Does Anyone Have Experience Using Bio-Diesel?

Bio cannot be that bad. There are several I know that are running 100% bio in some of their diesels. Even the inventor of the diesel engine developed it to use peanut and other vegetable oils. Every time I hear all the negativity about bio, it sounds more like a bias than anything based on fact. I guess I wanted to give the stuff a try early on because I live in Iowa farming country. But I am still using it in various blend levels, and have not had any issues related to bio for over 5 years. Even when I just put in straight diesel, I did not notice any mpg change. My fuel system is nice and clean. 822,000 miles on the injectors and nary a problem. Oil samples look fine.

 

Yes thanks to our overbearing federal government most of us have had no choice but to buy bio or let tanks run dry.

 

Don't forget that good old Rudolph Diesel couldn't keep the engine running smooth and clean on plant oils without "earth gas", which is low grade methane.

Thankfully, forced induction helped mask the issues with the combusion characteristics of a diesel engine, otherwise we'd all be crying about methane prices too.

 

Only because you don't know where to look for regular diesel or you only fill at the big name truck stops. There is not one state that I cannot get straight petro diesel somewhere if I choose. There is no federal mandate that all diesel sold be a bio blend. States have implemented certain mandates and incentives. It seems hard to justify a federal mandate, when in my home town, I can fill my truck at Love's, which has bio, or Casey's, which does not, or the farmers co-op, which does, or the grocery chain fuel island which does not. Nice even split of pumps with bio blend or pumps with petro diesel. And that is Iowa, the heart of biofuel production.

 

My fuel supplier up here in Alberta Canada has told me that they don't add bio diesel to the full winter fuel blend, because it raises the point at where the fuel starts to gel. The transition fuels, the couple of months where they transition from full summer to full winter, will have the bio in it.

Another thing to consider when talking about the gel point in bio diesel is the feed stock which the bio-diesel is made. If its made from plant oil, canola, soy, as examples it will have a lower gel point than if its made from recycled plant oil. And if the bio-diesel is made from rendered animal fats, then the gel point is much higher than the plant based fuel. I don't have my books with me but I believe the gel point of animal based bio-diesel is something like 10-15 degrees C above that of plant based bio-diesel. Don't quote me on that figure, is been a while since I have even thought about that.

 

No Fed mandate but just google "federal subsidies for soy diesel" and take your pick of articles.

Without the feds interfering in the market do you think you'd even be able to find bio diesel anywhere?

How do you know know you never unwittingly splashed in some bio? Missing pump sticker? Wrong product? Wrong hole?

My T/A discount now is too good to buy elsewhere so if that's all they're selling that's what I'm buying, thanks to the feds spending our money to push a product that wouldn't sell otherwise.

 

I'm rebuilding my fuel system specifically for B100. I only know of two places I can pump it into my 350 gallon tanks, but I wouldn't call that 0 demand. Government subsidies are what spurred the innovation that made cost effective nation-wide production and distribution a reality. I enjoy the confidence of a superior fuel in terms of lubricity and energy security, not to mention the lower price I'll enjoy as production increases. I'd much rather spend my money on a fuel grown in my own backyard, that supports the bottom lines of my neighbors, than a fuel pumped out of the ground half a world a way, and used as leverage by unscrupulous regimes with no concerns for human rights.

If this was 30 years ago the topic would be ULSD. I don't think anyone has a problem with ULSD today unless they're trying to stir ####. Even if they pick at the lubricity issue, the solution is finally here: biodiesel blends restore lost lubricity.

You have your own dollars to direct the market however you should choose. If you can't forgoe a few thousand dollars in fuel savings, then you're doing nothing but driving up demand for biodiesel and making it easier for me to find when I want it.

 

I have first hand experience with the bio thing, since I have been and am a Farm Bureau member, and still live on the family farm. There were indeed subsidies for Ethanol production, but there were not subsidies for bio diesel production. Now, that means you have to look at the wording here.... a tax credit is NOT a subsidy. Biodiesel producers were given a tax credit... i.e. they didn't have to pay as much in income tax. That is not a subsidy. A subsidy is when Uncle Sugar takes money from you and gives it to someone.

Unfortunately, the media as well can't seem to figure out the difference between a subsidy and a tax credit. If a tax credit is a subsidy, then you need to shut your mouth if you take the per diem deduction, dependent credit, or any number of other things on you tax return. You are taking a subsidy. You are getting a reduction in your income tax liability, though it may not have actually cost you the amount you are able to reduce your income tax. For instance, very few drivers spend $59 a day for food and such on the road. Yet, they are able to take a $59 a day per diem deduction, even without receipts. That is known as a tax credit. Biodiesel producers were given tax credits.... not subsidies. Ethanol producers were given subsidies, something I highly disapproved of.

But then, words get twisted all over the place, mostly by those that have an agenda. And for your information.... all biofuel subsidies have come to an end. Don't believe me? Call my Senator, Charles Grassley, who was trying to keep the subsidy spigot going.

 

I have noticed, my davco fuel filter is needing changing at 2-4 thousand miles lately. I always fuel at the Loves. so I thought I must be getting water in the fuel, or something from the loves. on dedicated run, filling at 1 of 2 loves only. my filter usually will give me 15-30 thousand miles before needing to change. I got fuel at the pilot at my last fill up, but only 68 gal, just what was needed to fill it. now I am wondering if it is NOT the Loves but the bio, as I have recently been noticing new stickers of bio on the pumps. got me concerned, now I have at least 4 spare filters.

 

There is definitely something going with the fuel in my area.today, I got 195 miles since new filter & had to change my filter. my neighbor had to do the same. he now keeps a case of filters in his truck.