Go BottomUsing Number 2 heating fuel in a tractor
 | SamSpade
Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 41 Vermont 
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2009-02-07 160169
Who knows about the differences between #2 heating fuel and on road or off road diesel? As I understand it, on road diesel has lubricants, anti-gel additives and road based taxes in it. Off road generally has the lubricants but not the anti gel additives. #2 has non of the additives.
Is it reasonable to buy the additives and add them to #2 heating fuel. Are the additives available to make #2 ready for my engine?
The reason I ask is I have more than a 1000 gallons of storage for heating fuel in the basement. I don't have anything setup for storage of diesel fuel and I have to go a ways for onroad or off road diesel. It would be a lot easier if I could make what I have in the basement usuable. But convience isn't worth sacrificing the longevity of my equipment.
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 | harvey
Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1550 Moravia, NY 
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2009-02-08 160175
Sam there are pages and pages in the archives on the topic.
On road is a low sulfur product now and many places have moved to the ultra low sulfur.
IN OUR AREA off road and heating are the same. We do have to treat for gelling. We cut using 30-40 % kero at work.
I use straight heating oil at home. I (if I remember) do dump in some power service now and then. But my tractor is parked in the house by wood stove during winter. Return fuel keeps fuel warm when outside working. ....
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 | DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998 Posts: 2709 NorthWest NJ 
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2009-02-08 160177
Here is one of the threads on using Home Heating Oil in a tractor. ....
Link: Heating Oil Cetane rating
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| DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998 Posts: 2709 NorthWest NJ
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2009-02-08 160178
You can scan this forum as well on Diesel Fuel and Maintenance. ....
Link: Diesel Fuel Forum
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| SamSpade
Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 41 Vermont
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2009-02-08 160188
I had read the thread about cetane, but that seemed to talk about whether premium diesel with a 50 cetane was needed or not. I am more interested in understanding the need for lubrication. When I searched the archives, I ddn't find anything illuminating, but maybe I wasn't form the question well. ....
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 | candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota
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2009-02-08 160190
SamSpade,
I found this on the net. Interesting.
See the link below, from Hess Corp.
Joel ....
Link: #2 heating Oil is the same as #2 offroad Diesel
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| candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota
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2009-02-08 160191
SamSpade,
My wife once worked for an oil and fuel distributor. I asked her if #2 Fuel Oil (Home Heating Oil) was the same as Off-Road Diesel Fuel. Yep. Same thing. Comes out of the same tank, and can be used for either purpose. The same delivery truck can either fill your home heating tank, or your outdoor fuel storage tank for the farm machinery.
Your home heating oil should be dyed red, indicating that it is NOT for highway use.....since there are no road taxes applied to it.
Don't get caught using it in your pickup, semi-tractor, or any other highway vehicle........but burn all you want in your tractor.
#2 fuel oil is a bit too thick for use in cold weather. It will gel up at temperatures around 0 degrees F. If the weather is cold there, you should mix it 50/50 with an equal amount of kerosene. Other than that, you don't have to worry about a thing. Use all you want.
I hope that helps.
Joel ....
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| SamSpade
Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 41 Vermont
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2009-02-08 160192
I had a fuel truck driver tell me the same thing, when he picked up a load of #2 heating fuel, the only diffeence from off road was the dye.
But a diesel operator I know said that used to be true, but it isn't anymore, that the "new" engines need the lubricants put in off road and highway diesel.
I don't really want to use my tractor to do a study, though. It would be a heck of a lot easier for me to use the heating fuel from my 1000 gallons in storage rather than drive over to get it from someone's pump in a gerry can. But if I have any question, I am going to er on the side of caution.
....
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 | kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2009-02-09 160193
Sam, first welcome here.
It would seem the best way for you to be 100% safe is to ask who you buy your oil from. ....
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| candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota
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2009-02-09 160198
SamSpade,
As always, there are a few exceptions to the rule.
In some locations, it may be against the law to store home heating fuel inside any living quarters. In such places, the home heat fuel tank must be located outdoors.
If the home heating oil storage tank is located outdoors, the possibility of the fuel gelling up is quite high, so the local fuel dealer may be supplying a 50/50 mixture of #2 fuel oil and kerosene. (#1 Diesel Fuel).
When stored outdoors, there's a good chance that it has already been diluted with kerosene. (You're safe in this case, as your fuel tank is located within the home.)
For those of you who have your home heating oil stored outdoors, it's highly important that you do no further dilution with kerosene.
There are lubricants in diesel fuel that are designed to protect and lubricate the injection pump. Any further dilution can cause severe wear and tear on a diesel engine's injection pump.
#1 diesel may have additional lubricants added to it, by the fuel supplier, to help make up the difference.......but #1 home heating oil (stored outdoors) probably doesn't contain these extra doses of lubricant, since it's not intended for use in diesel engines.
Joel ....
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 | auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2009-02-10 160213
Diesel naturally contains sulphur, which has a small lubrication property. At considerable expense, virtually all sulphur is now removed from diesel throughout North America (it harms the lungs, especially in kids).
I don't know but have heard that new diesel engines are designed to run on the new diesel, and also that fuel suppliers add a lubricant to make up for the missing sulphur.
Meanwhile, I add a product that's supposed (according to its label) to add lubricity to diesel -- to both my diesel fuel and to the heating oil I sometimes run my tractor on. Again, I don't know.
....
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| SamSpade
Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 41 Vermont
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2009-02-10 160218
I called my JD Dealer. He did not have much in the way of illumination, but suggested adding white bottle Power Service. His take on it was, if anything the home heating fuel was going to have more sulfur, ie lubricant. Adding power service, in his mind, made up for any inadequacies.
He also said he hadn't really considered it before, so it was an off the cuff opinion. ....
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