Very nice Jere :thanku:!!! Now I wounder how that compares to the diesels fuel use?

I have that information, but not in a spread sheet. I have been tracking the fuel use of my x748 since March, the 1 year anniversary of purchase. I will post the results when the year is up. One thing I have found is it's very hard to be accurate when tracking one tank at a time. It's hard to add 5 gallons of fuel at the exact same time in a 6.5 gallon tank. I have added fuel 5 gallons at a time, hours per tank has varied from 5.8 to 7.8. Some of that is from working it harder, but some is from adding fuel a little sooner or later.

I haven't had any snow, haven't used the tractor much in the last couple of months. So far, since March, I have used the tractor 66.5 hours, and have used 50 gallons of fuel. That comes to .752 gallons per hour, or 1.33 hours per gallon. Plowing snow works the tractor less than mowing, so if anything, I expect the fuel usage to drop a little.

8086bruce said:

Very nice Jere :thanku:!!! Now I wounder how that compares to the diesels fuel use?

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That looks very good Jere. Thanks!

Andy - note his spreadsheet allows for variable amounts of fuel being added (4.0, 4.5, 4.8, 5.0). You could add 4.0 on one day when the tank would only take 4.0 then a week later add the remaining 1.0 gallons before heading to refill the tank. As long as you log the 1.0 gallons with the hours on the hours on the meter (date is nice too) it will all work out.

Andy is right, it is hard to be accurate on a tank at a time, and that might be as much responsible for my individual tank usage difference as my perception of what my tractor was called on that week. I too used a 5 gallon can, but almost always filled my trimming mower from the can once per fill. But, after tipping 54+ gallons in the tank, and very precisely running it 56.7 hours, my potential per tank inaccuracy is nicely averaged out. And, no doubt the diesel engine will be more efficient per gallon. FWIW, I did not base my purchase decision on fuel efficiency, but I don't have any issue with anyone who did.

And, finally, the inside of my garage cabinet door is a handy log, but I don't have a cabinet door with built in calculations and graphing (yet)

andyb said:

I have that information, but not in a spread sheet. I have been tracking the fuel use of my x748 since March, the 1 year anniversary of purchase. I will post the results when the year is up. One thing I have found is it's very hard to be accurate when tracking one tank at a time. It's hard to add 5 gallons of fuel at the exact same time in a 6.5 gallon tank. I have added fuel 5 gallons at a time, hours per tank has varied from 5.8 to 7.8. Some of that is from working it harder, but some is from adding fuel a little sooner or later.

. . ..

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Good stuff, Jere! I'm surprised it's hovering around 1 gph -- that engine must be very efficient for its power output.

Andy is following his consumption in the 1.1 liter Yanmar diesel, and a new 1023e owner has offered to follow consumption of his 0.9 liter Minimax Yanmar diesel. (But it would be more useful to have an X74x owner follow Minimax consumption, so it's apples-to-apples.)

Thanks, and keep the updates coming!

I plan on tracking it for a full year, so the amount per fill up isn't important, it will all average out in the end. I only use this can for my x748, and always put exactly 5 gallons in the can at the pump. I'll post a spread sheet if I can figure out how, but I don't have the dates for each fill-up.

POENY said:

That looks very good Jere. Thanks!

Andy - note his spreadsheet allows for variable amounts of fuel being added (4.0, 4.5, 4.8, 5.0). You could add 4.0 on one day when the tank would only take 4.0 then a week later add the remaining 1.0 gallons before heading to refill the tank. As long as you log the 1.0 gallons with the hours on the hours on the meter (date is nice too) it will all work out.

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Both my Kawasaki engines average about 1 gph the 590 on my 345 a little less and the 620 on the 425 a little more but I am sure the newer ones are more efficent as they do run leaner on the newer model's.

Good information! Thanks for posting!!!!

Fuel efficiency alone isn't a great reason to buy a diesel. Fuel prices vary, use of off road diesel will help, but according to today's pump prices here (gas $3.24, diesel $3.64) and our fuel consumption numbers, fuel cost in my x748 is $.33 less an hour than your x728. I paid around $900 extra for the diesel, so it would take over 2,700 hours to break even. Right now, there seems to be a bigger difference in gas and diesel prices than normal, last summer gas was $3.55, diesel was $3.75. With those numbers it would still take over 1,600 hours to break even.

Jere39 said:

I did not base my purchase decision on fuel efficiency, but I don't have any issue with anyone who did.

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I'm not debating the fuel efficiency trade offs. As I stated, fuel efficiency did not factor into my purchase decision. But, as a student of math, I'm confused by your numbers.

I calculated .95 gallons per hour for my x728 for the past 9 months. At your gas price of $3.24/gallon, I am burning ~$3.078 of gas per hour. Your reported consumption of .752 gallons diesel per hour at $3.64 looks like about $2.91 per hour. Closer to 17¢ per hour more efficient than 33¢.

andyb said:

Fuel efficiency alone isn't a great reason to buy a diesel. Fuel prices vary, use of off road diesel will help, but according to today's pump prices here (gas $3.24, diesel $3.64) and our fuel consumption numbers, fuel cost in my x748 is $.33 less an hour than your x728. I paid around $900 extra for the diesel, so it would take over 2,700 hours to break even. Right now, there seems to be a bigger difference in gas and diesel prices than normal, last summer gas was $3.55, diesel was $3.75. With those numbers it would still take over 1,600 hours to break even.

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When I purchased my X728, my dealer told me the biggest reason people go with either diesels or gassers is what they are comfortable with and what they already have. This is great info though, thanks for taking the time to figure it all up and post.

Adam

My calculations agreed with yours on the cost per hour for your tractor, but for mine, .752 gallons per hour at $3.64, I came up with $2.74 per hour ( I'm using a cheap calculator, could be wrong ). Either way, we both agree that fuel consumption alone doesn't justify the extra cost of a diesel.

I'm really glad that you are tracking your fuel usage also. It's interesting that we both started at the same time. I think our tractor usage is similar, we both have the 62" deck, 54" blade, a vacuum cart, and spreader. I've looked for information on the fuel usage of the tractors, but I think our info will be the best available.:fing32:

Jere39 said:

I'm not debating the fuel efficiency trade offs. As I stated, fuel efficiency did not factor into my purchase decision. But, as a student of math, I'm confused by your numbers.

I calculated .95 gallons per hour for my x728 for the past 9 months. At your gas price of $3.24/gallon, I am burning ~$3.078 of gas per hour. Your reported consumption of .752 gallons diesel per hour at $3.64 looks like about $2.91 per hour. Closer to 17¢ per hour more efficient than 33¢.

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No Andy, it's not your calculator, but my paper and pencil that flunked. Sorry, I used the diesel price you quoted from last summer.

Anyway, I guess we must have been reading the same discussion on here and started logging fuel consumption about the same time. I started at the nice round number of 100 hours. I expected to hit 200 hours this summer for the big maintenance action. But, without snow, I may not get there till Fall.

I started at 90 hours, when my tractor was exactly one year old. Unless we get some snow soon, I won't get close to 90 this year.

I agree, I think you guys are going to be providing some of the best info available. And it's interesting that you both started about the same time/hours on your engine. Although you were both "broken in" when you started recording, I wouldn't be surprised if your fuel economy improves as the engines get some more wear on them.

I wish someone with an X748/9 Minimax engine would consider stepping up when they hit 50 or 100 hours and begin recording fuel consumption in the same manner you guys are doing.

andyb said:

......I've looked for information on the fuel usage of the tractors, but I think our info will be the best available.:fing32:

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Good info both of you (Jere and Andy). :thanku:and :thanku:

Not that it impacts fuel usage but here, in mostly snow free WNY, we are usually honored with some of the highest fuel prices around. Diesel was $4.05 / gallon at the pump today - the regular on road stuff. Regular gas is $3.60:crybaby:and:banghead3:banghead3:banghead3.

I guess I could add this although it isn't so much about fuel consumption .

I use a 5 gallon can and add stabil to it per what stabil recommends.

Its always the cheapest gas available.

I only put 8.3 hours per year on the x728 so I have older gas in it pretty much all the time.

I did the yearly maintenance on it a couple of days ago, so I warmed it up good and it idles perfect and runs perfect any where on the throttle, but I always use stabil, with this tractor all you have to do is just touch the key and the electronic fuel injection fires it up instantly.

Anyway probably wasn't worth mentioning, but what the heck.

I got it in January 2010.

Rob

I reread this post of mine last night and realized it was kind of stupid on my part, but by that time the edit feature was gone, sorry guys.

Rob

rubadub said:

I guess I could add this although it isn't so much about fuel consumption .

I use a 5 gallon can and add stabil to it per what stabil recommends.

Its always the cheapest gas available.

I only put 8.3 hours per year on the x728 so I have older gas in it pretty much all the time.

I did the yearly maintenance on it a couple of days ago, so I warmed it up good and it idles perfect and runs perfect any where on the throttle, but I always use stabil, with this tractor all you have to do is just touch the key and the electronic fuel injection fires it up instantly.

Anyway probably wasn't worth mentioning, but what the heck.

I got it in January 2010.

Rob

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Well Rob, it helped me. It got me thinking that with how little we run this old 110, I should definitely be using some fuel stabilizer. I have Stabil and will put it in next time I add gas. I guess a carb is a bit more forgiving than fuel injection, but it can't hurt.

rubadub said:

I reread this post of mine last night and realized it was kind of stupid on my part, but by that time the edit feature was gone, sorry guys.

Rob

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