Stupid Newbie question #87342: Regular Diesel vs “off-road diesel” vs home heating oil

[SmallChange]

Everybody else I know with tractors, skid loaders, and other off-road equipment only run red diesel in their equipment.

OK, now I'll add my own (dumb? not so dumb?) question to the thread: how do you get red diesel? I have a few 5 gallon safety cans and drive them to the same filling station I buy car gasoline. I use one of those receiver hitch mounted platforms, so any drips don't get into the car, which is a major improvement. But I don't remember ever seeing someplace I could buy red/off road diesel. Where can you buy it? What do you have to do to prove it's not going to get used on road?

For that matter, how in the world do they enforce that? I mean, how would you look in somebody's truck fuel tank to see if there's red in there? I'm just thinking out loud on that one, I don't have any road vehicles that can even use diesel. Any color diesel.

 

[hube2]

More diesel vehicles on the road means that most of the stations that use to sell dyed diesel have converted their tanks.

Try this. Closest place to me is a 90+ mile trip. Not really worth the drive to save paying taxes.

How To Find Off Road Diesel Locations

Trying to find off road diesel locations is a pain. We'll show you how to find gas stations and trucks stops near you that have off road diesel at the pump.

cnrgfleet.com

 

[lman]

OK, now I'll add my own (dumb? not so dumb?) question to the thread: how do you get red diesel? I have a few 5 gallon safety cans and drive them to the same filling station I buy car gasoline. I use one of those receiver hitch mounted platforms, so any drips don't get into the car, which is a major improvement. But I don't remember ever seeing someplace I could buy red/off road diesel. Where can you buy it? What do you have to do to prove it's not going to get used on road?

For that matter, how in the world do they enforce that? I mean, how would you look in somebody's truck fuel tank to see if there's red in there? I'm just thinking out loud on that one, I don't have any road vehicles that can even use diesel. Any color diesel.

How can we help you with a location of OR fuel when you didn't put any kind of location in your profile?

 

[hosspuller]

Currently, off-road diesel ("red diesel") is simply on-road ultra low sulfur diesel with red dye added and no road taxes collected/paid. Home heating oil (#2 fuel oil) in some places is exactly the same stuff as red diesel. Everybody else I know with tractors, skid loaders, and other off-road equipment only run red diesel in their equipment. I would ask the fuel supplier about the home heating oil to see exactly what it is, if it's simply red diesel you would be fine to use it, if it's something else, it depends on what exactly they say it is. Modern ultra low sulfur diesel actually has to have some lubrication additives in order to not destroy injection pumps, if the home heating oil is ULSD not treated with these, then I would not run it.

With any diesel engine that has emission controls... the bolded text bears repeating. Common rail engines have much more exacting fuel needs regarding contamination and lubrication. Their much higher pressures and smaller injector tolerances make repairs expensive. Likely more than any fuel savings. The DPF and sensors are yet another expensive system to be damaged by sub grade fuel at the same time. The 75+ HP tractors have the DEF systems to screw up too

A 1960's Case will operate on anything oil that burns with the chunks filtered out.

 

[WranglerX]

OK, now I'll add my own (dumb? not so dumb?) question to the thread: how do you get red diesel? I have a few 5 gallon safety cans and drive them to the same filling station I buy car gasoline. I use one of those receiver hitch mounted platforms, so any drips don't get into the car, which is a major improvement. But I don't remember ever seeing someplace I could buy red/off road diesel. Where can you buy it? What do you have to do to prove it's not going to get used on road?

For that matter, how in the world do they enforce that? I mean, how would you look in somebody's truck fuel tank to see if there's red in there? I'm just thinking out loud on that one, I don't have any road vehicles that can even use diesel. Any color diesel.

Any local wholesaler/retailer that caters to farm/ranch/construction market should have red diesel....I have one about 4 miles away and one about 25 miles away.... I drop in once a month or so and get 5 gallons at a time or when ever diesel can is is empty...

As for catching people using red diesel on the road all law enforcement has to do is "dip" the tank if it comes out red..."OUCH!"....

 

[Tx Jim]

I haven't checked lately but I think in my home state one needs a state issued tax exemption permit to purchase tax free dyed diesel fuel.

 

[LouNY]

No restrictions that I know of here for buying it.
If used in an on-road situation the fine is extremely high.
They can dip your tank or drain a filter looking for color and have done so fairly often at times.
I have never tried to purchase it as I've always had it delivered. It is my understanding
that some truck stops have it for reefer fuel as that is technically not on road use.

 

[SmallChange]

How can we help you with a location of OR fuel when you didn't put any kind of location in your profile?

I was thinking of categorical answers like "TSC sells it around the back", "Always just go to your dealership", "Any truck stop but they call it X", et cetera.

But if you know local sources, I live in northern Cecil County Maryland and do most of my shopping in Newark DE (Newcastle county) or Aberdeen MD (Harford county).

Thanks!

 

[Spike56]

OK, now I'll add my own (dumb? not so dumb?) question to the thread: how do you get red diesel? I have a few 5 gallon safety cans and drive them to the same filling station I buy car gasoline. I use one of those receiver hitch mounted platforms, so any drips don't get into the car, which is a major improvement. But I don't remember ever seeing someplace I could buy red/off road diesel. Where can you buy it? What do you have to do to prove it's not going to get used on road?

For that matter, how in the world do they enforce that? I mean, how would you look in somebody's truck fuel tank to see if there's red in there? I'm just thinking out loud on that one, I don't have any road vehicles that can even use diesel. Any color diesel.

It is NOT a dumb question. At least for ME, there are limited places to get "Farm (red) Diesel". I stopped bothering with it ! The place I was dealing with requires you to present and keep updated your AG card (from the State, Texas) AND is "out of the way". I used to do a lot of business at this place until they sold and now are under new management which now the selections and prices are too few and too high.
While "cheaper" due to the Taxes.... I just do not burn enough fuel to bother with a special run.

 

[hube2]

I discounted other sources in my last post. While stations around here no longer sell dyed diesel, farmers still use it but they get it delivered to them. If I wanted to put in my own tank I could get it delivered, but I don't use enough to make that worth the effort.