Fuel oil diesel Fuel

Guess I'm getting old & forgetful, but can't remember if I've ever came across this before. I have a friend that's getting rid of his fuel oil furnace & has offered me what's in his tank (about 65 gals.) Question is, can I mix it with my diesel in my tank. Right now I have about 225 gals in mine. Don't think it'll hurt but would like you guy's opinion before I screw something up. With the cost of fuel it would be a big help if I could, but would be a BIG hurt if it messes up one of the tractors. All my tractors are older with an 80 Massey 255 being the newest. Keith

Fuel oil is diesel fuel,, If I remember right its Number 1 diesel. Ether way mixing it with yours wont bother a thing.

Go ahead use it. Same stuff. Might be ok to have an extra filter or 2 around.

That's what I was thinking, but I figured better to be safe than sorry. Thanks guys I appreciate the input. Keith

I would error to the safe side and use the salvaged fuel in and oil furnace or other heating equipment. Anyone's guess what kind of crap will come out of that old tank. One set of fuel filters on your diesel and you'll be asking yourself why you did that.

All tanks have C-rap in them. unless their fiberglass or something. Most every farm tank has enough rust in the bottom to choke a horse. Just drain or syphon slowly and dont move the tank before you remove the fuel. Dont try to get the last drop or you will pay for it later. You know Common Sense stuff.

Do what you think is best. Won't affect me either way.

I've done it, never was a problem. Go ahead and do it.

I've changed the fuel filters on our 285 and it wasn't hard at all. Surely nothing to be afraid of.

Donovan from Wisconsin

It's the same juice, Keith.

Quit frettin' 'bout it. :>)

Allan

It's the same juice, Keith.

Quit frettin' 'bout it. :>)

Allan

All I can add is what I do with my diesel tanks every 6 or 7 years. I move the suck pipe over to the far (low end of the tanks) and after installing a new water separating filter on the pump, I draw out every bit of fuel in those tanks. I do this in the fall and I let that fuel set in an unheated machine shed until it gets down to about 20 below zero for a few days and then pump out the fuel. Upon close examination, I have never experienced dirt or water in that fuel. Over the years that has kept my storage tanks clean and saved many $$$. Just be careful and, of course, I have Wisconsin winter on my side for once.

Keith I see some of the guys are using the old wives tale, fuel oil is the same as diesel fuel. It is not. Fuel oil is designed for a fuel oil furnace shot thru an oriface in an open combustion chamber. Will it hurt your equiptment, probably not, especially since you are going to blend it with more good fuel. Leave the bottom 3 or 4 inches in the tank. I have had to clean these out, after 20 years of sitting, if the tank has not been cleaned, there will be that much black crap in there.

The fuel oil is all that has ever been used in my 1978 Diesel tractor which I purchased new. No problem.

It's not going to hurt anything so long as you get CLEAN fuel and not a pile of water and rust. I'd just pump off the top down to ~4" or so left in the tank and then dispose of that. Make sure you filter it.

That said, furnace oil is generally considered #2. Stove oil is #1. Summer diesel is approximately #2 for weight and winter diesel is approximately #1 in weight.
The difference is that today diesel has the sulfur removed down to 15 PPM. Furnace oil is still around 5000 ppm and quite often what's sold for stove oil around here is #2 furnace that's cut with Kerosene and they call it Furnace Lite.

Diesel also has a considerable additive package of system lubricants and cetane improvers that improve the fuel's ignition quality. Basically... the engine will start easier and run cleaner on diesel. Since furnace oil has a higher flash point it will make the tractor harder to start and it will produce a white/bluish smoke when it's not working hard.
I didn't have any problems when the engine got warm but I also keep 88 degree C thermostats in all my tractors... so that does keep them hot enough to burn clean.
I've done this in the past 2 years side by side so I can guarantee you that diesel is a different product.

You will also notice that if you have an engine with bad injectors, bad valves, bad rings or otherwise low compression on some or all cylinders... the furnace oil will make it show IMMEDIATELY.
You need a strong engine to burn the stuff.

Rod

A neighbor of mine has been fueling his tractors out of the heating oil tank since the 70's.

I ran diesel in an apartment furnace for 2 weeks before I was moving out, as my supplier at the time had a 150 gallon minimum to deliver.

I don't think there's a substantial difference between them.

Furnace oil has red dye in it.Stay off the hiway with red fuel.

In the far north of Ontario undyed fuel oil is sold for diesel because the lower flash point makes for easier starting in subzero temps.

Fuel oil is a term that describes both heating oil and diesel fuel.

There is a differance between them legaly.
Heating oil has NO Cetane or Ash standards. The cloud point and pour point are also differant between the two.
Then you get into the differant grades of each such as #1 or #2. You have to also consider that diesel can be sold as heating oil since it is a higher grade. Lots of time this is what happens because of tank restrictions.

Basically diesel fuel is heating oil refined to tighter guidlines and with extra additives.

While I would not use heating oil full time in a diesel motor a small amount mixed into a tank is not going to hurt anything.