$5 diesel fuel usage
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Other Topics
Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
Forum Description: anything you want to talk about except politics
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=210799
Printed Date: 17 Sep 2026 at 4:01pm
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Topic: $5 diesel fuel usage
Posted By: AC7060IL
Subject: $5 diesel fuel usage
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2026 at 7:39am
Farmers running 500hp 4wds doing spring tillage are probably burning 20 gallon/hr @$5/gal ~ $100/hr per that one tractor? So during long hour spring days (16-18hr+) that could become $1600-1800 / day fuel cost per that one tractor?
If that 4wd is pulling a 50’ FC @ 7mph, in theory without headland turn time factored, that becomes 42.4 acres / hr per $100 of fuel. Or, $2.36/acre fuel usage. If in reality, 10% of travel was utilized for turning, then fuel usage is probably closer to $2.62/acre? That’s factoring a square 40 acre field ( 1300’, minus 50’ headlands(1200’ passes?) considering a constant soil pull load on FC, which is probably seldom the case?
Same could be applied to semi tractor trailer rigs moving goods up & down our roadways.
Most 80k loaded semis could be averaging 5-6 mpg (11-13 gal/hr x $5/g ~ $55-65/hr) ?? Some lighter freight semis may average a little higher 7-9mpg (7-9gal/hr x $5/gal ~ $35-45/hr) ??
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Replies:
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2026 at 8:32am
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Is starting to turn lower. At least here, avg is around $4-$4.40 and coming down a little at a time. HOWEVER, as many I speak to here note, when already cutting close as to break even of Corn or Beans or Wheat, a few are not bothering to plant. NOT taking loans to buy materials or get on lists for Fertilizers or Seed.
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Posted By: plummerscarin
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2026 at 7:43pm
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Well, that's if you're buying road deisel from the pump. Which BTW was $4.96 at one station today. Though others were still $5.19. Certainly, many are buying ag fuel which doesn't have all the road use taxes added? As an example, I paid $3.69 for ag fuel but that was before Iran got bombed. Pump price was more than that at the time
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Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 18 Apr 2026 at 8:22pm
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Fuel per acre is peanuts compared to fertilizer per acre, which is NOT going down.
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Posted By: Lars(wi)
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2026 at 6:51am
The gallons per acre, for the most part doesn’t change a whole lot per the job being done. The big variable is acres per hour, this is achieved greatly by the size and configuration of equipment being used.
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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.
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