Off Road Diesel in boiler

[Carol from Upto]

Someone mentioned to me they use off road diesel in their furnace.
They said it is much cheaper.
My questions are, is this legal, is it cheaper, is it the same, and where do you buy it?
Thanks

[davel745]

It is number 2 diesel. Just died red. It can be used in a oil heater.

I use it to run my Reddie heater to heat my workshop.

We can buy it here at the local gas station. (Very Rural area) for right now price of $1.99 per gallon at the pump. Road diesel is around $ 2.65 per gal at the pump.

I get 10 gal at a time in 5 gal gas cans. I heat a 1000 sq ft work area to around 65 degrees. For about a week on 5 gal. Don’t work in the shop area every day but I can heat it up when I need to.

I am not sure what the price is delivered.

Dave

[Wisconsin Ann]

Offroad diesel is fuel oil. It's certainly legal. The "off road" thing is because it's only legal to use in vehicles that don't go on the road system...tractors, ATVs, etc. You don't pay road taxes on the offroad diesel which is why it's cheaper than regular diesel for vehicles.

Not sure WHY it would be cheaper than buying bulk for the furnace. Around here it's approx 50cents less than normal diesel price.

[rambler]

Works well. Typically it is the same thing, and the same price.

Technically heating oil does not need lubricating additives, while diesel fuel does need those additives. _Most_ places the cost is so close, they only use one bulk tank & only handle the #2 diesel fuel (with the lubricating additives) and sell it as #2 for both offroad & heating - same thing.

So, yes, it's legal, works fine, and should be no difference at all to your furnace.

Dyed off-road fuel does not have road tax applied to it, so you cannot use it in a licenced vehicle on the roads. Otherwise it is the very same fuel as diesel, the only diff is the taxes & the color added.

In today's world, there are:

Different formulations of oil - #2, #1, kerosene, etc. (How well it flows in winter, how cleanly it burns, how many btu's per gallon, etc...)

Different levels of sulfur - don't think they make 'regular' any more; low; and ultra low sulfur.

And taxed, or not taxed for road use (dyed red).

They can combine any of those things together to make a fuel. Your furnace will be happy with any. Taxed will obviously cost more and you are being hosed if you pay road tax for heating oil....

--->Paul

[artificer]

My question is: why is it "much cheaper?"

Did they buy their heating oil in the late summer/early fall with the high prices? Are they comparing that to today's diesel prices?

Heating oil/diesel are commodity products. The price fluctuates weekly/daily.

The only reason I can see for a current quote of the diesel being much cheaper than heating oil, is if the supplier is stuck with older high priced heating oil, and the diesel is a new low cost purchase.

Some possible differences between #2 heating oil and #2 diesel: Diesel has the above mentioned lubrication additives, the anti-gel winter formulation, and the listed cetane rating. Heating oil doesn't need to be ultra low or low sulfur, at least some places. That may have changed, however.

Michael

[Jim-mi]

Had a guy at the Hardware store rental stuff tell me that they are now adding road tax and red dye to kerosene . . . . because "So many truckers were\are using kero in their trucks"
Haven't checked that out yet

Kerosene has been $3.50