How do you refuel?

fatjay

Active member

Equipment
Kubota B8200, B7200, ZD21
Nov 12, 2016
303
129
43
Eastern PA, USA
I have 2 kubota's, my b8200 and zd21. 8.3 gallon gas tanks on both. Trips to the gas station are tedious, 6x 5gal cans every couple weeks.

My solution is simple. 2x 55gal drums. One stationary, one that I can put on the trailer. I can fill up with AG diesel for $2/gal at 55gal on the trailer, take it back and siphon it into the other can, so I don't have to deal with moving a full container off the trailer.

$20 a barrel, so $40. $34 for a barrel pump from harbor freight. Keep them on a skid in the shed, pull my tractor up when it needs fuel.

 

lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
4,878
1,611
113
Mid, South, USA
My insurance company doesn't like me to have more than 10 gal of fuel on hand. Said something about more than that creates a potential for hazardous situation should a fire break out. I don't know. It sucks though. Having a tractor, push mower, riding mower, race car, atv, weed eater, blower....scooter....some are diesel, some are 2 stroke, some are 4 stroke and then the race car, methanol....so they're saying I can't keep but 10 gal of methanol? Well guess what.....

When I worked for a dealer, gas/diesel was a sore subject. We could only keep 30 gal of gas and 50 gal of diesel on hand at any given time. During busy time, we'd go through both 2-3 times a day. The new guy was responsible for getting fuel. He was also doing new product assembly. That meant that 2 or 3 times a day, he'd have to load up the fuel cans on the trailer, drive halfway across town to get fuel. Seems like the liability of driving through traffic with 30 gal of gas and 50 gal of diesel would outweigh the liability of keeping 500 gal overhead tank; but I don't know how insurance companies work. They do upset me though.
 

fatjay

Active member

Equipment
Kubota B8200, B7200, ZD21
Nov 12, 2016
303
129
43
Eastern PA, USA
That sounds rather tedious. I keep 300 gallons of diesel fuel on hand at any time, in my home heating oil tank. It's the same stuff. I can see methanol or gasoline, but diesel is hardly a threat, i'd wager a third of the homes in america have oil furnaces, often in the basement or crawl space, where the tank is exposed to moisture, often developing leaks.

Diesel is hardly a liability, but i guess in a commercial business, it might be different.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
28,886
5,271
113
Sandpoint, ID
My insurance company doesn't like me to have more than 10 gal of fuel on hand. Said something about more than that creates a potential for hazardous situation should a fire break out.
Wow...That is crazy, sorry about that.
I have 250+ gallons of diesel and 30+ gallons of gasoline on hand all the time.
When winter hits you I don't want to be without fuel. ;)
 
Last edited:

Daren Todd

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S, Box blade, Rotary Cutter
May 18, 2014
9,152
4,673
113
Vilonia, Arkansas
Wow...That is crazy, sorry about that.
I have 250+ gallons of diesel and 30+ gallons of gasoline on hand all the time.
When winter hits you I don't want to be without fuel. ;)
Probably would have been okay for him if they had bulk tanks with built in containment away from the building. It's the storage in cans inside the building that they frown on in a commercial setting.

Not sure why his homeowners insurance is throwing fits though. My insurance agent has only set foot on my property once, and that was to check on us when he was making his rounds after a tornado struck. Never actually set foot into the house, just talked to us in the yard. I've have a similar amount to of gas as you do, plus a can of diesel, and 2 extra propane tanks full in the garage.
 
Last edited:

Whitaker Farms

New member
Sep 9, 2017
23
0
0
Somerville, TN
We keep about 1000 gallons of diesel. We use them to fill the off-road tank on the truck and fill all the equipment when it's in the shop. We also keep a 55 gallon drum of non ethanol for the gas stuff. My insurance has never said anything.
 

sdk1968

Active member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
B2601HSD & CK4010HST 4WD/FEL
Oct 19, 2016
929
35
28
Ohio
wow you guys have a serious supply's!

i keep 10 gallons of diesel & 25 of gas on hand..

& just ride down to the station to fill up the tractor every other tank.

same thing on the mower, but it holds 12 gallons.
 

rjcorazza

Member

Equipment
L4060 HSTC Loader, ZD326, ZD1211
Mar 9, 2016
778
22
18
Hyattstown, MD
I believe my insurance limits gasoline only, and in areas attached to the house only. I just use a transfer tank in my pickup for diesel (37g), and a 55g drum for gas in a detached shed for a walk behind mower and backup genset. I treat and cycle the gas once a year, which is a royal pita... a diesel, natural gas, or pto genset is on my wish list.
 

fatjay

Active member

Equipment
Kubota B8200, B7200, ZD21
Nov 12, 2016
303
129
43
Eastern PA, USA
I was shopping for a ~20hp diesel to convert my 10kw generator when I found my zero turn. Sadly I couldn't scrap the zero turn just for the engine. Now I'm shopping for another diesel engine, hopefully this time not attached to a mower.
 

Whitaker Farms

New member
Sep 9, 2017
23
0
0
Somerville, TN
wow you guys have a serious supply's!

i keep 10 gallons of diesel & 25 of gas on hand..

& just ride down to the station to fill up the tractor every other tank.

same thing on the mower, but it holds 12 gallons.
We run a small hay farm and do dirt work on the side. It goes faster than you think.
 

Bulldog

Well-known member

Equipment
M 9000 DTC, L 3000 DT
Mar 30, 2010
5,440
73
48
Rocky Face, Georgia
Don't keep but about 10 or 15 gallons of gas but have a 600 gallon diesel tank at home and a 275 gallon on the other side of my farm at my shop. Depending on how busy I am I'll use about 1500 gallons of diesel a year. You guys that go to the station for fuel should look at a local bulk fuel supplier. Most of the time their off-road fuel is $.15-$.30 cents cheaper than what the station has.
 

Jpatrick

Member

Equipment
BX1850, L210, Various 3 point implements
Apr 4, 2017
100
1
18
Buckingham, Pa
I have two 300 gal fuel tanks. One is diesel, and the other is yet to be put in service. They are ground level tanks and I use a pump to remove fuel. Usually I pump from fuel tank into 5's, and then I am in the habit of topping off tractors after each use. I'd like to use the other tank for gasoline, but I need to rig a pump for it.

In the past I've used gravity feed. That requires tank to be on a frame about 5' or so above ground. All fuel tanks should be equipped with filter which fuel passes through before filling tank or container.