Fuel efficiency improvement for farm vehicles like tractors, trucks, ATVs, and UTVs, is a smart move on many levels. You’ll get more work accomplished with each tank of fuel. You’ll purchase fuel less often. You’ll decrease the emissions required for each job. Saving time, dollars, and emissions is a pretty good deal.
But how do you improve farm vehicle fuel efficiency? It’s easier than you think. Here are 10 ways to improve farm vehicle fuel efficiency.
1. Keep Air Filters Clean
A dirty air filter reduces fuel efficiency, causing the engine to consume more fuel than it would otherwise. Regularly cleaning and/or replacing air filters (check the vehicle’s manual for guidance) is an important regular maintenance task.
2. Replace Spark Plugs
Unlike some engine parts, the spark plugs in a gasoline engine don’t require regular attention. But they can wear out over time, which harms fuel economy. If your engine runs rough or has trouble starting, try replacing the spark plugs and see if you get a performance boost.
3. Regularly Change Engine Oil
Be sure to follow the recommended schedule for engine oil changes. Regularly refreshing the engine oil (and changing the oil filter) can improve fuel economy.
4. Opt for Diesel Engines
All else being equal, diesel engines have better fuel economy than gasoline engines. There’s also more energy in a gallon of diesel than a gallon of gas. If you’ll be putting a lot of miles on a particular vehicle (perhaps your workhorse tractor or a farm truck), opting for a vehicle with a diesel engine can be a sound strategy.
5. If Using Gas, Aim for Electronic Fuel Injection
If you’re considering a vehicle with a gas engine, get one with electronic fuel injection if possible. Electronic fuel injection offers a wealth of benefits, including improved fuel economy.
6. Keep Tires Properly Inflated
Care should be taken to ensure vehicle tires are inflated to the correct PSI (pound-force per square inch). Underinflated tires reduce fuel economy. Check tire PSI regularly, particularly as winter approaches and temperatures decrease—the shift in temperature can cause a drop in tire PSI.
7. Opt for Radial Tires
Old-fashioned bias tires might be tough, but radial tires are the king when it comes to traction, especially if you opt for increased flexion (IF) or very high flexion (VF) radials. IF tires can carry the same load as regular radial tires with 20% lower air pressure; VF tires can carry the same load at 40 percent lower air pressure. The decreased PSI allows more of the tire’s tread to contact the ground, improving traction and fuel economy.
8. Go with Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles
Speaking of traction, four-wheel drive decreases wheel slippage compared to two-wheel drive when performing hard farm work and negotiating challenging terrain. The result? When the going gets tough, a four-wheel drive tractor or UTV will get better fuel economy than one with two-wheel drive.
9. Run Engines On Low Throttle When Possible
An engine doesn’t have to run at full throttle all the time. If you’re simply driving from one spot on the farm to another, or towing a lightweight trailer that doesn’t require full power, pull back on the throttle and save some fuel.
10. Shut Off Engines When Not In Use
Related to tip nine, go ahead and shut off your engine if you’re pausing work for a meaningful length of time. If you’re doing cleanup and stop to fill your trailer with a “small” load of branches or grass rakings, reconsider leaving the engine idling. Those small loads can take longer than you think to pick up, and all the while you’re consuming fuel.
By using a combination of these 10 tips, you can meaningfully improve fuel economy and reap the benefits.
This article about farm vehicle fuel efficiency was written for Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
