Off Road Diesel

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,157
2,818
113
SW Pa
Went and go fuel yesterday evening, and this morning filled the tank on the BX. And something about the smell of the fuel, it has a bit of a sulfur smell like the OLD diesel did. Has anyone else noticed this? The station moves beaucoup ORD so i doing think it is old stuff
 

BruceP

Well-known member

Equipment
G5200H
Aug 7, 2016
837
355
63
Richmond, Vermont, USA
One reason it is "Offroad" diesel is less taxes levied on the fuel. Also, it may not meet the ELSD (Extremely Low Sulfer Diesel) required for over-the-road travel.

Keep in mind that 'heating oil' (#2 fuel oil) used in oil-furnaces is essentually "Offroad" diesel fuel too. (perhaps even less refined)

Perhaps if that station "moves beaucoup ORD" that they actually get truckload of #2 fuel oil and sell as ORD.
 

D2Cat

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,007
4,389
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
Well, if it's old diesel with sulfur as it use to be, just burn it and be happy. I've started old equipment that sat for 15 years. Fuel smelled like varnish. Pulled that Cat about 50 ft. with a tractor and she fired right off. Never even changed the filters!
 

Fordtech86

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Equipment
L3200
Aug 7, 2018
4,791
5,624
113
Pineville,LA

Off road diesel is the same ULSD as on road. Needs to be for the modern equipment with emission equipment. So unless that fuel has been sitting there since around 2014, it should be ULSD. Is this a place you regularly get your fuel for the tractor? I get off road fuel just up the road and they go through a lot as they supply the logging companies around here, it smells just like the highway fuel.
 

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,157
2,818
113
SW Pa
Yup, have been getting fuel at this station for years, and this is the first time it has ever smelled like this
 

Fordtech86

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3200
Aug 7, 2018
4,791
5,624
113
Pineville,LA
Yup, have been getting fuel at this station for years, and this is the first time it has ever smelled like this

Well if it runs then 🤷‍♂️. I worked with a guy that ran his 7.3 E series strictly on used transmission fluid that he filtered from the transmission flush machine at that dealership. The van was his weekend racecar hauler on the weekends, illegal? Well yeah, but did it run, yeah just fine.
 

hagrid

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
K1600GTL, ZX-14R
Jun 11, 2018
832
975
93
Pittsburgh
Yup, have been getting fuel at this station for years, and this is the first time it has ever smelled like this
Which one? I'd rather fill up with offroad but I dont know any stations.
 

i7win7

Well-known member

Equipment
BX2370, B2650 grapple, tree puller, trailer mover, 3 point hoist, mower, tiller
Feb 21, 2020
3,228
3,740
113
Central, IL
Which one? I'd rather fill up with offroad but I dont know any stations.
In my corner of the world you won't find it at a gas station. Maybe at a farm co-op, or call an oil distributor that delivers heating oil and specialty fuels.
 

D2Cat

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
13,007
4,389
113
40 miles south of Kansas City
I get it from a pump at a small station two miles from my house. Last week it was $1.89. Ticket says "died diesel".
 

Dave_eng

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
M7040, Nuffield 465
Oct 6, 2012
5,128
933
113
Williamstown Ontario Canada
Had an old friend who spent his life pumping fuel in an era when you stayed in your vehicle.

He worked for a large private chain.

One night, as he tells the story, he was called back to his station because the intrusion alarm was going off.

When he arrived, he found one of the partners dumping a drum of an unknown chemical into one of the underground storage tanks.

The local small engine people always claimed they could smell the fuel from this chain and inevitably, the small engine did not tolerate it.

Suspicion was that stuff was being disposed of by being mixed with fuel and that stuff would have cost many $ to deal with as hazardous waste.

Dave
 

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,157
2,818
113
SW Pa
Had an old friend who spent his life pumping fuel in an era when you stayed in your vehicle.

He worked for a large private chain.

One night, as he tells the story, he was called back to his station because the intrusion alarm was going off.

When he arrived, he found one of the partners dumping a drum of an unknown chemical into one of the underground storage tanks.

The local small engine people always claimed they could smell the fuel from this chain and inevitably, the small engine did not tolerate it.

Suspicion was that stuff was being disposed of by being mixed with fuel and that stuff would have cost many $ to deal with as hazardous waste.

Dave
 

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,157
2,818
113
SW Pa
For some reason that wouldn't surprise me one bit!
 

pokey1416

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Equipment
Grand L4060HSTC, BH92 Backhoe, HLA Snow Pusher, Dirt Dog Tiller, EA DiscHarrow
Jun 24, 2020
532
738
93
SW Michigan
Don't know if this makes a difference but the fuel industry up here in Michigan had requested and was approved by Governor (ordering USDA) to continue selling winter blended fuels past May 1 (I think that's the right date). Due to COVID stay at home orders there was a surplus of winter blend that needed to be used up - don't know if there's a difference in smell.