Fuel Consumption

[scpsd]

I always check the fuel mileage on my truck and whatnot, but I've never really paid any attention to the fuel consumption of any of my tractors. Just curious how many hours you guys get out of a tank and anything you do to increase efficiency. Not complaining at all, just curious about others' thoughts on the subject.

 

[Reg]

I always check the fuel mileage on my truck and whatnot, but I've never really paid any attention to the fuel consumption of any of my tractors. Just curious how many hours you guys get out of a tank and anything you do to increase efficiency

It depends how many of those HP you are "drawing", e.g. plowing heavy will consume way more gallons per hour than light mowing.

There are various ag college studies and tractor test reports on diesel tractor efficiency, they seem to be about 80% the efficiency of trucks and marine diesels in "liters per minute per HP".
I think that is the unit of efficiency and it varies along the power curve.
60% of max power sticks in my memory as a "Good place" to run most diesels for minimum cost per unit of consumed power, i.e running cost efficiency.

As far as what I do to increase/improve "efficiency" ???
Well, just not doing what doesn't need to be done is the #1 strategy (-:
Then working efficiently as a general work method on what DOES NEED to be done.
e.g. "scatter out, gather in".
After that (a little bit controversial with some folk here) I run low power PTO jobs off the 1,000 RPM PTO at (about) 54% of PTO speed engine revs to get 540 RPM - - if it loads down I revert to the 540 output gear at full revs, but then it isn't a low power task (-:

 

[powergod1]

If Im really working the 440 seems to go about a gallon, gallon and a half an hour

 

[ole farmerbuck]

I'm averaging about .75 gal/hr with my M7040. first tank was .58.

 

[scpsd]

Nice...thanks for the replies guys. I'm figuring about a gallon per hour as well. Maybe a touch less.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Nice...thanks for the replies guys. I'm figuring about a gallon per hour as well. Maybe a touch less.

Got a 225. It uses about .75 gal per hour for most things. Running a rotary cutter on hills or thick stuff will push it to around a gallon per hour.

 

[SSdoxie]

I have been running my CT225 about 50% duty. Half the time has been tiller, cultivator, & middle buster work other half jsut general loader work at reduced RPM. I'm getting about .5 gl/hr. Has 22 hrs on it and used 10 gl.