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  1. ROYJ24 Member

    joined: Oct 3, 2007
    148 posts
    S. JERSEY
    Can I use kerosene to run my lawnmower? If not how do I dispse of it?
    #1

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  2. velvetfoot Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 5, 2005
    4,833 posts
    Sand Lake, NY
    I recently put some in my oil furnace tank.
    I personally think it was really really diluted by gasoline it'd be okay, but I really have no idea.
  3. Gator eye Member

    joined: Jun 5, 2008
    188 posts
    Michigan
    NO..unless it's a diesal, then mix it.

    Kerosene is a high grade of fuel oil or diesal
  4. BrotherBart He Who Moderates

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    21,911 posts
    Northern Virginia
    If the engine is hot when you put the kero in the tank it will probably start and run. After it gets cold it ain't gonna start again. Ask my mom. When I was a teenager she filled the lawn mower with the stuff and the party was over until I removed the tank and carb and flushed them with gas.
  5. Highbeam Minister of Fire

    Kerosene is not the same as regular road #2 diesel. It is the same as #1 diesel or "winter" diesel. It is much thinner and should not be run under normal circumstances in a regular warm season diesel engine calling for #2 diesel.

    Mixed with gasoline you could probably get it to burn in a briggs gas engine. Dispose of it on a campfire. How much do you have to get rid of?
  6. ROYJ24 Member

    joined: Oct 3, 2007
    148 posts
    S. JERSEY
    I have a 5 gallon can
  7. oilstinks Feeling the Heat

    joined: Jan 25, 2008
    457 posts
    western NC
    You could mix 8 to 12 ounces in with your car fill ups every tank. Many fuel treatments use kerosene as a carrier and a cleaner. You could also mix a few ounces with your can of mower fuel. All else ask around Im sure some one heats with kero and would be happy to take it off your hands.
  8. Redox New Member

    joined: Feb 23, 2008
    1,099 posts
    Burbs of B'more, MD, Hon!
    If you have an oil burner, just dump it in the tank and forget about it. It will go away all by itself!

    If you don't, and you can't find any other home for it, take it to the waste oil recycling or give it to your friendy neighborhood auto mechanic. They all do recycling now...

    I wouldn't recommend putting it in a gas engine; at the very least, it will smoke like a pig and may cause other problems.

    Chris
  9. backpack09 Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 10, 2007
    550 posts
    Whitman, Mass
    Got Tiki torches?
  10. granpajohn Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 13, 2007
    578 posts
    Central Maryland
    Back around ca.1980, the SAE magazine (Automotive Engineering) ran an article by a member which told how to run a car on kero. This was a nostalgia type piece, not meant as a technical instruction. The guy was a teen during WW2, in TX I think, and he did in fact accomplish this. All I can remember is that he needed a little gasoline to get the engine running, and then was usually able to switch to kerosene. I don't recall the mods he made to do this.

    Other old timers have said that the secret is to put moth balls into the tank. (Napathalene, is it?) They imply that this always worked, the only question was how many mothballs to use.

    I'm more inclined to disbelieve the mothball story. I'm pretty certain the SAE thing is true.

    It can be done, but I don't know how. I'm no help at all.

    P.S. I've always been able to burn very old 1K kerosene in my wick-type heater with no problem except extra smoke on startup.
  11. cmonSTART Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 29, 2007
    2,284 posts
    Antrim, NH
    as said above, lawnmowers do not run on kero, nor do they run on diesel. We usually have at least one come in each year which "suddenly wouldn't start".

    Come over and dump it in my oil furnace tank.
  12. Redox New Member

    joined: Feb 23, 2008
    1,099 posts
    Burbs of B'more, MD, Hon!
    As I recall from conversations with my vintage tractor buff friends, there used to be farm tractors that ran on distillate, but you needed to start them on gasoline first to get them warmed up. I'm way too young to remember them...

    Chris
  13. sapratt Feeling the Heat

    joined: May 14, 2008
    394 posts
    Northwestern, Oh
    I was told to use kero to get the sludge out of an engine. They said just drain the oil put kero in the block and start it
    as soon as the engine fire turn it off and all the sludge will be in the pan. I never tried and don't plan on it. I figured
    it may get the sludge out but what else will it do to the block.
  14. cmonSTART Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 29, 2007
    2,284 posts
    Antrim, NH
    Ha, actually you just reminded me of something. I have an older garden tractor with a Wisconsen engine on it. The engine's owners manual contains information on how to convert it to run on that stuff.
  15. Hogwildz Minister of Fire

    Yeap your right. MY uncle has an old John Deere that starts on gas and ya switch over to diesel once warmed up.
  16. Redox New Member

    joined: Feb 23, 2008
    1,099 posts
    Burbs of B'more, MD, Hon!
    Thst isn't the one with the pony motor, is it? You started the little gas engine and then used it as the starter for the big diesel engine. Beast of a machine, as I recall.

    Chris
  17. RAY_PA Feeling the Heat

    joined: May 13, 2008
    319 posts
    Northeastern PA
    kero is super bon-fire starter
  18. renewablejohn Member

    joined: Mar 5, 2008
    191 posts
    bolton england
    I have a chinese Jinma tractor (diesel) which runs on kerosene. When I first got the tractor it ran smoke free on a clear liquid from the factory. Once I put diesel in the tank the engine had a trace of smoke from the exhaust which is when I found out the tractor was set up to run on kerosene. To convert kerosene into diesel just add hydraulic oil at the ratio of 15:1.

    We also had a ferguson tractor that was petrol/kerosene which you switched from petrol to kerosene after 10 minutes to allow the engine to warm up. Before you stopped the tractor you had to transfer back onto petrol otherwise it would be a pig to start.
  19. karl Minister of Fire

    cmonstart. Can you post how it says to do it. I'm interested.

    Thanks.
  20. hosspuller Member

    joined: Dec 17, 2005
    8 posts
    Best way to get rid of 5 gallons of Kerosene is to pour it into a heating oil tank. It will be like getting $3.43 per gallon on 8/1/08


    see link >> http://www.oilnergy.com/1heatoil.htm
  21. Hogwildz Minister of Fire

    I don't think so, but I am not entirely sure.
    I think I remember him saying he starts the engine on gas, once warmed up, he shuts off gas and opens diesel vlave. Same engine I beleive, I'll have to ask next time I am over there.
    Its an old beast, all restored.
  22. iceman Minister of Fire

    my oil take is has a 1/4 till empty... about 82 gallons what can i put in it besides oil to get another say 80 gallons with out hurting my furnace? is there a mix... kero, transmission fluid,???
  23. hosspuller Member

    joined: Dec 17, 2005
    8 posts
    You can put kerosene, diesel, jet A or any similar fuels in the tank. YOU'll have to decide which is more cost effective than #2 fuel oil. I would stay away from any lubricating oils because they contain additives that could build up on the burner nozzle. This will require a service call and or new parts. What $$$ you save on fuel, you'll pay in service and parts. Waste oils are the same issue. Dirt and "stuff" are bad for a furnace designed for clean fuel.
  24. Beanscoot Member

    joined: Dec 30, 2007
    227 posts
    Vancouver Island, Canada
    I have been adding about 10-20 percent waste motor oil to my furnace oil tank for over ten years now and have had really no problems with this. No clogged filters, build up on nozzles etc. But I do agree that it's only a good idea to do this if you are handy and will be doing any servicing required. I did install the "Protek" anti drip check valve in the nozzle which stops afterdrip and carbonizing at the nozzle.
  25. saichele Minister of Fire

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    503 posts
    Neighbor has an old JohnDeere B that lights with gas, then switched (same motor) to diesel. See ref on http://www.retiredtractors.com/Modelb.html Apparently this was common for Deere 2 cylinders.

    Steve

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