[AJD] FW: D HP tests with different fuels

[Dean VP]

Amazing!  I kept a copy of it. See below:
 
Dean A. Van Peursem
Snohomish, WA 98290
 
I'm a walking storeroom of facts..... I've just lost the key to the
storeroom door 
 
 
www.deerelegacy.com
 
http://members.cox.net/classicweb/email.htm
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-antique-johndeere at newidea.atis.net
[mailto:owner-antique-johndeere at newidea.atis.net] On Behalf Of Duane Larson
Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 7:16 AM
To: antique-johndeere at ATIS.NET
Subject: D HP tests with different fuels
 
A few months back we were discussing different fuels and their performance,
and there was a desire for information on a given tractor burning the
different fuels.  I came across an article in the July 1937 Agricultural
Engineering journal which addresses this issue.  Most of the following is
quoted from the article "Comparative Tests of Fuels in Low-Compression
Tractors" by E. L. Barger, Asst. Prof of Ag Engineering at Kansas State
Univ.  
 
In nearly all small towns in the ag sections there are five commercial
grades of fuel available that could be considered as possible fuels for use
in tractors.  They are 1) premium grade gasoline 75-80 octane, 2)
regular-grade gasoline of 70-75 octane, 3) third-grade gasoline of 55-65
octane, 4) kerosene, and 5) distillate.The character of the distillate will
vary widely and is affected greatly by the fuel tax regulations in force. 
The five fuels were tested in two tractors identified only by borexstroke,
number of cylinders, compression ratio and rated rpm.  One of them was a two
cylinder horizontal engine 6.75 x 7, rated speed 900 rpm and compression
ratio 3.9 to 1.  That sounds to me like a D John Deere.  A large belt-driven
prony brake was used to measure the power.  Carburetors were reset for each
load.  Tractor #2 (which I surmise is the D) provided the following results:
Maximum of 46.34 hp on low-grade gasoline, 44.85 hp on kerosene, 44.15 hp on
distillate, 42.26 hp on regular-grade gasoline, and 41.98 hp on
premium-grade gasoline.  These results are as expected since the engines
were designed for low-grade fuels.
 
They go on to provide cost/acre based on fuel useage and cost, and finally
use a third tractor (2-cylinder horizontal 5.5x6.5 bore and stroke, 975 rpm
engine (which must be a Model A) in plowing tests with the various fuels. 
The fuel cost per acre was found to be 55% lower with distillate than with
premium-grade gasoline, 46% lower than with regular-grade gasoline, and 35%
lower than with third-grade gasoline.
 
Now comes the kicker.  In a June 1936 article the same author found from a
study of 1005 tractors in Kansas from 1932-35, while 88.6% of the tractors
were equipped to burn the low-cost fuels, 74% of the owners used gasoline,
6.3% used kerosene, and almost 20% used distillate.  Fuel costs were 9.67
cents/gal gasoline, 7.50 for kerosene, and 6.04 for distillate.
 
Deere's big push for using the low-cost fuels didn't seem to fly in Kansas.
 
Duane Larson