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In Massachusetts where I live the sulfur levels are as follows,
#2 low sulfur content by weight is .05% Max.
#2 high sulfur content is .5% max and is dyed red per IRS.
K1 is sulfur content is .04 max and red.
#2 heating oil varies depending on where it is sold from .2 to .4% and is also red, the only problem with this fuel may be gelling and poor starting in the winter due to possibly lower cetane levels which is a measure of it�s ability to ignite however additives can correct this.
I have used it with no problems in the winter.
It is true that the sulfur in the fuel is a lubricant and removal caused problems with premature pump wear however it has been corrected with additives.
Low sulfur fuel also allows oil changes to be extended due to less acid being formed in the combustion process, which is a good thing.
Hope this sheds lignt on the subject.

Sulfer Levels in Diesel Fuel
Parts and Repair
Replies 8 Post by Tim Bartlett

Mobil makes a synthetic called Delvac-1 it is a 5w40 full synthetic like Mobil 1 except it is formulated for diesels. I run it year round in my Dodge Diesel and in the winter (block heater not plugged in) the engine turns over as nearly as fast as it does in the summer, and as we Diesel owners know cranking speed is essential if a diesel is going to start in cold weather. It also provides for quick oil pressure buildup. I worked in an Engineering Development Lab for 16 years developing the GE HMPT-500 transmission used in the US Army�s Bradley Fighting Vehicle. This was a Hydro-mechanical 3 range steering transmission with internal oil cooled brakes and I was involved in a test to check the compatibility of Delvac 1 synthetic oil in this transmission. Now a little background. The transmission was developed using a premium 15w40 diesel grade oil and part of development required durability testing of the transmission which consisted of repetitions of a 6.6 hour duty cycle which consisted of test points ranging from 10 to 30 minutes and 190 to 260 degrees. This test cycle was repeated for a total of 440 hours of actual point time with approximately 600 hours total including startup, warm-up and transition from point to point. Every 110 hours we did a performance test and compared it to the data recorded before durability to determine if any problems were developing. This is where it gets interesting, we had to flush the transmission prior to these 110-hour performance checks due to oil breakdown. This transmission being a Hydro-Mechanical steering transmission with internal oil cooled brakes would shear and breakdown the oil to the point where after 110 hours it would not pass pre-durability performance test points. Engineering wanted to test compatibility of synthetics and chose Delvac-1 5w40. This test was exactly the same as the others. After 110 hours the transmission was tested for performance and it passed the performance test. It also passed at 220, 330, 440 hours with no oil changes. Engineering was now very interested so it was decided to repeat the test with the same oil so another 440 hour test was performed with similar results. When the post durability test data was compared to the pre performance test data it was only off a couple percentage points it passed all test parameters after 880 hours of durability or a total of approximately 1200 hours. I use synthetic in all my vehicles. In my car and truck I run it for 7 to 8000 miles and in one instance because I was in the hospital the car went 12000 miles with no problems. My father used to change his oil every 20000 miles and it currently has 200,000 miles on it and runs well. In my Ford 1720 tractor I change it every 200 hours, Ford recommends 100 hours and it also turns over much faster in sub zero weather with quicker oil pressure buildup. In my motorcycle I heard a noticeable reduction in transmission gear noise when I put Synthetic in my 1500cc Goldwing. I also use it in my lawn mower engine and hydrostatic transmission. From what I have seen there is no comparison to synthetic oil; it is worth every penny especially if you value your investment, which in this case is a tractor. Delvac-1 is recommended for use in the hydrostatic drives of snow grooming equipment that encounter extreme low and high temperatures, hmmm that sounds like it could be a tractor situation. If it's worth buying it's worth using the best oil its cheap insurance. One added benefit is the ability to extend oil changes if monitored properly or heaven forbid forgotten. Check it out and don�t be scared it won�t void your warranty, for more info go to the Mobil website.

John Deere 0w-40
Parts and Repair
Replies 3 Post by Tim Bartlett

My Ford 1720 with turf tires will not stay in 4wd it keeps slipping out the problem has come on slowly on occasion but now does it frequently when brush cutting wet fields.<br>I know the factory tires are not matched properly size wise because when used in the snow you can see the front tires are kicking up because they are pulling more than the rears. Dealer told me to inflate rears to max PSI which is 15psi but it didn't help so I then lowered the front tire psi to 15 which seemed to help in conjunction with the rears at 15 but as I see it these tires should never have been put on this machine with the rolling circumference so unmatched. Is this a common problen, is there a tire solution, Bigger rears, or smaller fronts. Was this a warranty issue when new with a fix or was it just repaired only to happen again. I'm sure its not an issue with farm tires onlt turfs. Otherwise I love the tractor. Note: tractor has 920 easy hours on it and 4wd was used only when necessary.

Will not stay in 4 wheel drive has turf tires
Parts and Repair
Replies 2 Post by Tim Bartlett

A tractor running a pto generator is perhaps the most fuel efficient and reliable way to have emergency portable power. I will explain my setup first.
I have a Ford 1720 with 23.5 pto hp running a generac PTO 25 generator 25000 watts with 50000 surge which is connected to my house with an auto transfer switch. My generator is mounted on forks purchased from Central tractor approx $45.00 this allows my generator to be mounted to my tractor and transported as any other attachment . I performed a fuel consumption test when I first put my systen togeather as follows. First I filled my fuel tank then I transfered the house load to the generator, I asked my wife to do all the laundry she could find and dry it in the dryer which was rated at 5000 watts plus the washer at approx 700 watts and misc items scch as lights and submersible pump 1/2 hp 500 to 700 watts total load = 6200 watts+/-. It takes approx 2 hp to generate 1000 watts so we have 2 x 6.2 = 12.4 pto hp. The test was 8 hours and 20 minutes long and the tractor consumed 5 gallons. Fuel consumption is calculated as follows 5 gallons divided by 8.3 hours = .6 gallons per hour. To determine BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) you multiply .6 gallons x the weight of diesel fuel which is approx 7.08 lbs per gallon = 4.248 lbs per hour divided by hp 12.4 hp which = .34 lbs per hp hour (BSFC) Keep in mind that this test was not under laboratory controlled conditions so I would not put money on them but they are as close as I can get assuming the load. The advantage of my setup is fuel efficiency and the surge capability to start heavy loads and the fact that my Tractor is always serviced and ready to run. If there was a prolonged outage I could use that heating oil fron my furnace which is #2 oil. As I mentioned earlier my generator is a Generac pto 25 rated @ 25000 watts however due to my 23,5 pto hp 12000 watts is the max I can generate with a surge potental of approx 24000 watts. This allows my systen to start larger motors. My generator also has a frequency meter on it which allows me to set speed, I set the frequency at 62 HZ which allows for speed droop due to electrical loading.
Probably the most important consideration is that it can set indefinately and I do not have to worry about gasoline going bad and guming up the carburator.
Addressing another topic i would like to talk about transfer switches which are absolutely essential to ensure the safty of you, your house and equipment and the utility workers who would be out repairing the utility lines in the event of a power outage because thats when you,d be using it right. If you wired your generator to back feed power into your house and you didn't isolate it from the utility or you FORGOT to throw a breaker then you could charge downed lines that utility workers would assume to be dead and they could end up dead. It wouldn't take the utility long to find the source of power and pin the blame. Think about what would happen when the utility power came back on if you weren't disconnected. Kiss one generator good by and who knows what else.

Generators and Fuel Flow
Shop Tools
Replies 7 Post by Tim Bartlett