Gas is sometimes a better choice now adays for some part-time users. But for a tractor that gets used a lot, a diesel in most cases is a lot cheaper to run. There are a few exceptions, especially if you put a big diesel tractor on a very small load. Some big diesels doing very light work are worse fuel hogs than a correct-sized gas tractor doing the same job.
I got raking hay a few weeks ago with my 300 Deere. Mine is a diesel and the other tractor there was a Deere 300 with the gas engine. My diesel used approx. 1 1/2 gallons of diesel per hour and the gas tractor used 2 1/2 gallons per hour. Right now - here in central New York, diesel is $3.38 per gallon and gasoline is $2.83 per gallon. So, do the math.
Downside to the diesel is the extra costs often involved in repairs and maintenance - and the fact that few "gas engine" mechanics know how to work on injectors and injection pumps. So, they send the stuff out and a $25 repair turns into a $700 repair.
Regardless of the claims that diesels are more simple, they're not. Just happen to have much of the fuel system and ignition system in a cental unit that many do not know how to work on.
A diesel presents more problems to deal with in extreme cold weather. Also needs more battery. As for torque? Many gas engines have exactly the same torque and torque curve when they have the same bore and long stroke. In fact, a gas engine, if equal in bore and stroke to a diesel, will have more power, not less. But, stick a turbo on a diesel and things change.
I'm not trashing diesels. They are by far the best for any serious work. But, for some people and limited useage, they are often more costly overall, not less.
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Today's Featured Article - New Life for an Old Allis - by Tyler Woods. My friend Jon, has an old '39 Allis Chalmers B. He thought it a marginal tractor that had long since served its time. She smoked terribly and never had much power but he couldn't afford another so he was limping along with what he had. Jon's Allis has a small front loader and though it doesn't carry much, it serves his needs. It was the hard starting and low power that made him think it was time to replace the old girl. Jon called me to help him discover why his tractor wouldn't start
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