LP vs gas engines

Charlie M · Dec 19, 2012

What was the purpose of LP fuel engines in the older tractors vs gasoline engines. Was it cheaper than gasoline in those days?

Mike M · Dec 19, 2012

It was cheap and plentiful in some areas back then and even this summer too.

Russ from MN · Dec 19, 2012

I always heard it was a byproduct of refining and there was more supply than demand. I think distillate was the same way, before the cracking process was developed refineries had more different products. During WW2 the demand for gasoline was so high they learned how to make more of a single product from crude oil.

Russ from MN · Dec 19, 2012

I understand the reason the price came down so much is they have learned how to make LP out of nat gas, and we have a surplus of that.

jackinok · Dec 19, 2012

yes it was cheaper in lots of places,especialy the midwest and still is. And they still make a lot of sense in some cases. one thing that helped tractors were they often came from the factory as propane engines, with higher compression pistons and things. a auto that was simply converted to propane often lost effeciency so the gain in lower fuel costs was often offset by less mileage.

Meangreen · Dec 19, 2012

I believe the LPs also run at a higher compression than gas.

KIP in MX · Dec 19, 2012

In NM, LP used to be a half to a third the price of gasoline. More tractors, cotton pickers, windrowers, pump engines, etc using LP than gas or diesel until the mid 70's where I grew up. All of our pickups then where straight LP or dual fuel.

Heat Houser · Dec 19, 2012

Quick comparison at todays prices.
Fuel burn is from external_link
JD 4010 as it was offered and tested with all 3 fuels.
Full load fuel burn per hour was used as was current prices from the local coop.
Gas
7.2 gallons X $3.37 = 24.26 per hour
LP
9.2 gallons X $1.25 = $11.50
Diesel
5.6 gallons X $3.52 = $19.71

Anonymous-0 · Dec 19, 2012

And you didn't need to worry about some b@st@rd siphoning your fuel,if you left your machine out in the field.

Bill in Colo · Dec 19, 2012

When I was in the Army at Ft Sill Ok 66- 68 Lp gas was about 8 cents delivered to the farms in the area.
Where I live Colorado we could never buy Lp for less than 25 cents so was not used as a tractor fuel.

LP vs gas engines

Charlie M

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Mike M

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Russ from MN

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Russ from MN

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jackinok

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Meangreen

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KIP in MX

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Heat Houser

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Anonymous-0

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Bill in Colo

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