Fuel consumption guesstimate

[3Lfarms]

Too many variables to specify a fuel consumption rate, but there is a truism regarding it....LS sizes their fuel tanks so that a given machine will operate about 8 hours at rated power output.

If you are just using the backhoe, you may see double that, but about 8 hours is what you can expect while mowing fairly lush pasture or pulling a plow where the engine is working near its peak torque.

 

[mikester]

I don't worry about fuel consumption. I just run it and get the job done!:laughing:

Are you the guy delivering our free newspapers driving the Dodge Magnum with the 6.1L Hemi V8 engine? With the price of fuel they must be paying the driver $5.00 a newspaper to break even!

Im getting between 0.9 to 1.5 Gal/hr depending on weather, usage, etc. for a 59HP tractor. Cold weather takes the biggest hit on fuel consumption.

 

[denchen]

I`ve never checked my tractor, but I have a boat that has an old 1,800cc (108 cu inch) natural asperated conventual injectors , no turbo or DPF or cat. and at around 1600 rpm she wants a gallon every 2 and 1/4 hours, and that's on the safe side. Unlike a tractor I might set that engine pulling and not move the throttle for 6 to 8 hours.

 

[buickanddeere]

Diesels , gas turbines and boilers are most efficient at full power .
For example a 3-71 Detroit making 100HP will burn approximately 2/3 the amount of fuel that an otherwise identical 200HP 6-71 loaded to only 100HP.

 

[CobyRupert]

Diesels , gas turbines and boilers are must efficient at full power .
For example a 3-71 Detroit making 100HP will burn approximately 2/3 the amount of fuel that an otherwise identical 200HP 6-71 loaded to only 100HP.

Ahh....finally a meaningful answer to an otherwise meaningless question ("Sorry OP") and meaningless answers ("Sorry everybody else").
....(IMHO) unless your comparing 2 tractors doing identical tasks the numbers don't mean much.

...but why is that Buickanddeere? Are these identical vehicles too and not just a bigger mass vehicle being moved around, up and down hills, stop/started, accelerated? Torque curve (but why)? More cylinders and a minimum fuel rate? Larger spinning mass? More energy spent moving/compressing more air...?
Why, why, why?

 

[kevin37b]

All I do is fill it when needed , really does not matter . Kevin .

 

[ptsg]

For those who say that fuel consumption doesn't matter as long it gets the job done. Well, if you paid $5.50/gal for the cheap/crappy fuel or $6.21/gal for the good one like we do here, I bet you would change your mind.

Anyways, on mine mowing brush about 2ft high, I do about 0.8 gal/h in 540E. I've done about 1.5 gal/h with 4 to 5 ft high brush.

 

[4570Man]

For those who say that fuel consumption doesn't matter as long it gets the job done. Well, if you paid $5.50/gal for the cheap/crappy fuel or $6.21/gal for the good one like we do here, I bet you would change your mind.

Anyways, on mine mowing brush about 2ft high, I do about 0.8 gal/h in 540E. I've done about 1.5 gal/h with 4 to 5 ft high brush.

Well you’re right fuel isn’t that expensive here but it’s still the best option you’ve got. Are you going to hire a crew with axes to avoid paying $6 a gallon fuel?

 

[ptsg]

Well you’re right fuel isn’t that expensive here but it’s still the best option you’ve got. Are you going to hire a crew with axes to avoid paying $6 a gallon fuel?

Nope, but I do care about fuel consumption on whatever vehicle I'm using.

 

[chas0218]

Ahh....finally a meaningful answer to an otherwise meaningless question ("Sorry OP") and meaningless answers ("Sorry everybody else").
....(IMHO) unless your comparing 2 tractors doing identical tasks the numbers don't mean much.

...but why is that Buickanddeere? Are these identical vehicles too and not just a bigger mass vehicle being moved around, up and down hills, stop/started, accelerated? Torque curve (but why)? More cylinders and a minimum fuel rate? Larger spinning mass? More energy spent moving/compressing more air...?
Why, why, why?

I get it but I was thinking for the average user it would be nice have idea what the bigger or smaller tractor gets or if you're a prospective buyer. I wish I would have known what my tractor used before i bought it. My father in laws Deere 3032e sips on fuel at 540 PTO RPM compared to what mine does. Granted mine has 6 more HP but I wouldn't have thought it made that much of difference. I figured for anyone trying to justify bulk tank storage of fuel they would want to know. I ended up getting 100 gallons of off road delivered for $2.36/gallon compared to the $3.07/gallon for on road. That is a huge savings and again if I wasn't going to be using that much fuel I don't know if I would have justified the 100 gallons.

Another note to why I was curious as to what others are seeing for fuel consumption is that I was contemplating getting a PTO driven generator. Once I compared the gallon/hour for the PTO generator to my current gas unit I will just stick with the gas and maybe get the PTO unit as a standby/backup to my gas generator. Doing the math if I'm paying 2.40/gallon for gas and getting 9 hours of run time out of 5 gallons on my gas generator and getting close to 1 gallon/hour on the tractor it will cost me less to run the generator on gas. Also adding to the mix is propane power. I can covert the same generator to propane and it would cost me right around the same price per a gallon but on 20lbs/4.7gallons I can get 8 hours out of the same generator.

If I had money to burn then sure it wouldn't matter much but I think everyone like to get the most bang for their buck. I mean if you don't then why did you buy an LS?