# Anyone have a tractor running on alternative fuel?



## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

Anyone out there convert their lawn or garden tractor to run on an alternative fuel? like methane, or propane? or electricity? french fry oil? alcohol? solar? (I've seen pictures of tractors with solar panels on the roof to recharge the batteries of the electric drive) And if you are using something unusual, why? is your fuel homemade? or readily available in your area?


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## wheely_boy (Sep 16, 2003)

Now you have me thinking. Maybe there is something I can use that Eastern European cherry flavored liquer for. Do you think that would void my engine warrentee?


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## bontai Joe (Sep 16, 2003)

Depends on what part of eastern Europe it's from, could void your liver!


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

What might "Eastern European cherry flavored liquer" be? 

I have heard of people using moonshine as a fuel before.:secret:


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## wheely_boy (Sep 16, 2003)

That would be "cseresznye palinka" in the mother tongue. Makes JD feel like milk going down.


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Ahhh here is a tribute to your palinka drinking aka CHERRY BRANDY --- and yes I can confirm, it will wash the paint off of the side of an oil tanker... 

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/palinka.jpg>

Andy


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## amicks (Sep 16, 2003)

This year we had a lot of rain ( most ever recorded in a year) and we had a lot of customers trying to run their machines on water. However nobody succeeded, and they had to pay a service bill to boot.arty:


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## Ingersoll444 (Sep 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by amicks _
> *This year we had a lot of rain ( most ever recorded in a year) and we had a lot of customers trying to run their machines on water. However nobody succeeded, and they had to pay a service bill to boot.arty: *


Yup, I would have been one of those. Except I had to fix it myself. One of my gas cans ended up with water in it somehow. Found out after I filled all my stuff. THAT was a fun week


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## MGM (Sep 16, 2003)

If I was to run an alternative fuel, CNG would be my choice right now for I have it piped to the house and I would want the option to run gasoline also (duel fuel), The home use slow feed compressors will be getting lower in price as the government pushes folks to go to alternative fuels.

I am looking in that direction even for my truck as I can tank up at home every night and can run on gasoline when needed.

There are a lot of city fleet auction cars and trucks around here that have me looking hard at them. Right now CNG is about 87 cents compared to a gallon of gasoline from what I have been reading, but the cost of the compressor and conversion to the car is right now a bit high unless you find the car or truck already converted, then its just a matter of the added cost of the compressor about 5 grand per car for a home slow feed (over night) system.

If I had a diesel, used french fry oil (bio-diesel) would have me looking hard at it as an alternative fuel, they say any diesel can run on it and it smells like french fries when running, NO JOKE. And from what I read, most fast food restaurants want to get rid of the stuff and pay to have it hauled away. For me the jury is still out on this one.


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## Stewart (Sep 17, 2003)

They started using the bio diesel here at work, but I haven’t noticed any fried chicken type odors yet. Most of our vehicles are diesel or CNG They have a refill station here on base and I think it is the high-pressure type. There is a pretty big tank that they install in the beds of the trucks. Uncle is trying to cut some of the costs and we are great test subjects......or so I am told!!! 

The way I understand the bio diesel is it is a blended fuel they mix the waste oils with diesel and away you go! I am sure they have to filter it quit a bit before use. I saw a show on cable one time like junkyard wars, they were making a go-cart that had a diesel engine. One of the groups was using something like used cooking oil and they had to filter it quite a few times so there were no particles that would plug the injectors.

I wonder what is happening with the ethanol thing, I havn't heard much about that in a while.


:usa:


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## Cliff (Nov 30, 2003)

*Greasel*

I noticed this company that makes bio diesel conversation kits to allow a diesel motor to run on vegetable oil. Seems like a great concept to me. They mention it would work for tractors. 


http://www.greasel.com


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