| ||||||||||
 
Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
Visit ColumbiaMagazine's Directory of Churches Addresses, times, phone numbers and more for churches in Adair County Find Great Stuff in ColumbiaMagazine's Classified Ads Antiques, Help Wanted, Autos, Real Estate, Legal Notices, More... 
|
Adair CO Extension Agent, Agriculture: Farm equip fuel economy tips Color of smoke and temperature of engine determines diagnoses; bio-diesel can save money, but there are special problems to overcome By David Herbst, Adair County Extension Agent for Agriculture dherbst@uky.edu With the escalating cost of fuel, producers must look for ways to reduce their usage. One good place to start is eliminating unnecessary trips across the field. No-till production, already popular in Kentucky, may become even more popular as farmers look to economize. Besides eliminating usage, proper equipment maintenance and operation is critical in getting the best fuel efficiency from farm equipment. Here are some tips that can help farmers get the most from their fuel. Air and fuel filter maintenance is important to get a correct air-to-fuel ratio for proper combustion. Air filters need to be cleaned or changed regularly to ensure they are not restricting air flow and starving the engine of air. Fuel filters need to be replaced as they age and become clogged and reduce fuel to the engine. Checking these on a regular basis can mean substantial fuel economy. White smoke from a tractors exhaust when it is cold or black smoke when the engine is warm are symptoms of a problem, and farmers need to consider what the source of the problem might be. A fouled injection system could be the culprit. Injectors introduce fuel to the combustion chamber and if the fuel is not broken up properly into small particles by this system, the combustion process will not be complete. As with all equipment, check the manufacturers recommendations for service. Match the tractor to the implement. Make sure the tractor is big enough to pull the implement. An implement that is too large for the tractor can seriously compromise fuel economy. Also, make sure the tractor is properly ballasted weight is evenly distributed between the front and rear. Tire pressure can impact fuel use Tire pressure can also impact fuel economy. It is important to keep tire pressure within the manufacturers recommendations, but by using the lowest possible pressure needed to support a load you also receive the best fuel economy. The more the tire spreads out and leaves a footprint on the ground, the better the fuel economy. Tire pressure and ballasting go hand-in-hand.Another way to conserve diesel fuel is gear up/throttle back. If a producer is using a tractor larger than is necessary for the job, it is better to slow the engine down (throttle back) and increase the gear to get the needed ground speed. Some farmers may also be considering the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel. It can be a viable option and many manufacturers warranty their equipment if it is used. Be sure to check this before making the switch.A producer may have to change his fuel filter as many as six to 10 times when making the switch from petroleum diesel to biodiesel. Biodiesel will partially dissolve a paraffin layer that is in the tank as the result of petroleum diesel usage. Another factor to consider when making the switch is that biodiesel will jell as temperatures drop more quickly than petroleum diesel. Farmers need to understand this and take measures to avoid problems during cold weather. Processors are working to resolve this concern. Finally, try to minimize idling time. While some idling time is necessary to warm up and cool down the engine, dont go to lunch and leave the tractor running. For more information contact the Adair County Cooperative Extension Service, P.O. Box 309, Columbia, KY 42728-0309, by calling 384-2317; or visit the office located at 409 Fairground St., in Columbia. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. This story was posted on 2005-11-23 02:32:30
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic News:
LWC Flag Football team: Another Columbia group National title contenders ELECTION 2006: Nickel Tax absentee voting is very light Youth All-Stars bring home First Place honors and qualify for Nationals Quote of the Day: There are three kinds of people The Top 10 Worst Kept Secrets in Columbia LETTER: Damon's CTA All-Star Cheerleaders perform today in Richmond Christmas in Columbia celebration set for Saturday, December 3 NICKEL SCHOOL TAX COMMENT: CWC Principal Patty Jones shares why she favors it New Survey: Is Adair County headed in the right direction? REMINDER: Adair Health Dept. walk-in flu clinic Fri., Nov. 18, 2005 View even more articles in topic News |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
  
   
 Provided by the Adair Co Fiscal Court and the Adair Co. Emergency Mgt. Agency 
|
||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
Quick Links to Popular Features
Looking for a story or picture? Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com. | ||||||||||
|
Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728. Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.
| ||||||||||
