Fuel transfer tank question

I do tractor work outside of my normal 9-5 job. Currently thinking about buying a 100 gallon transfer tank to put red diesel in.

Should I be concerned about this. Filling it up with diesel, emptying it, then filling it with gasoline and doing vise versa?

As long as you're getting it good and empty before introducing the other fuel, the dilution will be so great that you won't even notice. Back in the '70s some indie gas stations in the US used to blend 1-2% diesel with their unleaded regular, claiming that it helped with fuel efficiency by providing extra lubrication. More likely it was just a way to increase their margins in the days of shortages and getting it from snakes was too time-consuming.

If the tank is verified as dead empty before switching, there's no problem.

Note that a modern gasoline vehicle, with its sensors, computers, and emission controls including catalytic converter, may not react well to a percentage of diesel. This would be a fast way to rack up a huge repair bill.

Diesel transfer tanks are not made to hold gas. Period.

Gas expands with the fumes. Diesel does not (simple terms)


They make tanks for holding gas. However I’m not sure why you would need 100gal of gas at a time? Diesel I get because all large equipment uses it.

Mixing diesel In with gas is not a good idea.


So no it is not ok to switch back and forth.

Fwi

Martin Bernal wrote:I do tractor work outside of my normal 9-5 job. Currently thinking about buying a 100 gallon transfer tank to put red diesel in.

Should I be concerned about this. Filling it up with diesel, emptying it, then filling it with gasoline and doing vise versa?

Wouldn't it be easier to just get a split transfer tank so you can have diesel and gasoline at the ready without worry of contamination?

If the $1800 price tag is too much, you could get (2) 55 gallon drums and use one for diesel and one for gasoline? Just keep in mind that you would need a way to load and unload them. Some fuel companies will fill 55 gallon drums up, and some will not. For the ones that will, sometimes they only do it if they are on secondary spill containers. If you can't get them filled, then you have to load them in a truck, and then fill them at a gas station. It is a pain, but can be done with a tractor.

Joe Hallmark makes a good point. If the container is not rated for gasoline, it's not safe to use that way. The same goes with the transfer pump, which has to be rated for gasoline (non-sparking).

A fire, spill or injury is not a good way to save money.

Do you do your tractor work at home, where you could refuel the tractor at the barn?
Then your own filling station, with a stationary oil tank and a pump might be easier, since you could get the fuel delivered to you by tanker truck.
The volume might allow you to stock up if prices are favorable. The bed of your truck would remain useful for other stuff.

Or do you mainly do your work at remote worksites, where you are needing to haul the fuel to the tractor?
Maybe the transfer tank makes sense then, if you need more than say 10 gallons a day that you could just as easily pick up on your travels in Jerry cans.
Now, if you had your own filling station... you could fill your Jerry cans at home, before heading to a jobsite, if the "gas station" was too far out of the way.

I ended up just filling 17 5 gallon cans with red diesel. 400 bucks

It’s a pain fillin each individual can, putting them In the car, labeling rhem, unloading them, the loading them again later. The more I thought about it the more it makes sense. If I got a transfer tank, I would just have to redespense it into another can if I got a transfer tank. And I would need to pull out the forklift which another peice of equipment is currently blocking.

The cans get unleaded  put in them as well. With less than 1% of diesal in the can what covers the inside walls and the bottom, putting 1 full unleaded can in at time into a machine with regular gas’s from the pump will not be an issue.

All the work is done offsite and is relatively close. I can drive the cans there. I can ride my bike to the Job site if the tractor does not need fuel. I can also strap the bike on top of the disc and go to the next field. Then I can bike home.

Trying to get into grazing goat as I would rather do that than run tractor.