Propane tractor

[mike peyerl]

Does anyone make a propane powered tractor? And would you buy one? I'm looking to upgrade my 20 year old kubota with something in the 50-75 hp range but don't want to deal with the problems with the emissions systems on the new diesel engines. I know propane forklifts last thousands of hours with simple service and are low emissions if they can run indoors in a warehouse.

 

[ericm979]

They were popular in the '50s and '60s but I can't think of any made now. It's all diesels.

Diesel tractors over 25.5 hp mostly use a DOC or DPF but not DEF like diesel pickups and mostly not EGR as well. DEF and EGR are the bulk of diesel pickup problems. Most tier IV tractors emissions systems are reliable.

 

[i7win7]

Propane tractors are/were gas tractors converted to run on propane. Diesels have greater low rpm torque, that's why gas engines fell out of the marketplace

 

[Paystar]

I'm a fan of propane power. A propane engine stays so clean inside compared to running on gas. That's another reason they live forever. I used to love my propane powered pickup trucks.

 

[jaxs]

Any gasoline engine will run on propane and most can be switched back and forth with a couple on twists of valves. I have a propane 800 Ford we bought new in 1959. In addition to desirable features you mentioned propane engines can set unused for months then start and run like they had been used every day. 95% of standby generators are propane because they can be relied on to start and run after setting idle for months. If there is a disadvantage to propane fueled engines it is that two windbags named I Heard and They Said make stuff up and spread it as truth on internet forums.

 

[ruffdog]

I'm a fan of propane power. A propane engine stays so clean inside compared to running on gas. That's another reason they live forever. I used to love my propane powered pickup trucks.

I use to work on medium duty trucks and some were propane fueled. You are right about how clean the inside of the engine is....amazing. They were just hard to start when it got real cold.

 

[LouNY]

I've had propane powered trucks and run propane powered tractors. They do run clean and have a long life span.
As far as power and torque on the older tractors the gas and diesels both had good torque curves. Most of the factory propane tractors had higher compression from the factory to produce the same power as the gasoline versions. Those engines were low speed engines at the time many maxed out at 1400 to 1800 rpm from the factory. They did not start good when you got to the sub zero temperatures. Once started and warmed up they were fine, they used a water heated vaporizor to turn the liquid propane to a vapor for the carb.
The larger trucks and pickups also used a liquid heated vaporizer, some had a vapor bypass to get started when cold.
Years ago we refueled with "thief hoses", a simple hose from the fill tank to the tractor tank, open the fill valve and start venting vapors from the tractor tank till it started spitting liquid from the vent, shut the valves then as she was full.
You will not find any new tractors using propane as there are no new gasoline powered tractors.

 

[Hoss710]

when running propane it uses just over a 2 to 1 ratio of fuel over diesel engines and gas engines. so for every gallon of diesel you burn , you will burn just over 2 gallons of propane.

 

[LouNY]

BTU's per gallon;
Propane = 91,452
Gasoline = 120,214
Diesel = 140,000
So not quite 2 gallons of propane per gallon of diesel.
Your usage will follow approximately the same ratio.
The diesel will do the most work per gallon with the gasoline coming in second and the propane will use the most fuel for the same amount of work. Now start factoring in the cost per gallon, the dollars in maintenance and the cost of fuel gone bad.
For a low hour tractor (200 hours/year) propane would be a viable option if avilible, for the smaller tractors if they had "forklift" 30 pound tanks it would be very handy to have a couple of spare tanks.

 

[rScotty]

Anywhere rurat that has propane for the house usually has a propane powered stand by generator as well. Just too many advantages not to.