justagoodolboy
Posts: 165
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Plain, TX
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Lokimack
Here is a good concise article on Diesel Fuel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel
QUOTE:
"Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) is a term used to describe a standard for defining diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur contents. As of 2007, almost every diesel fuel available in America and Europe is the ULSD type."
""untaxed" diesel (sometimes called "off road diesel") is available in the United States, which is available for use primarily in agricultural applications such as fuel for tractors, recreational and utility vehicles or other non-commercial vehicles that do not use public roads. Additionally, this fuel MAY have sulphur levels that exceed the limits for road use using the newer 2007 standards. This untaxed diesel is dyed red for identification purposes,[18] and should a person be found to be using this untaxed diesel fuel for a typically taxed purpose (such as "over-the-road", or driving use), the user can be fined US$10,000. "
END QUOTE.
While my blanket statement may not have been 100% techinically correct, it is definitive enough for our purposes. The refineries are allowed to produce a grade of diesel that has a sulphur content that is higher than ULSD and label it "off-road fuel". However; the fuel you purchase for your tractor at the local CO-OP is almost assuredly ULSD with a red dye in it. My quick research to affirm my information supports the earlier statements. Now I will admit that the diesel fuel That Union Pacific uses in our locomotives is not ULSD, unless we need fuel at a smaller terminal and in that case Sun Coast will send a fuel truck out with red diesel to be used. Will it have dyed ULSD? Maybe. I would bet it does. The true "off-road" diesel is used by railroads, mining companies, the military (Navy included) and ships because of the massive volume these entities use. As a side note; Union Pacific became the worlds largest consumer of diesel fuel in 2005. But it is not cost effective for the refinery to seperate small batches out instead of just making ULSD and dying it for tax purposes and then passing along the cost to the consumer.
1st, I would not be using Wikipedia as a reference for anything. That site is a joke.
You are correct that Sulphur is the lubricating factor in the fuel pumps. However, USLD is not dyed red and sold as "off road", atleast not in TX. I can assure you this because of two reasons.
1 - my family owns a local gas and oil distribution company where we sell "off-road" or "high sulphur" diesel - whatever you want to call it. It comes out of LA its sulphur content is higher than ULSD which we get at the same place.
2 - If ULSD was just dyed and used in ag equipment, it would cause massive failure to some expensive pieces of equipment. I hear told that some of the newer equipment, 2006 and higher, will run on either, but all are recommended to run "off-road" or "high sulphur" diesel. I base this up my own personal farm equipment and my brothers logging equipment. All his newer skidders, sheerer and loaders recommend running an additive for lubricity if ULSD is used.
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2008 AC 700 EFI Prowler
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On vs. Off Road Diesel? - 
