# Fuel additives



## geminijo (24 d ago)

Greetings,
I'm new to the forum and have a question regarding diesel additives.I have recently purchased a new Kioti DK4210 with loader.I buy my fuel from a local gas station.It's the only place in town that sells off road diesel.I buy 5 gallons at a time.I treat with Sta-Bil diesel stabilizer and also use Power Service Bio-Kleen.I live in central Minnesota so it's cccold here.My question is, can/should I also use a cold weather anti gel or is it a bad idea to have too many additives in the fuel? Any recommendations on what brand to buy? Thanks in advance.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

anti-gel additives are far more important than that other stuff, especially if you purchased the fuel in the summer or fall. I might not bother with the off-road stuff if you are buying that little off it, unless that station sells a bunch of it. I buy ridiculously high octane fuel for my gasser just because it is pure gas. I burn like 10 gallons a year, if that, so no big added expense, even at an extra $2 per gallon.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Welcome to the forum. If you are buying diesel at this time of the year, it should be winter fuel right out of the fuel pump at the service station. You may want to ask them if and when they switch over.


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

I would be adding anti-gel to it.
I wouldn't believe the stations fuel delivery to have the right amount of additive.


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## Mrsig (Jun 6, 2021)

*and enjoy the forum!*


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Winter fuel is a blend of #1 and #2 diesel, meaning it has less paraffin and more kerosene. Service Stations in our neck of the woods usually switch over to the winter blend in mid September and then switch back in mid April. The amount of #1 blended with the #2 depends on the area that you live in. In extreme cold temps, you could be getting pretty much straight #1 Diesel like when I lived north of 60. I use a diesel fuel conditioner/ cetane booster all year with every load of fuel I use regardless of the blend.
I got caught with my first diesel, back in the 80's, with a tank of summer fuel when the temps dropped to the -10 to -20 range. The company I worked for let me use a space in the generator building to warm my truck for a few days, then I added a few 5 gallon jugs of Kerosene and I was good to go. Wasn't difficult to get caught when you had a 155 liter (41) gallon fuel tank!


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## LouNY (Dec 15, 2016)

pogobill said:


> Winter fuel is a blend of #1 and #2 diesel, meaning it has less paraffin and more kerosene. Service Stations in our neck of the woods usually switch over to the winter blend in mid September and then switch back in mid April. The amount of #1 blended with the #2 depends on the area that you live in. In extreme cold temps, you could be getting pretty much straight #1 Diesel like when I lived north of 60. I use a diesel fuel conditioner/ cetane booster all year with every load of fuel I use regardless of the blend.
> I got caught with my first diesel, back in the 80's, with a tank of summer fuel when the temps dropped to the -10 to -20 range. The company I worked for let me use a space in the generator building to warm my truck for a few days, then I added a few 5 gallon jugs of Kerosene and I was good to go. Wasn't difficult to get caught when you had a 155 liter (41) gallon fuel tank!


It used to be that way here, however in the last several years it has changed. No longer is it a blended fuel of #1 and #2 now it is an additive package added at the truck loading rack at whatever ratio the loading platform decides is correct.
Very little #1 is added untill extremely low temps are forecast.


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## geminijo (24 d ago)

Thank you for the warm welcome and all the responses! Some of you recommended purchasing on road diesel.In my area it's 10% bio,where off road is pure diesel.Is the bio going to be a issue with my Kioti (Daedong) engine? It doesn't tell me that in the owners manual.On line research tells me that most of these compact tractors would work ok with up to 20%bio but I couldn't find any definitive info. regarding Daedong. Either way I will be buying some anti-gel.Are there any brands that are recommended?


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

I would probably tend to avoid the bio-content if available. I don't imagine that the brand of anti-gel much matters. I would probably avoid anything that looks too sketchy in general, but that would be about it.


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## Ford5610II (Jun 11, 2020)

It has been down to -30 deg. F here this week. And its been between -15 and +15 for most of November. I don't depend on the local fuel supply companies to winterize their fuel enough, and this week that has been proven true. I use Howe's diesel additive (other brands work, like 911). I add about twice as much as the bottle says (which still isn't very much) and run it thru the engines in late October. I add more every time I fuel up. This keeps my equipment moving. Hope it helps.


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

geminijo said:


> Thank you for the warm welcome and all the responses! Some of you recommended purchasing on road diesel.In my area it's 10% bio,where off road is pure diesel.Is the bio going to be a issue with my Kioti (Daedong) engine? It doesn't tell me that in the owners manual.On line research tells me that most of these compact tractors would work ok with up to 20%bio but I couldn't find any definitive info. regarding Daedong. Either way I will be buying some anti-gel.Are there any brands that are recommended?



I have ran on-road diesel in both of my Kiotis and have had no problem.....As for the anti-gel additive, Howes is about the best around.....Power service is good down to about 0 degrees F but will freeze lower then that, yep I tested it in a freezer....This is a good way to test what ever brand you decide to use. Put the bottle in the freezer for a day or two and see what it does....If is freezes or gets and slush in it, is it really going to do much good to keep your fuel from jelling up?


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

Groo said:


> I would probably tend to avoid the bio-content if available. I don't imagine that the brand of anti-gel much matters. I would probably avoid anything that looks too sketchy in general, but that would be about it.



20% or below of bio will not hurt a tier 3 or 4 engine......As for the brand of anti-gel, yep it does matter........Do the "freezer test" with them and you will see.......


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

Ford5610II said:


> It has been down to -30 deg. F here this week. And its been between -15 and +15 for most of November. I don't depend on the local fuel supply companies to winterize their fuel enough, and this week that has been proven true. I use Howe's diesel additive (other brands work, like 911). I add about twice as much as the bottle says (which still isn't very much) and run it thru the engines in late October. I add more every time I fuel up. This keeps my equipment moving. Hope it helps.



DO NOT use Diesel 911 as a anti-gel additive.......Diesel 911 is made by Power Service and is only for once you have jelled up......It is kind of like Drain O for a diesel fuel system.......


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

pogobill said:


> Winter fuel is a blend of #1 and #2 diesel, meaning it has less paraffin and more kerosene. Service Stations in our neck of the woods usually switch over to the winter blend in mid September and then switch back in mid April. The amount of #1 blended with the #2 depends on the area that you live in. In extreme cold temps, you could be getting pretty much straight #1 Diesel like when I lived north of 60. I use a diesel fuel conditioner/ cetane booster all year with every load of fuel I use regardless of the blend.
> I got caught with my first diesel, back in the 80's, with a tank of summer fuel when the temps dropped to the -10 to -20 range. The company I worked for let me use a space in the generator building to warm my truck for a few days, then I added a few 5 gallon jugs of Kerosene and I was good to go. Wasn't difficult to get caught when you had a 155 liter (41) gallon fuel tank!



The only place, outside of truck stops, that I know of locally that add anything to their diesel fuel is Murphy Oil, owner by WalMart, and I am not sure how good they treat their fuel......As far as truck stops, unless they have changed, this is their rule of thumb for treating their diesel fuel......They will treat it for the forecasted temps for the next 3 days within a 50 mile radius of the location......This is why I always treat the fuel in my semi no matter where I get fuel if the temps are going to get below about 25 degrees F. If it is getting down to 0 or below F then, I will add about half again what I would normally add.......Example, my semi truck holds 220 gallons, driver's side tank is 100 and passenger's tank is 120, so normally I add a half of a bottle to each tank but if it is going to get to 0 or below then a bottle to each tank....


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

unsquidly said:


> 20% or below of bio will not hurt a tier 3 or 4 engine......As for the brand of anti-gel, yep it does matter........Do the "freezer test" with them and you will see.......


I would avoid bio based on long term stability concerns.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Like I mentioned in post #3, ask your fuel dealer about their fuel. From the information I have collected, oil refineries in up this way treat their diesel fuel and offer a winter blend from mid September thru to mid April. My "New" tractor is 20 years old, and I have owned it for the past 14 or so years. I only started using a diesel fuel conditioner and cetane booster the last few years. Never had an issue with the tractor..... Now that being said, I'll probably be back here this afternoon asking for suggestions to thin the fuel cause the tractor won't start! LOL
I bought a diesel truck in 1985 and had it until 2010. I lived in every climate from the heat in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia to the harsh cold of the Prairies of Saskatchewan ( it's hit the -40 range here the last couple of weeks) and lived in the Yukon and Northwest Territories for ten years. Bought the truck in Whitehorse, Yukon. Except for that first winter getting caught with summer blend fuel in the tank, I never put anything in the tank besides fuel. 
I do believe that the fuel companies also reduce or eliminate the amount of bio-diesel in their fuel in the winter time as well. I stumbled on that article, which I believe was the Petro-Canada fuel site. Seems they use 5% bio diesel from mid April thru to Mid September. So I guess I use a Bio-Diesel blend all summer long.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

pogobill said:


> Welcome to the forum. If you are buying diesel at this time of the year, it should be winter fuel right out of the fuel pump at the service station. You may want to ask them if and when they switch over.


I would strongly echo your comment too. 

Off-road diesel at a pump is SELDOM used in the winter, so it's older from a summer delivery in ground fill up. Running it thru winter will cause ll sorts of troubles.

I too only run diesel from the normal truck pumps. This way I know it's FRESH and it's for the season we are in. 

Additionally, it's not good to run bio-diesel when we enter the Fall season. It's unknown how long it would tank to burn thru a tankful. Late Spring to early Fall is bio-diesel run time. Even if you blend your own bio-diesel, first read your owners manual on this bio-diesel topic as some manufactures do not allow it to work in their engines. Engines prior to the Tier emission era have no issues running bio-diesel.

As for diesel fuel treatment SEAFOAM. That's it's original purpose. Works so much better than the PWRServe stuff.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

bmaverick said:


> I would strongly echo your comment too.
> 
> Off-road diesel at a pump is SELDOM used in the winter, so it's older from a summer delivery in ground fill up. Running it thru winter will cause ll sorts of troubles.
> 
> ...


depends on your area. timber harvesting is often best done in the winter, and they often don't get site deliveries. Snowmobile trail and ski grooming are other off-road winter uses. I imagine in some areas, winters get more off-road use than summers.


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## bmaverick (Feb 20, 2014)

Groo said:


> depends on your area. timber harvesting is often best done in the winter, and they often don't get site deliveries. Snowmobile trail and ski grooming are other off-road winter uses. I imagine in some areas, winters get more off-road use than summers.


None of that activity occurs around here. The county puts out markers for snow paths in mid-Fall when it's warm. No trail work at all. Nothing running on diesel out this way for winter for off-roading. Any trail cleaning is done with ATVs on the old rail-to-trails out this way. 

The county stops all timber harvesting at the end of October due to road seasonal weight limits go into effect till the end of March.


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## geminijo (24 d ago)

Once again, thank you for all the input.Some good suggestions and information regarding seasonal fuel use and speaking to the station owner about what additives he puts in the fuel.I love these forums,just like having a buddy in the business! Thanks to all. Someday I hope to be able to add to the knowledge base.Merry Christmas!


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Merry Christmas to your, as well.


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