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Most fuel efficient tractors??

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550Doug

09-03-2005 15:59:28




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Which tractors, in your experience, are the most fuel efficient? This means any color, any size and any fuel. For example, the Ford 8N is very miserly for its size as well as the Oliver 1650 Diesel for its size. Which other tractors are also miserly??
Thanks




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Hurst

09-04-2005 09:06:44




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 What about Allis Chalmers??? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
For over 100 hp, I couldn't beat the Allis 301 diesels. The turbo models of this engine could beat any engine in its class during its day. When they introduced it in the mid 60s, it was by far one of the most economical engines on the market and could easily put out 120+hp. I own a '79 7000 with a 301 diesel turbo. It can put out about 115hp. I use it on a 20 ft batwing and burn around 2 to 2 1/2 gallons and hour. My other favorite for economy is my NH TN 65, it can run a square baler in the afternoon and the manuar spreader in the morning for 2 days on one tank (14 gallons). That is hard to beat there too. And then the old gasser 140 farmalls, even for a gasser, they will get better than any of our diesels. We use ours to pull a 163 NH tedder (15ft tedder) and working it hard, it will burn no more than a gallon an hour at most.

Hurst

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Rich Iowa

09-04-2005 05:33:54




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
I thought the Oliver 1800 series gasser was one of the most efficiant in its class when it was introduced. Am I correct, I remember reading that somewhere. Of course, with fuel the way it is now, I don"t think I"d want to plow or disk all month with one, OUCH. Rich



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Don-Wi

09-03-2005 22:48:56




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
We've got a Massey 285 w/ the perkins 318 4 cyl., get very good economy out of it. We've also got an 1855 Oliver deisel, ran it on the plow almost all day this spring and only used about 3/4 tank. That's pretty good in my book. The 285 does all the haying; cutting, rakeing, baleing, hauling etc... The 1855 does the plowing, tillage, chopping, etc...

My 1600 gasser I just got running...well,... lets not go there..... .
Donovan from Wisconsin

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Joe Evans

09-03-2005 21:30:03




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
Here's the poop. These are table I've derived from the hp*hrs/gal figures of the Nebraska Tests. The Perkins diesels are the undisputed champs. Individual tractor champ is the JD720D.

Case???

Check out the link.



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mike brown

09-04-2005 14:05:36




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to Joe Evans, 09-03-2005 21:30:03  
I think those figures are horsepower hours per pound fuel consumed. the 720D (730D was not tested,same engine) held the record until the Deere 1650 (yanmar) squeeked out a couple hundredths better score in the early eighties.



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Joe Evans

09-05-2005 05:44:11




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to mike brown, 09-04-2005 14:05:36  
Why are you converting the units of what Nebraska used from gallons to pounds?? It is what it is.

For a JD720/730D, the formula says: "for every 17.97 BHP, the 720 will consume 1 gallon of diesel per hour." So if you were able to max out the 720 so that it developed its full horsepower for an hour, it will burn 3.17 gallons of fuel.

This doesn't happen in the real world, that it, working a tractor at max. Loads vary all the time when they work.

Matt: 'twas not hard for me to admit that. All the IH stuff is pretty efficient, but they don't have any "champs". By the way, all of the JD 2-cyl diesels are right at the top in fuel efficiency. John Deere's corporate fuel averages went down when they adopted the 4-cylinders in 1960.

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720Deere

09-04-2005 14:57:39




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to mike brown, 09-04-2005 14:05:36  
I'm not sure that's the case. If the 720 made roughly 17 hp/lb of fuel per hour then at full load it would use only 3.5 lbs of fuel or around 1/2 gallon per hr. If you look at it the other way, max load would be 3.5 gallons per hour. A little more realistic than 0.5 gallons per hour. My experience has been that at a moderate load, a 720 will use about 1.5 to 2 gallons per hour.



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720Deere

09-04-2005 05:36:50




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to Joe Evans, 09-03-2005 21:30:03  
That must have been tough to admit to for red guy like you!



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cdmn

09-03-2005 21:07:01




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
Just remember,"Perfection is very close to disaster". The most efficient system may be tweaked so far that any little disturbance could cause it to break down and run worse than something else.
> In general, it's the inefficiencies that make life bearable. That's why a lot of people remember the 50's with pleasure. Perfect machines, as well as high class women, require constant maintenance, and except for someone like Onassis, are more expensive than most can afford.

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RAB

09-04-2005 01:45:30




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to cdmn, 09-03-2005 21:07:01  
cdmn,
Right on the button! One must consider the whole package.
Mind you the cheapest tractor to run is maybe one of those lised here. Breaks down, can"t get parts, so left standing to eventually seize up. Now very cheap to run - as an ornament!!
Regards, RAB



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kyhayman

09-03-2005 20:30:34




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
Most effiecient I've ever owned was a 990 Case/DB closely folled by a 1210 of the same parentage. Either one would roll hay all day and couldnt hardly put 2 cans of diesel in them. Worst I ever had was a 4030 JD gas, would blow 100 gallons of 92 octane gasoline in a day easy.



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RodinNS

09-03-2005 19:47:55




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 Re:Statistically speaking..... in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
The Deere 720 Diesel, tested in 1956 set a fuel economy record for it's time at 16.6hp-hr/gal.
In more recent times, the leaders have often been Deutz, along with the Massey 230, and some other Perkins powered tractors. Deere had a few others at the top. There's also a smattering of larger CaseIH stuff, powered by Cummins on the top of the lists. I don't have a real current book of tests, but from what I remember, the most efficient tractor ever tested at nebraska was the Ford 8870, which was the first tractor to crack the 20.00hp-hr/gal. It was promoted quite heavily at the time as I recall. That said, those are only numbers, taken at a full rated speed pull on the dyno. Some will do better, and some will do worse relative to power output, depending on engine speed. That said, I've found that my 4000 will generally burn about 1 gal/hour doing most jobs. It's always been quite efficient for it's size. However, one point that is often overlooked on modern tractors is the amount of oil they pump. They pump and pump and pump, and that costs money. Large parasitic losses. The old tractors like the 4000 didn't move much oil, and it covers some of the sins of their engine inefficiencies. The newer engines are generally more efficient. For what it's worth....

Rod

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Hugh MacKay

09-03-2005 19:05:29




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
Doug: I think you missed the real good small tractors, the 8N wont hold a candle to those little 3 cylinder diesels like M-F 35 or 135, Ford 3000. I suspect several of the small gassers will do better than the 8N.

In the 60 hp class the Oliver or Cockshutt 1650 are good but no better than Farmall 656 or Deere 3020. My Farmall 656 would run 9' haybine on one gal per hour. I know the Oliver, Cockshutt and Deere will all give it a hard run on fuel economy.

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JiminIA

09-03-2005 18:35:17




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
I ahve a mF 3165 backhoe that you can dig and run it hard all day on a couple gallons, my 1066 drinks like it is going out of style...oh wait it is, my new McCormick doesent seem as good as I thought it would be for a new electronicly controlled engine, but I have not really put the numbers on paper yet....I IMHO many of the perkins 4 cyl. are about the best...Jim



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JiminIA

09-03-2005 18:35:20




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
I ahve a mF 3165 backhoe that you can dig and run it hard all day on a couple gallons, my 1066 drinks like it is going out of style...oh wait it is, my new McCormick doesent seem as good as I thought it would be for a new electronicly controlled engine, but I have not really put the numbers on paper yet....I IMHO many of the perkins 4 cyl. are about the best...Jim



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J. Schwiebert

09-03-2005 18:30:16




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
When you get to larger tractors you talk how much fuel per acre not how much fuel per hour.



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JR in Tx

09-03-2005 18:19:24




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
I have a ford 3000 diesel and it will cut hay for five hours and use about two and half gallons running at 1800 rpm. I would like to have another. My geat-uncle bought this one new in 1970 and it is still running good.



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farmallbee

09-03-2005 18:18:37




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
of course no lift, no hydraulics, no power steering, little horse power, in essence it may not be a tractor at all! ha ha ha but I can rake hay with the one I have almost all season on a tank of gas.



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Yugrotcart

09-03-2005 17:51:59




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
Hmmmm, count my W6 out..... ..
I have 30 acres to plow, hate to think what that will cost.



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Chuck S.

09-03-2005 18:03:40




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to Yugrotcart, 09-03-2005 17:51:59  
Is this the same qestion as in earler post. I think it would be hard to beat a Deutz 68 or72 06 tractor, at app. 1 to 1.5 gph.



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Mike(inWisc)

09-03-2005 16:34:24




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
John Deere 730 Diesel. Made from 1958-1960. Has modern hydraulics, power steering, and three point. Excellent three plow tractor that won't consume more than 2 1/2 gallons of fuel when working hard.



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Rod in Smiths Falls, ON,

09-03-2005 16:11:35




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to 550Doug, 09-03-2005 15:59:28  
The Massey Ferguson 35 with a Perkins diesel might belong on your list. It has a four gallon tank.



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Ol Chief

09-03-2005 19:12:10




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to Rod in Smiths Falls, ON, , 09-03-2005 16:11:35  
I do not know about todays tractors,but the CASE line held the overall fuel economy banner on Nebraska Tests for many years up to 1965.



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edchainsaw

09-05-2005 21:56:00




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to Ol Chief, 09-03-2005 19:12:10  
our 35mf had a larger tank than 3 gal...


ok I have kept track of this stat for years..

the 720JD held the record from its introduction up till sometime in the mid1980's... (yanmar dont count in my book--does a 12hp lawn mower in yours)


sometime in the 90's JD retook the mantel and promply lost it to the MAGNUM IH"s.... back and forth this went with each companies latest introductions.. up till the JD 8000 series and from the stats I have read for the past 10 yrs JD engines hold HP-HRS/gal records now that is decieveing... since a 250hp tractor burns 15gal/hr when developing max HP...

but remember thats 250HP! not 50 as in the 720's... so a 720 at (wasnt it 16hp-hr/gal)
versus the 8410 at (somethign like 17.3 hp-hr/gal ) {just aproximatly ok folks}


50/16 is about 3 gal/hr
250/17.3 is about 16 ga/hr..
so what I am saying is what TYPE OF APPLE are you after (apple or orange question)

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edchainsaw

09-05-2005 21:57:48




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 Re: Most fuel efficient tractors?? in reply to edchainsaw, 09-05-2005 21:56:00  
OH wait just needed to add...

we've owned about 15 perkins engined tractors.... and NONE were very economical that I knew of... they put to much smoke out the top....



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