Kubota and Biodiesel

[silez]

Hello:

Was wondering what the scoop is (no pun intended) with kubota B series tractors being run on biodiesel? What are Kubota's feelings in regards to warranty?

Thanks

Eric

 

[InlineDieselFan]

I don't know about Kubotas warranty, but the stuff runs good in a Cummins diesel.

steve

 

[Schultz]

Don't know about the warranty either but my BX has been running on it all summer. Never noticed a difference, other than a little less smoke at start up. I've only been running B20, the only one that sells b100 is quite a ways out of my way and just haven't been it the area to get it. I don't plan on switching back, unless I have to in the winter.

 

[cchoate]

Ok, I'll be the one to ask... What is bio diesel? Cost more or less than regular diesel? Where do you buy it?

 

[catvet]

here is a link to Biodiesel info
biodiesel organization

 

[mangoland]

I don't know about warrany, but my 2710 runs great on it. It is the cheapest fuel out here in the Pacific, at least that I can access. There is another farm down the road that uses it in a couple of larger Kubotas, again with no problem. It is clearly not the answer for everyone, but if you can get it, try it. The 2710 engine is very clean burning, so odor is minimal, but the bio is preferable in any case.

 

[v8dave]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Ok, I'll be the one to ask... What is bio diesel? Cost more or less than regular diesel? Where do you buy it? )</font>

Well, I'm not sure where to buy it. The provided link above should have leads to where ready to use boidiesel is available.

Diesels will run on about anything that is flammable. However, most diesels need the lubricating properties of the fuel to lubricate the injection pump. So that leaves out the thinner products like gasoline, paint thinner, etc. But does leave in vegtable and animal fat oils.

Most biodiesel do-it-your-self efforts involve collecting deep fryer oil from restaurants and cleaning the heck out of it. In this case biodiesel is basically cooking oil cleaned up to keep debris, acids and water out of the fuel. Hence, the usual comment about a bio-diesel exhaust smelling like french fries.

Large volume commercial operations use both purpose manufactured and reclaimed vegtable oil as "Diesel." In California the commercial offerings were more expensive than petroleum Diesel (what with the recent run up in prices, I'm no longer sure that is the case).

Would you like fries with with your diesel today, Sir? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[v8dave]

Forgot to say. Most of the cases I've read about, where folks are using bio-diesel, they use a mixture of bio and petro diesel to get the flow qualities they feel they need (it's subjective). In the summertime I've read reports of "off the grid" generator plants using 100% bio but needing up to 50/50 in the winter to keep the flow good. Most articles I've read have the users keeping about 20% petro-diesel in the mix.

Why the mix,you ask? Although not popular because it doesn't pour well, Crisco and other vegtable shortenings are vegtable oil and are used in some fryers. And when you're getting the stuff cheap (used to be free) you really can't be too choosy. So, you really do need to make sure the fuel tank doesn't jell up. Either kerosene or diesel will work to keep it thin.

 

[rbcsaver]

When Rudolf Diesel designed the Diesel engine at the turn of the century, it was designed to run on vegetable oil, not dino oil.
regards,
Steve

 

[Schultz]

Well I did happen to make it by the distributor that sells b100 to get some for my tractor. Accept they now sell B99. Apparently Bush has signed in a subsidy for blended biofuels. Each percent equals a penny refund/subsidy. So yesterday with the subsidy which the distributor takes care of the B99 was $2.30 ($3.29-.99) a gallon where regular off road diesel was $2.54 and B20 with the subsidy was $2.59 ($2.79-.20).

On a different note I asked about using the biodiesel fuel for my oil furnace. They mentioned they have been burning it for a year now and it burns substantial cleaner. Before they were performing monthly clean-outs on there old oil furnace. Now they only do it seasonally and it seems to only be black sout and not the white and yellow sulfur smelling stuff. But they have only used B20 with winter treatment during the winter months and couldn't recomend anything higher at this time.