Fuel consumption query

[JDgreen227]

From '89 to '02 I did my mowing with a Deere 318, weight with the 50" deck installed was about 1050 pounds with a full gas tank. Calculated the fuel consumption while mowing at full throttle a number of times and it usually came out to about 1 gallon per hour. I am thinking about buying a new garden tractor as my 4210 is somewhat large for much of my mowing, but I am wondering what kind of GASOLINE consumption a comparably sized garden tractor with a more modern engine would deliver. Thank you for any information you can provide me.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think a lot depends on the engine brand and of course the HP. MY Kawasaki FS690V engine burns around .75-1 gallon per hour depending on how high the grass is. I can mow about 6 acres with around 3 gallons of gas where as my B&S engine on a Craftsman ZTR doing the same job will require 6 gallons of gas. It runs about 30% slower at top speed so it takes longer to mow. GPH doesn't always equate to acres per hour efficiency.

 

[JDgreen227]

Thanks for the input, Gary...yes, there are many factors involved...many variables...I am basically just trying to figure if I can justify the purchase of a second tractor for mowing the areas my JD is too tall and wide to do. Fuel consumption with my JD calculates to about .65-.70 gph with a 60" deck.

 

[Blade Breaker]

How many hours per week do you mow? I would think it would take an incredible amount of mowing to use fuel consumption to justify it.

You had me at "I am thinking about buying a new garden tractor". No justification needed. :thumbsup:

 

[JDgreen227]

How many hours per week do you mow? I would think it would take an incredible amount of mowing to use fuel consumption to justify it.

You had me at "I am thinking about buying a new garden tractor". No justification needed. :thumbsup:

I mow about 5 acres of yard, last spring and summer here were incredibly wet and I was putting about 25 hours a month on the tractor which was a huge amount...plus another 20 hours a month on my self propelled pusher mower. It's the time spent with the pusher going around the sloped and treed areas that is my issue...my doctor says my knees are shot and encourages me not to walk long distances.

 

[glc24]

From '89 to '02 I did my mowing with a Deere 318, weight with the 50" deck installed was about 1050 pounds with a full gas tank. Calculated the fuel consumption while mowing at full throttle a number of times and it usually came out to about 1 gallon per hour. I am thinking about buying a new garden tractor as my 4210 is somewhat large for much of my mowing, but I am wondering what kind of GASOLINE consumption a comparably sized garden tractor with a more modern engine would deliver. Thank you for any information you can provide me.

I think you are right on the money. I have a Onan 316 with a 50" deck that I use for part of my grass cutting. A gallon an hour is just about what I go through.


Greg

 

[Will_C]

I have a 23hp Kawasaki on a Toro zero turn-I burn mow than a gallon an hour, but that is less then I went through with a Case tractor with a 18hp Onan. Acres per gallon, however, the ZTR is the clear winner-probably 2 acres a gallon.

Will

 

[Will_C]

I have a 23hp Kawasaki on a Toro zero turn-I burn mow than a gallon an hour, but that is less then I went through with a Case tractor with a 18hp Onan. Acres per gallon, however, the ZTR is the clear winner-probably 2 acres a gallon.

Will

 

[bigtiller]

Over the years I have had a lot of jd garden tractors........ 318, 322, 425, and a 445. They all used about the same amount of gas to mow the same yard. I seen a dramatic decrease in fuel consumption when I switched over to diesels..... 455, X495, and a 2305. The torque increase was amazing! I wished I would have switched over years earlier.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I had a JD 332 diesel with rated 14HP but it pulled a 54" mower plenty good and only burned about 1/2 gallon per hour or less. Cant beat a diesel for power and fuel economy.
I don't think the fuel economy has substantially improved in the last 30 years. FI has made them easier to start and maybe get a bit more power from a smaller engine, but by and large, the engines have gotten bigger and bigger but it still takes about the same amount of fuel to cover the same area, now we just do it faster. On my 332, it would run about 5-6 mph but climbing a hill would need to pull back on the HST to keep from stalling whereas my ZTR with 26HP would not stall but most of the time, I didn't need all that HP as it was just burning fuel that was not needed for the load