on vs off road diesel fuel

[FA_WRX]

Hello,

Recently bought a new Kubota RTV. The manual lists low sulfur diesel be used. The question I have is would it be better to use ON or OFF road diesel? I'm not sure if there is much difference between the two other than one is dyed and might be a higher sulfur rating.

 

[John_Conrad]

we keep off road diesel for just that, striclty off road use of tractors and other equipment not on the road. i have been stopped and had my diesel tested on the road by state patrol who is checking to make sure we are not running off road diesel on our on road vehicles.

long story short, on road, use on road diesel.

 

[krismoriah72]

On road diesel is dyed green.

Off road diesel is dyed red.

Both should be at or near ULSD... your manual says LSD.

Your question is which one is better? The tank with the freshest fuel.

 

[ragtoplvr]

Die test is no joke, and last I knew the fine is big. The tester can pick up very dilute red die...So the old strategy of when i go to the stock yard I will fill it with on road does not work. Oh and filtering out the die using ??? also fails.

If you arouse suspicion, they will even shine black light on the engine to see if any has ever spilled.

Rod

 

[CT8]

Dye is the difference.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

I have a tractor with a Yanmar 3cyl diesel, for as little fuel as it uses I fuel it with Top Tier premium on road diesel from the pumps at the Co-op which get refueled frequently.

I can get offroad diesel at the pump around here at a few places, but im not sure if its top tier and I do not know how much fuel they go thru. The offroad diesel isnt that much cheaper where I can buy it at the pump than onroad top tier diesel.

The Co-op has premium offroad diesel fuel, but it is not availiable at the pump. No need for a fuel tank at our place.

 

[John_Conrad]

we keep 2 tanks, one for on road and one for off road.

 

[y_p_w]

Is there really that much of a difference? There shouldn't be, but aren't some sources just #2 fuel oil, which may not have the same requirements as low sulfur diesel?

 

[John_Conrad]

green label is on road and red label is off road, but we all know that.

in the winter we may run strictly the green fuel in everything, just in case if there is a difference, but i doubt.

it's mainly just a tax thing i believe.

 

[Lyman]

Green is taxed red is not. That's the only difference.

 

[LubricatusObsess]

It is the exact same fuel except the red dye added to the off-road fuel. Why? You pay less taxes for the off-road fuel because you aren't using a vehicle on the road, therefore aren't subject to fuel tax to pay to fix the road.

A decade earlier, they were different fuels. The off-road had higher sulfur content and by default, higher energy content (less heavy ends stripped out), and was cheaper to make as well. EPA mandated identical low sulfur limits by 2010.

If you don't fill up often, you don't save much. Guys running bulldozers do.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by LubricatusObsess
It is the exact same fuel except the red dye added to the off-road fuel. Why? You pay less taxes for the off-road fuel because you aren't using a vehicle on the road, therefore aren't subject to fuel tax to pay to fix the road.

A decade earlier, they were different fuels. The off-road had higher sulfur content and by default, higher energy content (less heavy ends stripped out), and was cheaper to make as well. EPA mandated identical low sulfur limits by 2010.

If you don't fill up often, you don't save much. Guys running bulldozers do.

There's nothing preventing the use of taxed diesel for off-highway use. I say off-highway because it would be perfectly legal to use untaxed diesel on construction equipment or other off-highway uses. I believe it's even used in diesel generators.

I know of one application where taxed diesel is used for an off-highway use. The Disneyland Railroad reportedly uses B98 biodiesel, with most of the base oils coming from used cooking oils from their restaurants. They've opted to use taxed diesel for the remaining 2%.

 

[jhellwig]

Not one single bit of difference anymore except the red dye. When they first started lowering sulfur levels there was a difference in allowed sulfer content.

This is what happens...

When I have to help this guy fix the red dye system.