[thebanjoman]

Why did Deere put such a small gas tank on their L series tractors???

What should the expected fuel use for an L130 per acre??

23HP Kohler V-twin.

I know its a tough call with many factors but stopping to fill up 3 times to cut my 2 acres is really startiung to get annoying.

That and the fact that my wife won't ever look at the gas gauge and will just run it till it stops, call me and I have to stop and 'schlep' the can down to fuel it up again, which is ALWAYS at the far end of the yard.

I had a much larger tank in my old craftsman and could complete the yard.

Any idea if a larger tank could be added or an AUX tank be attached?

Been thinking of buying a 5 gal fuel cell and making brackets to hang in the holes at the back to give me greater capacity just so we could do the yard without having to stop all the time.

We've been extremely happy with this new (to us) tractor, it cuts well but the constant refueling has been the only problem I haven't been able to rectify. I bought the adjustabe tie rods, fixed the toe-in and she can now drive it much easier.

 

[AnotherHickey]

Yeah, why is it that the tractors always run out at the bottom of the hill furthest away from the house? I hate that walk.

 

[greenmachine]

The LA-series got the option of a 4-gallon tank sometime during the 2007 model year. I say "option" because it's not compliant with California emission standards and therefore not sold there. Mine is an early 2007 model so I didn't get it, and I have never researched if it's possible to upgrade to that tank. If you talk to the dealer and get the details, please let us know!

 

[thebanjoman]

Yeah, why is it that the tractors always run out at the bottom of the hill furthest away from the house? I hate that walk.

Equally, should the question be asked...

Why, with a fuel gauge (a window on the tank, not a true gauge) does she just run the tractor till it runs out when she could just look, and drive back to the house when it needs fuel instead of making me walk with the can??

I'm stopping by the dealer on the way home tonight so I'll ask if there is an option for a larger tank.

 

[ccsial]

Equally, should the question be asked...

Why, with a fuel gauge (a window on the tank, not a true gauge) does she just run the tractor till it runs out when she could just look, and drive back to the house when it needs fuel instead of making me walk with the can??

I'm guess'in you'll never win that one.

 

[FrankMA]

Put a sign up at about the 3/4 mark of your yard that says "fill gas tank now".
It'll either help or land you in the dog house for being insensitive. :duh:

 

[thebanjoman]

The LA-series got the option of a 4-gallon tank sometime during the 2007 model year. I say "option" because it's not compliant with California emission standards and therefore not sold there. Mine is an early 2007 model so I didn't get it, and I have never researched if it's possible to upgrade to that tank. If you talk to the dealer and get the details, please let us know!

Specifications for ALL the L series L100-L130 list a 2.1 gallon tank.

The LA series list a 4gallon tank (Except Calif).

I bet the LA series tank would fit but will confirm with the dealer and report back on this.

2.1 gals is just nuts..

 

[thebanjoman]

Put a sign up at about the 3/4 mark of your yard that says "fill gas tank now".
It'll either help or land you in the dog house for being insensitive. :duh:

Won't be the first, and certainly not the last time I get accused of being insensitive..:duh:

 

[davidg]

you need to tell her to mow faster. my L130 goes thru about 1 gallon per hour at WOT. it takes me 2-2.5 tanks(depends on how tall the grass is) to cut 4 acres, and i go almost full ground speed the whole time.

 

[swreeder]

You might also want to check and make sure you do not have a gas leak. I had a JD SST16 that the seams on the plastic tank went bad.

Took me quite a bit of time to figure out the tank was leaking as it only did it when mowing grass. Sitting still it would not leak, but driving it there was a slow drip that would land on top of the transmission. It doubled the fuel consumption of the tractor!

Easily fixed by replacing the tank.

 

[cold in michigan]

I think you have other problems. My LA145 w/ a 22hp Briggs will still have some gas left over in the 4-gallon tank after cutting my 2.5 acres with very few trees....

You should not be burning 3 gallons per acre.

 

[thebanjoman]

I think you have other problems. My LA145 w/ a 22hp Briggs will still have some gas left over in the 4-gallon tank after cutting my 2.5 acres with very few trees....

You should not be burning 3 gallons per acre.

my 'slew-footed' front end could be adding to this with the additional drag. Seriously the toe-out is very noticeable. Certainly not the answer to my problem but I am getting the adjustable tie rods today on my way home.

I have no accurate count of how much gas I am using, I just know that I fill it when I start mowing and stop to fill it twice along the way so I don't totally run out (like somebody else I know..). I've never tried to run the complete yard filling up twice, too paranoid of being guilty of the same things I scream about.

I guess I need an accurate account of the amount of fuel I am using. We have also had a lot of rain and with my work schedule I may be letting the grass get longer than I should and making the engine work harder, thus using more fuel.

Either way, 2.1 gallons is a really small tank for a 23HP V-TWIN no matter how you look at it. My thoughts are of it was 'adequate' then they wouldn't have upgraded the tank to 4 gals for the LA series.

 

[1086]

If my wife would mow I'd make sure the tank was full, the oil checked, the seat dusted and the complete tractor wiped down.

Then tell her -"Honey, we have a gas guzzler so I'll be back out in bout an hour with gas can and cold drink in hand. Just pull up beside this round guy that looks similar to a gas pump, have a seat over there in the shade and I'll fill er up, you won't even need your credit card".:sidelaugh

 

[LLigetfa]

If my wife would mow...

Back when I had a push mower the neighbor came over to see my new wood chipper. That ain't no wood chipper... it's the wife clearing brush.

She bent so many cranks and sheared so many flywheel keys that I won't let her anywhere near the rider.

 

[1086]

Back when I had a push mower the neighbor came over to see my new wood chipper. That ain't no wood chipper... it's the wife clearing brush.

She bent so many cranks and sheared so many flywheel keys that I won't let her anywhere near the rider.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I always wondered where my neighbor lady moved to. Mystery solved.:sidelaugh

 

[davidg]

Back when I had a push mower the neighbor came over to see my new wood chipper. That ain't no wood chipper... it's the wife clearing brush.

She bent so many cranks and sheared so many flywheel keys that I won't let her anywhere near the rider.

reminds me of my brother. back when we were teens we were cutting the yard at the shop one day. he tried to cut down the 3' diameter oak stump with teh push mower. bent the crank. mower #2 that day he checked the oil, but did not put the cap back on it. he cut about half the back lot before i saw the oil all over him and the mower. how he did nto notice i have no clue. the engine seized shortly afterwards. went and bought a new mower, and by the end of summer he had bent that crank the same way. the next summer my stepdad started hiring out his yard work at the office!

 

[bmac1996acc]

Sounds like you're using a lot of gas to me. I mulch two acres of dense Tif 419 with my L130 and I don't even have to refill. Usually I have a little below half on the sight window. I do mow at least once a week though during the summer. Maybe you have something creating drag like worn deck spindles or wheel bearings. Could be dull blades. Could be cutting off too much grass at once.

 

[jdkubotamurray]

I cut a couple of acres with the GX345 20hp Kaw with 54" with just a bit more than a gallon. I had a L130 with the Kohler for awhile, and it was not gas stingy to be sure. I did like the big tanks of the Husq/Craftsmans, though. The GX has decent size as well.

 

[thebanjoman]

Sounds like you're using a lot of gas to me. I mulch two acres of dense Tif 419 with my L130 and I don't even have to refill. Usually I have a little below half on the sight window. I do mow at least once a week though during the summer. Maybe you have something creating drag like worn deck spindles or wheel bearings. Could be dull blades. Could be cutting off too much grass at once.

The front end had excessive TOE-OUT (over 1") when the wheels were straight. I didn't get a picture but it I could swear I heard the tires scrubbing the asphalt when I would run it. Maybe I'm exaggerating but the front end was a mess. Nothing bent from what I could tell it was just incredibly 'slew-footed' when driving it and it steered terrible. I just put on the adjustable tie rods last evening and the TOE-IN is now 1/4" and it now steers with 2 fingers.

Reducing this drag will help. Will I see it in the gas tank?, probably not but my wife and I feel the steering is 100% better.

When I got the tractor from a neighbor the center spindle was rusted shut and I had to put on a new greaseable one. The other 2 seem to spin freely but I may go back and check them over.

I sharpen the blades about every 5 mows (which at this time of year is a mow about every 3 days with all the rain we've had) and use the mulch cover. There are spots in the yard where I do feel the motor bog a bit with the thicker grass. I just slow down and get through it.

The tractor sat for over 2 years in a garage before I got it (with only 58 hours on it) and I probably should replace the fluid in the transaxle for just sitting but haven't gotten around to it. I replaced the plugs and freed the carb soleniod (bad gas) and fired it up. Probably should replace the air filter too just to help with effficiency.

When I stopped at the parts counter to get the tie rods I inquired about an LA gas tank (4 gals) in the L (2.1 gals) and they looked at me as if I was from MARS and just said. "We show no upgrades or replacement part numbers for a gas tank on your tractor so just enjoy the break you get when you have to fill it up AGAIN.."

So I'll see if there isn't some additional efficiency I can get out of ensuring everthing is properly calibrated and operating like it should.

Maybe over the winter I can get into the larger tank question and see if in fact the 4gal LA tank will fit.

 

[LLigetfa]

I finally got around to replacing my plugs last year and it made a big difference in fuel economy. I switched from Champion to NGK.