off road and on road diesel???? What?

[Brian_B]

OK...here goes. You can laugh all you want, but I want/need to know.

What is the difference between the diesel fuel in the pumps marked off-road only (or non-highway use) and the normal diesel fuel that goes into the pickups?

I have never been around farm equipment or driven a diesel vehicle.

Let the laughter and teasing me commence now.

I need to get a gallon (or so) of it for an experiment my cousin told me about. Sounds dumb, but I will give it a try. It is only a couple of bucks spent.

 

[john112deere]

Mostly...they put red dye in diesel fuel, and don't charge road tax on it. It's illegal to run dyed diesel on the road, because the dye means it was sold without paying tax on it.

I do not believe off-road diesel meets the newest sulfur requirements, either.

(I've also heard third or fourth hand that it's generally slightly lower quality, and even pickups that are 10-15 years old do not run as well on it as on-road diesel, but of course I have no first hand knowledge.

 

[Brian_B]

The dye tells me I need the on road stuff then. I do not need red dye.

I do not care about sulfur or any of that. I am not going to run it in an engine or anything.

Thanks Ian.

 

[Mr. Stroker]

Off road diesel is illegal to use in an ON road vehicle (Semi trucks). Off road pertains to vehicles such as tractors.

Im pretty sure its not a ULSD fuel. I have run Off road diesel in my pops truck (By accident) and it ran exactly the same.

 

[Fellro]

I don't htink it is refined as far, as stated, not ULSD. The dye won't hurt anything, it is strictly to show that it is non- road taxed fuel. It will run the same for the most part, quality wise, it is fine. If it weren't then the tractors, dozers and such would have issues, and there would be upset consumers...

 

[TexasNomad]

While I was doing a job at a fuel depot here I asked a guy that same question.
He said nothing at all its the same Diesel that goes to your gas stations we just dye it red...

 

[1970Custom]

It has a different smell as well (part of the dye)...

 

[tomtoc]

i have nothing valuable to add, just a vote for what everyone else above said.

we've been running ON road diesel in our tractors at my parent's farm. last time we filled the tank at their place with off-road, it lasted like 6 years. that stuff had to be pretty rotten. i just a 5 gallon diesel cans and take it back and forth with me every few weekends.

we're paying more for taxes on the stuff, but we feel better than having a tanker come out with the off-road stuff and letting it sit for years by the time we use it all.
(sorry for the off-topic side story, just crossed my mind)

 

[smokey]

The local feed store sells the Offroad stuff here or at least they used to haven't bought any since the deisel tractor blew up.

 

[john112deere]

Tom...I've filled up tractors with 5-gallon cans of dyed diesel more than any other way.

Run the pickup into town with the 5-gallon cans in the back, fill them from one pump and the pickup tank from the other one. 'Course, that only works if you've got a station nearby that sells the dyed stuff from a pump. Most farming communities do, for the pickup-mounted tanks...

 

[Mr. Stroker]

Or just know someone who owns a farm and for payment of you taking them somewhere, they fill your tank with offroad

 

[smokey]

Just hope you don't get pulled over and have your tanks dipped.

 

[Lost]

Bout Every gas station here has on and off road fuel . Its just dye same same . Been run several times in pinch in 2000 uo F450 (4 miles to station ) . Just fine no difference.

 

[blacksnapon]

Brian, the long and short of it, off road fuel is non taxed fuel, and its dyed to show it. It doesn't have to meet stringent quality standards for taxed fuel either. Thats why some times you can get the same fuel (just dyed) one day, then out of the same pump another time, you get another quality fuel.