Why don't they make one???

Rodeo man

Member
I have often wondered, why no manufacturer makes a brand new 35 horse gas burner (maybe they do, and I don't know it)? Just a nice little bare bones tractor. Maybe something along the lines of a MF 135.
 
Probably no market for it. I think you'd have trouble even selling a two wheel drive version of a modern diesel sub compact.
 
It would be a low volume seller. Where else could you use the engine? What engine would you source? Does anyone make a 35hp torque
worthy gasoline engine? Most gas engines in production are high speed gutless things for box store lawn mowers and wood splitters. Where do
you find a dependable, lugging, gasoline engine of that size? I don't think Contenental is in production any more?

Paul
 

I think one reason the gas tractors were phased out is farmers could not wait to have only one fuel on the farm. Kawasaki made a diesel mule for that reason.

From a manufacturing stand point the gasoline engine engineers have long since retired - going back would require major hiring. Diesel engines and gasoline engines my seem the same but they are very different critters to get right.
 
i must be a weird duck. I'd buy one in a minute. I also have a 2017 Dodge 3500 with the gas burner. I get a lot of funny looks though.
 
Stay tuned.

If the EPA is not reined in, they will be back until the EPA can attack them.

Dean
 
Gasoline, LPG, and natural gas engines for industrial use are still very much alive and are used in
a variety of machines such as fork lifts, irrigation pumps, and generators. For example, GM and
Ford offer industrial versions of gas-powered automotive engines that are governed to speeds of
2000-2500 rpm and are capable of delivering their rated power on a continuous basis.
 
The market would be very small. You and George for In would be some of the few buyers. I have slowly gone to almost ZERO gas machines for serious work. This is mowers, fork trucks, tractors and pickups. The longer term maintenance is just much simpler. Storage is easier too. With clean fuel I can store a diesel tractor for months/years and have little trouble with bringing it back to use. A gas tractor/engine is a constant battle to keep running well. Store it long term and you have fuel issues and corroded ignition systems to fix to bring it back to use.

So I would not be in the market for a "new" gas tractor.
 
I drive school bus as a relief driver and the company I work for just bought a gasoline powered school bus for the first time in years. It
is a Bluebird bus with a Ford V10. Diesel emissions giving too many headaches on suburban runs as can never get too temp in stop and go.
The more rural ones are fine with some higher speed driving from time to time. I can remember the days then the fleets were switched to
diesel and every one was happy the gassers were gone.
 
I like gasoline tractors and pickups, but I doubt there would be much demand for brand new tractors with simple carburetor fuel systems and distributor ignition systems. Even if those older engine designs were still available, the reliability would be as poor as they were fifty years ago and the availability of low cost used machines would undercut sales. Modern fuel injection, computer controlled ignition and electronic controls would be necessary for fuel economy, reliability and to meet emissions requirements.

Are there any modern 40 HP industrial gasoline engines available today that could be installed in a small 35 PTO HP tractor and give 10.000 to 15,000 hours of reliable service? If not, the tractor manufacturer might have to convert an existing non-turbocharged diesel engine to burn gasoline or maybe multiple-fuels. That might require development of: new cylinder head; new pistons; new camshaft; a computer controlled ignition system; an electronic fuel injection system; and maybe variable cam timing; emissions certification; etc.. Without high volume sales at the start, a gasoline tractor might cost as much or more than a comparable diesel model. Would US buyers pay a premium for gasoline tractors with lower fuel economy than the comparable diesel model?

Fuel prices in most countries are much higher than in the USA. Fuel efficiency of modern gasoline engines has improved, but they still do not rival the efficiency of Tier 4 diesel engines. If a modern 35 HP gasoline tractor would sell well in the US, would it sell well anywhere outside the USA?
 
I agree with Brandon,there a lot of natural gas engines being produced. They are not just small engines either, I see a lot of 30,60,78 and 95 liter gas engines.
 
There was an Oliver 1250 I saw that was repowered with a Toyota 4 cylinder engine,it ran and operated real well would have been a good tractor to use.My wife's 97 Toyota Corolla
has over 250,000 miles and runs great no work ever done on the engine except a preventative maintenance timing belt replacement with the right cam it'd be a good tractor engine.
 
I wouldn't mind having a modern gas tractor with cab and fwa. Just
big enough to feed with in winter and odd jobs rest of the year.
Around 50 to 60ish hp would be big enough for me.
 
I know this is just anecdotal but my father was a big fan of gas as well and really resisted diesel. In 1990 we bought a Heston windrower with a 15 foot draper head. It has a slant six engine (gas) for power.

There was a factory update for the gas versions because you could get gas fumes in the cab. When we got the update we were told by the factory that they sold 6 gas versions. The gas versions were phased out shortly after.

It is going to take a huge change to get farmers off of diesel.

1. Diesel stores better than gas.
2. Gas has more regulations on it for transport (think back of pickup fuel tank).
3. The setups are in place for diesel.

I am not a fan of the EPA but I think by and large the problems with the new diesels are blown out of proportion. Yes there are some engines that have problems but by and large most all are working just fine.
 
You couldn't make a simple gas engine with a carburetor and distributor. EPA would not allow such a thing. That's why they stopped making them in the first place.

It would have to be a direct-injected, coil-on-cylinder marvel of modern engineering. Probably even turbocharged. Even then it still wouldn't come close to being as efficient and durable as one of these Kubota or Yanmar diesels.
 
A few years back cubcadet made a compact or subcompact ? tractor with a gas engine. I do not think they sold very well ?
 
I am a firm believer in the axiom: Quality survives the test of time. New manufacturer's entering the tractor market have done their
research and have come up with the solution as to what works, not just works, but works. What you see in the market place is just that and
has evolved over time. Quality systems and applications are what survived for reasons mentioned herein. I am a 40 year veteran of such
and I guarantee you my newer tractors with the loader and 4wd and diesel engine and telescoping lift arm links and positioners and and all
are hands down more enjoyable to have and use on the place than my 60's Fords, which themselves are diesels by choice having had my
fill of gassers and their problems.
 
I also would like to see them make gas tractors. I HATE a diesel and only model of diesel I ever considered buying was a Fordson Major, would not even consider that now as just going to the fuel station and the pump with both gas and diesel the spilled fuel will make me sick, I can tell if a pickup going down the road ahead of me is a diesel because I start to get sick and I have to try to drop back to get out of his fumes. Last spring tractor club had a fish fry at the local firehouse and afterward they started up the brand new truck to show it off and after 2 minutes I was starting to get sick and had to leave.
 
I have to agree with the others. A new gasser would not be a simple carb and distributer. It would be a fuel injected modern marvel. Plus it would have to be able to 8-10 thousand hours before it started giving problems. It would be like that haybine mentioned. They would sell about 6. It's partly because of the same reason you can't buy a no frills pickup anymore. They guys that buy something like that don't trade up every 4-5 years. They drive them till they are ready for the crusher. Then shop around for another used one. Sorry, ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

Rick
 
Why not? The technology is already done there are millions of long lasting gas engines in cars and trucks that'd be fine to power a tractor just would need a cam to match the lower RPM power
curve and a governor.LP engines that power forklifts can easily be converted to gas.
 

There are a lot more gas engine Engineering work going on than diesel. Modern gas engines are catching up with diesels in terms of longevity and reliability. I don't want to go back to carburetors.

:D
 
Either I am or a lot of others here are missing the point of this post. They're trying to compare a 50 year old gas engine to a modern diesel engine. I'm of the opinion that a modern built gas engine tractor would have uses. Not out in a field doing heavy tillage work but smaller utility jobs. I don't think it's something that will ever happen, but I wouldn't mind seeing one. Not a gas hog from the 60's but a new reliable tractor. I know there are places a gas tractor could never replace a diesel but I still think there are advantages to a gas tractor. Oh and no more carburetors.
 
(quoted from post at 09:12:41 09/19/17) Either I am or a lot of others here are missing the point of this post. They're trying to compare a 50 year old gas engine to a modern diesel engine. I'm of the opinion that a modern built gas engine tractor would have uses. Not out in a field doing heavy tillage work but smaller utility jobs. I don't think it's something that will ever happen, but I wouldn't mind seeing one. Not a gas hog from the 60's but a new reliable tractor. I know there are places a gas tractor could never replace a diesel but I still think there are advantages to a gas tractor. Oh and no more carburetors.

Thats what was said about heavy trucks too but more and more LPG fueled trucks are replacing diesel fueled trucks.Most are being run by fleets too.They're not as fuel efficient as diesels or as powerful but they're showing up.
 
Find a 50 - 60 hp tractor with a cab, and a blown up diesel engine, and do a gas transplant. The ol Ford 300 inline 6 cylinder used in many trucks, and vans would be a good engine to put in one.
 
I can get off road diesel for $1.99/gal in my 55g drums from my trailer into my garage, and not have it be an explosion liability.

Gasoline doesn't offer a road-tax-free variant, and is $2.79. I can only get little 5gal tanks, which means numerous tedious trips to the gas station, and the fumes could cause an explosion if not properly sealed.

For that reason I own 2 kubota's that are diesel and get much more use out of them than my gas machines. My old craftman lawn mower drank 2 gallons of gas to mow my lawn, where my kubota diesel does it on a half gallon at most.
 
They don't make them because the factories don't want to because if they would they could not sell their overpriced diesel models.
 
If a brand new 35 horse diesel tractor cost X, I wonder how much cheaper a gas version of the same caliber would cost?
 
(quoted from post at 17:10:48 09/19/17) I can get off road diesel for $1.99/gal in my 55g drums from my trailer into my garage, and not have it be an explosion liability.

Gasoline doesn't offer a road-tax-free variant, and is $2.79. I can only get little 5gal tanks, which means numerous tedious trips to the gas station, and the fumes could cause an explosion if not properly sealed.

For that reason I own 2 kubota's that are diesel and get much more use out of them than my gas machines. My old craftman lawn mower drank 2 gallons of gas to mow my lawn, where my kubota diesel does it on a half gallon at most.

You can do 55 gal rums of gas and I'm pretty sure you'll get a refund on the taxes, I know I do. And gas doesn't "explode" anymore than diesels does. They both burn. Lets stick to reality.
 
(quoted from post at 23:20:02 09/19/17) If a brand new 35 horse diesel tractor cost X, I wonder how much cheaper a gas version of the same caliber would cost?

Probably not a penny!
 
My accountant files for the tax back on gas and diesel I use,and if you check the price of fuel and its 20 cent a gallon tax most of the time it won't be 20 cent difference
between on road and off road fuel companies pocket the difference and I'd rather have the auto diesel in the first place better fuel than off road.
 

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