by Helmut Spieser, Engineer, OMAFRA

An engineer on diesel fuel: How to use less and save money

AS PRODUCERS HEAD back out into the field for spring to tackle the onslaught of tasks that the warm weather brings, there are plenty of opportunities to reduce diesel fuel use. Proper management and maintenance of farm machinery can cut costs and save fuel.

GEAR UP, THROTTLE DOWN
Although an old concept, “gear up - throttle down,” still has merit in the field. If the tractor can pull the load and do the job at a higher gear with a lower throttle, fuel will be saved.

Tractors fresh off the assembly line will do this function for you. Whether it’s called Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT) or Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) they all perform similar functions: automatically gearing up and throttling down, reducing your fuel costs. This new technology does the gear shifting and throttle adjustment electronically ensuring the tractor is always working at ultimate efficiency.

With older tractors, similar fuel saving results can be had by simply paying more attention to the gear and the throttle and keeping fuel efficiency in mind. If the tractor can pull the load and do the work using a higher gear and a lower throttle setting, fuel can be saved.

Many tractors include an efficiency setting on the tachometer for PTO operations. This is a great tool for lighter applications and can also help reduce diesel fuel use.

RTK AUTO STEER
A more accurate global positioning system (GPS), RTK or Real Time Kinematic Auto Steer provides producers with steering accuracy within one to two centimeters. The system requires a base station nearby that enhances the accuracy of the signals from the satellites.

This increased accuracy provides fuel savings by minimizing excess overlap of each pass the tractor and implement makes. RTK essentially improves field efficiency and makes sure the tractor drives no further than absolutely necessary, reducing fuel consumption.

In one case study, it was determined that RTK Auto Steer has the potential to save producers $0.99 per acre per growing season. Although a seemingly measly savings, when multiplied over hundreds of acres and multiple seasons, the savings multiply. If you use RTK technology on 500 acres over five years, the potential fuel savings are nearly $2,500.

However, it is also important to take into account potential savings on inputs such as herbicides and seed along with the capital cost of RTK technology. Due to the required base station, the start-up costs of RTK may be prohibitively high for some.

TIRE SMARTS
Using the right tires with the right pressure can also lead to fuel savings on the farm. Proven in test after test, radial tires provide more opportunities for fuel savings than bias ply tires. If two identical tractors drove across the field at the same speed, one with radial tires and the other with bias ply tires, the radial tire tractor would get to the end of the field with fewer revolutions than the tractor with bias ply tires.

The fewer revolutions seen in tractors with radial tires are a result of less slippage because of the larger footprint of the tire.

In one day, a tractor with radial tires will cover more acreage and use less fuel than the alternative, saving producers time and money.

Most modern tractors are sold with radial tires. But producers are now also starting to benefit from radial tires on their manure tankers and grain buggies.

In a study commissioned by the Wellington Soil and Crop Improvement Association, it was discovered that manure tankers and grain buggies with radial tires are easier to pull than if they had bias ply tires. This outcome was rather unexpected as a grain buggy with radial tires looks squatted and difficult to pull to the eye. The visual appearance is deceiving and in reality, using radial tries on your grain buggy or manure tanker will decrease the draft and increase fuel savings.

But there is more to tractor tires than simply using the right ones. Tire pressure also plays a big role in fuel savings in the field and on the road. In order for radial tires to do their job properly, they need to be filled to the correct pressure, typically a low pressure in the field in order to have the maximum number of cleats on the ground to keep slippage to a minimum.

Without the proper tire inflation, the return on investment producers get from radial tires would be minimal.

Producers should always follow the manufacturer’s specifications when filling their tires. Too high a pressure can reduce efficiency and too low of pressure can do damage to the tire itself.

Ideally, tire pressure should be changed between the field and the road to maximize efficiency. In Europe, many tractors have air compressors and producers can change their tire pressure accordingly. But in North America, where producers may be in and out of the field several times a day, this isn’t usually an option. Striking a balance between field and road pressure is often the only solution.

As radial tires gain in popularity, producers will also begin seeing larger tire diameters as tires grow in height to over six feet tall. The larger the diameter of tire, the longer and larger its footprint on the soil surface and the better it is able to move the machine.

The evolution of tire height can reduce soil compaction and reduce slippage, helping producers save on fuel and reduce damage to their soil structure. But with these rising heights comes changes in machinery. Machines will need to be adjusted to accommodate these monster tires.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Individually and combined, these tactics will help save fuel costs on your farm. Whether or not the effort, or in some case capital investment, is worth the savings is dependent on different variables on your own farm. Ultimately, finding a balance between saving fuel and getting the job done are individual decisions that need to be made with the bottom line in mind.