LP refueling on the farm

[Farmritch]

I have asked this to many people many times and usually get a hypothetical answer instead of real life experience.

How did the tanks (on the tractor) get filled on the farm???

I know a gallon of LP is equal to about 1.25 gallons of gas and the BTU properties are less.
Also a 50 gallon LP tank can only be filled to 80% of capacity.
All things considered this would equal less time between fuel ups and the transfer of LP is not so fast.
Gravity would not work so well as the supply tank is usually on the ground and a pump is very expensive?
Did you just vent & fill?
I've got a bit of LP and LP tank experience but I've never had an LP tractor or vehicle myself, but again have studied them for years, we once ran our squad cars on LP here in Indiana.It was not good refilling them in the winter.
Thanks
 

[Frank A]

If I have the time I hook it up and leave it overnight. The smaller tank cools quicker, but it depends on temperature change. If I need it right away I release vapor. When I have a chance I am going the plumb a tank to recover the vapor I release.
 

[Sparky Duroe]

1st you need a liquid line on your LP tank. This is the line you would run a corn dryer from. Hook up the hose, open the vent and fills.
 

[RWT]

They fill on pressure differential.

We had a liquid hose which was attached and turned on. Then the bleed/80%level valve was opened. This dropped the pressure of the tank being filled a little below the supply tank. Depending on conditions the tank fills at a modest rate.

Now, you come in at say noon with everything all warmed up and need fuel. The tractor tank will be at a significantly higher pressure. We would grab a bolt and bleed pressure off fast on the vapor valve. Crude but it works and under these conditions you had to bleed it a lot or it would take forever.

If you can catch the tank almost out and/or at low pressure it will fill fast.

There are pumps but I never had one. When the liquid starts coming out the bleed valve (generally) shut it off.

We had a 500 gallon tank on a trailer to take to the field if wanted. You do burn more.

RT (and my 2 cents.)
 

[Harry J. Case]

I would go with just vent and fill, I have heard of several farmers that wouldn't buy propane tractors because they didn't want to buy the pumps to deal with it. This is nonsense, you can just let the pressure in the main tank do all of the work. And you can fill your tank on your tractor to 100% by letting it fill overnight without venting, just shut it off and be ready to start up and go to work before the sun warms up the tank, let it warm up too much and the pressure relief valve will come in to play. I still don't understand why diesel engines are are so popular and propane is a dinosaur.
 

[super 55]

Saw this on a google search. Just about what is said below.

http://www.ehow.com/how_10004840_fill-propane-tractor.html
how to fill a porpane tank

 

[Howard H.]

My real life experience started in grade school on dad's LP 4020s... We always used vent & fill for the tractors.

though the supply tanker trucks that would come out to fill Dad's 2000 gallon tank always hooked up a bleeder line to reclaim the vented fuel.

I didn't know what a diesel tractor was until I was in high school.

I know a full tank of LP lasted PLENTY long enough at a time for me driving tractors all summer...

Howard
 

[mkirsch]

People have an irrational fear of propane. They see the movies where a propane tank is shot with a gun and explodes. "OMFG that's dangerous," they say, and they're afraid of propane.

Joke's on them. The explosion was probably made with GASOLINE, the stuff they think NOTHING of handling on a day-to-day basis. If people realized how much risk is involved in simply filling up their car, many would probably quit driving.
 

[Dalet]

I have an 82 GMC pickup with a factory 350 LP engine and a 400 Farmall that is LP.
I just do as others have said where I connect the liquid line to the tank of the vehicle, then I open the bleeder valve. When I am in a hurry, I take a flat screwdriver and push in on the large vapor fitting on the vehicle tank to drop the pressure enough to hear the liquid start rushing into the tank. It only takes about 5 minutes or less and I am on my way again.

I will be driving the old LP units more this year since LP is only 1.25/gal. I used to call it my poor mans diesel, and will be doing that again this year. It will be about as economical as if diesel were 2.50 a gallon and its nearly 2x that right now.