.

By the way, these little garden tractors had terrible economy relative to the big boys. For example, the David Bradley Super 300 two-wheeler tested in '59 managed only 4.3 hp-hrs/gal on the drawbar. Still, it was only using 0.3 gal/hr. Other thirsty tractors were the kerosene burners tested in the '20's. Many got less than 8 hp-hrs/gal. Propane fueled tractors were pretty inefficient too. ....

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fuel economy in tractors

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StephenR
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 230 New Tripoli, Pa.
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2005-08-16          114950

I never calculated it, but my TC33D runs a long time on a tank of fuel. Very impressed, especially in these times. ....

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fuel economy in tractors

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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2005-08-16          114954

I have had four small diesels in the 20-22-24 HP range. They all burned about 1/2 gallon per hour.

My RTV was rated at 21.6 HP and on longer trips running pretty much flat out all the time it burned about .60 gallons an hour. ....

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fuel economy in tractors

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AC5ZO
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 928 Rio Rancho, NM 87144
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2005-08-17          114998

My TC45 will work all day with the loader and backhoe on about half a tank or 6-7 gallons. It would use more plowing or other operating using all the engine power. ....

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fuel economy in tractors

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tekts9
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 7 Colorado
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2005-09-29          117121

On my JD 5510 (75-80 pto hp) running a heavy Woods Batwing 15' mower,I use 1.7 to 1.9 gal/hour.This is better than my JD 2640,(maybe 55hp at Denver altitude, no turbo) same use, at 2.2 gal/hr. My Ford 1920 W/ Woods MD 6' mower, uses 1.6 gal/hr. The Neb. test for the 5510 MFWD reported over 4.3 gal/hr. Not very real world. The newer JD tractors W/ turbo gives me a lot more bang for the buck. ....

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