So I'm trying to be smarter about it this year.

Most other years I forget about winterized diesel, fill the tank on my D17 in summer, and end up pouring in a bottle of Stanadyne come the colder months. This year I'm down to just over a quarter tank, and the stickers on our diesel pumps say the winter blend comes November.

Anyone in the know about how accurate this is? I've got a couple of the local Casey's where I usually go for gas that also have a diesel pump, but there's also a big truck stop by the Interstate close by, which see's a lot of diesel business. So I imagine it's diesel turnover is faster.

  I ALWAYS add the recommended amount of POWER SERVICE brand treatment (winter or summer) when I get fuel, wherever that may be. to be sure that the cleaner component in in my fuel all year round and the Ainti-gel in the cooler months.  Treating the fuel first is always easier that un-gelling fuel on the side of road.

I normally do the same just after beginning of November as the supplier here gets blended fuels.  I use Howes currently as PS has changed formulae in the last few years and I became less enamored with it.  My tank is smallish and I do not buy red fuel but road diesel due to Truck and being able to have fuel on site as needed for other duties without penalty by the Law.  Has been exceptionally handy where as have eliminated the 7G will most likely move the tank to up by the house/workshop from the barn and install a pump rather than deal with Gravity as that is all too handy for the miscreants out here.  So far only lost one lock and as luck would have it the tank was at last draw of a few to 20 some gallons.

HD6GTOM wrote: Coke, I always started blending my fuel the 1st week of October. Anything north of the Iowa Minnesota border should be running almost straight #1 fuel after Dec 1st. Truck stop/ convenience store diesel will not usually be premium #2 diesel. We have a couple of mom and pop stations here that stock straight #1 fuel. I always fill a couple of 5 gallon cans and pour it in the 200. Always leave the tank less than 1/4 tank in Oct.

I feel like this is important for me to understand. Would you mind defining the #1 and #2? I thought it was like farm diesel vs. road diesel? Back in the UK we have diesel and pink diesel, and I think it's always cold treated.

TomC wrote: Go to your local farm store,buy Howes diesel fuel treatment. It should be 12 to 15 bucks at a store, truckstop will be twice that. I ran it in my over the road trucks, my pickups & tractors, good stuff, I never froze up using it and yes I'd be in Minnesota or the Dakota's in January. I believe they called it a forced dispatch but I was there.

This stuff? They seem to have it at my local WalMart.

https://www.walmart.com/grocery/ip/HOWES-LUBRICANTS-103060-Diesel-Fuel-Additive-Amber-64-oz-G5573289/39088482" rel="nofollow">

If it treats 320 gallons, I guess it's a couple of ounces per 10 gallon of fuel, should last me a few winters. That's gonna be way cheaper than the Stanadyne stuff.

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I guess that answers my How careful do you have to be with mixes question, if you are pouring a whole bottle into just 110 gallons, I was thinking of adding a half cup to the tank and then drop in 10 gallons of diesel on top.

Why do you avoid #1 diesel?

Yeah, I've just been reading up on it. So #1 isn't treated, it's just a better grade of diesel with a lower gelling point and more stored energy, but it reads like it's also more volatile and a waste of money if your engine isn't pulling the extra energy from it? So winter diesel costs more? I find it hard to track fuel prices since this millenia started it just seems to go up and up and up, and then plummet, and then start over.

So it's better to get the cheaper diesel and treat it, than it is to wait for winter?

Winter blend reduces fuel mileage in my semi. Part of that may be just the denser air .

You think my diesel / kerosene torpedo heater might benefit from some Howes?

I traded a guy a snow shovel for a lawn tractor for it, it's always been a bit on the smokey side.

TomC wrote: Number one diesel IS kerosene I believe.

I did not know that, but the Google confirms it!

WRONG!!!  Google is right

I hauled bulk petroleum for many years. As cold weather approached, when some place wanted winter blend it would start with a blend of 80% diesel and 20% kerosene. This was done while loading the trailer. The smaller precentage in the tank first, then the remainder. The same thing gets done many times for Mid Grade gasolines, unless the retail place has blender pumps. This blending was only done at a customer's request, otherwise diesel would be diesel. Some place would put a treatment into the tank first then the 7500 gallons of diesel would go in.  As the weather got colder the percentage of kerosene would increase. If anyone wanted #1 diesel it would come from the loading arm for Kerosene.  At many tank farms that also supplied major airports this was the Jet Fuel loading arm, Jet fuel being nothing more than highly filtered kerosene.  Today's #2 ULSD is the same as #2 kerosene was 50 years ago before the EPA  reduced the sulfur content. Just look at the chemical specifications.  What throws a monkey wrench into the mix is the BioDiesel it completely changes the interaction of the pour point reducers to the fuel. 

  The best thing you can do is use a quality winter treatment that you like when you purchase fuel, weather you have it delivered in bulk or get it retail. That assures you that you have winterized fuel to run in winter.  The only exception would be fuel from a supplier that has a history of suppling consistent quality fuel for the weather expected.

Wow, never meant to cause a furore.

I got my Howes from Walmart, got my diesel in October, before they winterize it, and stuck in a cup of treatment, fired her up and let her run for a while.

Also got to use my new (to me) fuel cans, now I see what everyone was complaining about with these new spouts. Can you just pull out the latch for 'em?