Farm Fuel Tank Questions

[Rich Riddle]

I purchased a fuel storage tank for diesel gas that looks a lot like these:

Diesel 1.jpg diesel-tanks-2.jpg

The pumps pictured on the tanks appear to be electrical and look similar to this:

Fill Rite.jpg
Growing up in Kansas, many farmers had hand crank models similar to this style.

gpi_rp-10_rotary_hand_pump_123000-06.jpg

1. Is there any great advantage of the electrical style pump or hand crank pump over the other?
2. How does one arrange to get diesel fuel delivered? Filling it by hand five gallons at a time doesn't sound enjoyable or practical.
3. Diesel fuel options include dyed, non-dyed, on-road, off-road, ULS ppm15, ULS ppm15#1, B20 & B50. Which one for tractors and skid steers?
4. The tank on the farm is 28" round by about 62" long. Is that a 150 gallon tank?
5. The tank is missing the plugs on the top side of both ends. One will likely get filled with the pump Where does one find plugs for a tank?
6. The neighbor has a "gauge" on his oil tank for his furnace. Should I purchase one of those instead of a plug?
7. Many farmers place diesel fuel storage tanks next to barns/buildings. Is that acceptable?

The details of starting up a hobby farm never seem to stop. Thanks for your help.

Farmer Rich, soon to be Farmer Poor

[Howard Garner]

2. How does one arrange to get diesel fuel delivered? Filling it by hand five gallons at a time doesn't sound enjoyable or practical.
Call your local fuel oil distributor, he should be able to deliver diesel as well, or talk to other farmers as to their source.

3. Diesel fuel options include dyed, non-dyed, on-road, off-road, ULS ppm15, ULS ppm15#1, B20 & B50. Which one for tractors and skid steers?
Dye = off road and that is what you want. Almost all diesel today is ULS. #2 is normal for every diesel. For winter use add Power Serve to you skid steer tank, reduces the chance of gelling.
If diesel is ordered in the fall, ask if it is winterized or not. Bio is you choice. But check your owners manual. Modern VW diesels are restricted to less then 10% bio

not a farmer but grew up on one and now drive a VW diesel car.
Howard Garner

[Jerome Stanek]

You will need a dike around the tanks that will have to be inspected and approved. The local co op may sell it. The electric pump is faster and when you need to pump 30 to 50 gallons your arm gets tired. If you use it for just your equipment then you can use off road that you don't pay road tax on. If you don't use a lot the diesel will get slimy and plug up your injectors. I would for go the trouble

[John K Jordan]

I have both types of pumps for diesel. I recently was given a 100 gallon tank with an electric pump but have not yet put it in use. It will sit next to my shop. I would not want a gadoline tank near a building.

For years I've used a 55gallon drum with a hand pump for diesel. It is out of the rain under a shed roof. If out in the rain it is difficult to keep water out since water that accumulates on the top can be sucked in around the plug threads as the tank cools.

I think a hand pump is fine for farm use - I have three off-road things that run on diesei and have no problem with the effort of pumping by hand. I might even put a hand pump in my larger tank instead of using the electric. An electric pump is expensive and needs power. Unless you run the equipment a lot the 55 gal tank with a hand pump should be fine. Sure beats lifting 5-gal cans.

Note that regulations may require a building a catch basin below a stationary fuel tank in case of a leak. I suspect big commercial farm operations pay attention to such regulations.

I put my 55 gal drum in the truck and get diesel at any of four fuel depots in the area. It is cheaper that way since you don't have to pay for delivery charges. I use a strap to lift the full drum off the truck with the FEL on the tractor. When I get the 100 gal tank set up I will make two trips or get a second 55 gal drum. Drive up close to the larger tank and pump the fuel into the larger tank with the hand pump. I know several farmers that do this.

Note that most fuel depots will not let you fill plastic 5-gal cans. Since they are the only places to get the dyed fuel with no road tax added, the fuel itself is cheaper that way too. Do not use the cheaper dyed fuel in your on-road diesel truck.

Call around for prices. One of farmers co-ops here will deliver for free if you buy enough but their price per gallon is more.

You can calculate the number of gallons with the volume of a cylinder equation, pi * r * r * h which does't include the volume in the closed ends but will be close.

Finding plugs: Northern Tool, fuel depots, farm stores, those guys that sell used drums, my junk box.

Gauge: might be nice for a big tank. A stick would work too. I gauge my 55 gal drum by rocking it.

JKJ

[Rick Moyer]

Most of your questions have been answered. I will comment that if you have it filled from a local fuel oil distributor, the tank will need a vent rather than a plug. Filling at volume/speed will require venting the air out as fast as filling with fuel. If you're pouring it in by hand it will vent out the fill hole, but that seems laborious to me. I would contact several local distributors and ask about pricing, delivery, etc. to see what you want to do. Really depends upon your usage, tank size, and how much you want to deal with. Generally you'll probably pay more per gallon to have it delivered, but what's that worth to you is your decision. I would say the dimensions you gave are a 150 gal tank. Many oil companies will likely have a minimum delivery amount, which is likely 150 gal, without paying additional fee. I wouldn't think a gauge is necessary if you're willing to put a stick down the hole occasionally, or if you can get by with an empty tank for a few days if you run yourself out. Diesel fuel is diesel fuel, except for gov't regulations and taxes. What I mean is it will all burn pretty much the same. You can use the less expensive (no road tax) off-road dyed diesel, so long as you don't put it in vehicles run on roads/highways. It's all about the road taxes. I wouldn't be concerned about where I put the tank, so long as there aren't regulations. Diesel fuel is oil and not explosive like gasoline (vapors). Try not to spill it on anything, it makes a mess and stinks for a long time. It will also kill grass pretty well. Hope this helps.

[Rich Riddle]

Thanks for all the replies. The man who delivers fuel oil for my neighbor's oil furnace might be a good place to start. He's a very kind gentleman and I don't mind paying him a premium for delivery. He stops by the 87 year-old neighbor's house weekly to make sure the neighbor's doing well and his oil tank isn't low. He even stops there in summer just to chat with the lonely old neighbor. If the neighbor's tank is low and the neighbor isn't home, he simply fills the neighbor's tank and leaves a bill at the door. He never charges the old guy for delivery. There aren't many folks around like him.

[Jim Becker]

I agree to talk with the dude who delivers fuel oil to your neighbor as it's the same thing you need to buy and it might even work out that your consumption fits within his already established delivery schedule. He can top you off at the same time he's delivering next door. I've occasionally considered getting a small tank myself (neighbor heats with oil, so I'd probably ask the same company) but in the end, my consumption isn't enough to justify it.

That said, be absolutely sure you set up the tank so it's in compliance with regulations...as much as jurisdictions are really sticky with plumbing, etc., they can go ape-excrement-batty over fuel oil storage that's not setup to code. That can be very expensive...

[Tom Stenzel]

Howdy Farmer Rich,

The info that the tank is 150 gallons is correct. There's 7.48 gallons in a cubic foot If the dimensions you gave are right your tank calculates to 165 gallons.

Years ago my Father was a one man excavating company. The frontlader/ backhoe was diesel. We found the fuel didn't age well. Don't buy more than you can use in a reasonable amount of time.

-Tom

[Rick Moyer]

Forgot to mention the possible gelling of the fuel at low temps. Simply a matter of using an additive to combat that in the dead of winter. Alternatively you, or the oil company, could just cut the fuel with about 30% kerosene too. Back when I delivered the stuff we would put this "mix" in the outside tanks we delivered to in the winter. It greatly reduced call-outs for gelled lines.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

That said, be absolutely sure you set up the tank so it's in compliance with regulations...as much as jurisdictions are really sticky with plumbing, etc., they can go ape-excrement-batty over fuel oil storage that's not setup to code. That can be very expensive...

Once it leaks, it is very hard to clean up. If it gets into the water table and migrates, you could cause problems for neighbors for a long distance and many years to come.

[Jim Andrew]

Do you have a local coop where you live? They supply just about everything a farmer needs. I had an electric pump, but it went bad, and it was about 550 to replace it, so I got a hand pump at Orshelyn supply. Need the exercise anyway.

[Dave Cav]

My local Co-op has two dyed diesel pumps out back away from the regular fuel pumps, and they will let customers fill up portable containers, but they keep a close eye on the closed circuit camera to make sure it's not going into a vehicle fuel tank. They also sell dyed kerosene, but I'm not sure what anyone uses that for.

I mainly buy zero ethanol gas from them for my portable equipment because it stores so much better than regular pump gas.

[Rich Riddle]

Thanks for all the information folks. It does get a tad chilly down here, but nothing like where Rod Sheridan lives. I imagine the delivery man would deliver about 50 gallons or so when he tops off the neighbor's oil in the winter. Conversely, I could get a 55 gallon drum and mount it to a skid. Put the drum on a trailer and when it runs low go up to the local gas station and fill it.

[Rich Riddle]

Here are the pictures of the actual tank:

1.JPG 2.JPG 4.JPG 5.JPG
Do you know what the fitting in the third photograph is? There is a small nozzle in the fourth photograph on the bottom as well. I also hear something clinking around inside when moving the tank. Any information you might offer will be appreciated.

[John K Jordan]

Here are the pictures of the actual tank:

1.JPG 2.JPG 4.JPG 5.JPG
Do you know what the fitting in the fourth photograph is? There is a small nozzle in the fifth photograph on the bottom as well. I also hear something clinking around inside when moving the tank. Any information you might offer will be appreciated.

There are only 4 photographs. The fitting in the third photo looks a bit like part of one that is on my tank. I have two openings in the top side, one holds the fuel pump and the other has a flip-up lid/cover. Maybe a pressure vent? I'd have to look, can't remember but it might be spring loaded.

JKJ