Fuel prices....again!

Texasmark

Well-known Member
Filled my house propane tanks yesterday....$2.75 delivered.....was pleasantly surprised. September is the cheapest month to fill up around here. Farm diesel (30 cent road tax eliminated) was $5.19. I was reading new sources yesterday and apparently crude oil from the Middle East is easier to refine into diesel, whereas light crude from around here makes the best gasoline.....maybe that's the reason for disparity between the two fuels...around $2 more for a gallon of diesel.
 
Filled my house propane tanks yesterday....$2.75 delivered.....was pleasantly surprised. September is the cheapest month to fill up around here. Farm diesel (30 cent road tax eliminated) was $5.19. I was reading new sources yesterday and apparently crude oil from the Middle East is easier to refine into diesel, whereas light crude from around here makes the best gasoline.....maybe that's the reason for disparity between the two fuels...around $2 more for a gallon of diesel.
I am low on all farm fuels. I have been holding off hoping for better prices. Looks like I guessed wrong again!
 
I am by far not a student of refining fuels. When I was married in 1956 we burned #2 heating fuel. to heat the house we rented. What few diesel engines of that time burned #2 hearting fuel with road tax added then called diesel fuel that made it about half of gasolene prices at the pump. I know that a lot of clean fuel regulations have raised the cost of refining diesel fuel. My understanding is low and suspicions are high.
 
All I know is, when they filled my heating oil barrel in April, it cost me over $800. I seriously doubt I have a fill up this winter that'll be ay less. $2535 last week for 500 gallons of diesel. Stay warm folks.
 
Filled my house propane tanks yesterday....$2.75 delivered.....was pleasantly surprised. September is the cheapest month to fill up around here. Farm diesel (30 cent road tax eliminated) was $5.19. I was reading new sources yesterday and apparently crude oil from the Middle East is easier to refine into diesel, whereas light crude from around here makes the best gasoline.....maybe that's the reason for disparity between the two fuels...around $2 more for a gallon of diesel.
welp my take on diesel prices is that it really NEVER started going up till the day they started installing them on pick up's and one ton's . Back in late Aug. of that year i drove my new I H 4300 Eagle 14 miles to put the first full tank of fuel in it . The tractor had a shade over a 1/4 tank after it's drive to the dealer from Ft. Wayen at the factory then from the dealers lot to my buddy's and mine's shop Where he and i did the set up work on his new I H 4300 Eagle . We had fifth wheels to install the all air controlled wet line system and tank and a new set of custom made half fenders over the drive tires . Both trucks came with two 105 gallon tanks . I paid 30.9 CENTS a gallon for a 165 gallon of Sohio diesel supreme the best #2 diesel money could buy . That did not last long though maybe a couple months then it took a ten cent jump and buy the end of 79 we were paying upwards of a buck five a gallon and we were adding a fuel sure charge on every load to offset the prices , that was not much comfort when your sucking down 175-200 gallon a day . back in 1970 while just a driver fuel at the place i was working at brought in by the tanker load of 6000 gallons at a time was 18.9 cents a gallon feeding a small fleet of 6-8 semi's most 318 Detroits sucking down fuel at a rate of 3.5 to 4 MPG . Now with my NEW Semi with the BIG Cummins i was doing 5.4-6 MPG depending on where we were hauling out of and going pulling loads up to 98000 lbs net weight ( yea we hauled heavy totally out law trucking at it's finest ). With the old Detroits a 80000 lb load was a struggle . In the early 80's the diesel power pick up came on the market then the craz for the happy urban home owner that just had to have the biggest baddest crew cab diesel dually 4x4 to haul six bags from Walmarts now set in drive ways and the Kiddiest with there lifted turned up noise makes dot the streets because we just got to have them and dam the cost we got to go . Yea i have a Dodge 3500 cab and chassis 4x4 For work no fancy carpet , no power windows no fancy tires and wheels . A plain ST model that does have A/C that does not work . I bought well used . when i bought it THINKING this would be BETTER then my Ford F 350 4x4 cab and chassis with the 460 as at that time frame DIESEL was less then GAS that i would do better on FUEL MILEAGE then the 460 ( boy was i wrong ) . And Wrong more ways then just fuel mileage . Not long after putting it on the road DIESEL went up above the HIGH TEST that i ran in the 460 no instead of just six Qt. of OIL each oil change now it is 10 and that FL 1 oil filter that buying in the case lots for around 2 bucks a filter now was 12 something . The avg of 14 MPG out on the open road with the 460 i was getting 10-12 out of the Dodge till i ran the over head and reset the pump timing on the Cummins along with the 1280 dollars for the Cummins service set tool kit that one needs to work on one then i was getting around 15 till the ULTRA LOW SULFUR Fuel came out and due to the lower BTU and loosen pony power we went back to 13 MPG . . NOW the OIL companys know they have us where the hair is short and everything moves buy DIESEL and the cost is now passed on on EVERYTHING . And every hick up in the oil supply chain falls back on us and i do not see ANY price fall back as now they have us they sure do not want to give it up . around here ya can see the affect even if you half blind . I see it in the evening just setting on my ft porch as to the LACK of traffic after 6 PM and by 9 you will find more activity in the Cematary things are slowing down big time , the two semi's that use to pass the house hauling plastic pellets from the ware house to the plastic plant on the north west side of town are no longer running 24/7 they are done by 3:30-4 Pm . The local county to the north of me has one of the largest fair in the country , this year opening day had the lowest gate tally EVER at 12 bucks a head to get in and plus the rides tickets and them 8-12 buck sandwiches and i am not sure what price that mony hungry fair charges on that per event People are now in survival mode . I for one am glad the War Dept now works from the house three days a week now and not covering four COUNTYS like she use to . It took a year and a half to get the credit cards paid down when gas jumped from a buck 35 to 3.65 a galllon then add in twice a month oil chages due to the miles she was running four new tire each year and then tires on the Durango did NOT come cheap . And it was not a fuel sipper it drank it like a drunken sailor on shore leave.
 
Saw giant camper trailers, some needed 3 axles, some were pulling a trailer behind the camper wagon with the 4 wheeler toys on the trailer, lining the state highway this weekend, pulled by big and bigger pickups.

So…. Prices are high, but it doesn’t seem to be decreasing demand much. Folks complain while buying more gallons than they did last year? Not really much of a deal then I guess?

On the farm I complain about fuel prices too. But in the grand scheme of farming, it’s a very small portion of the cost per acre of farming.

Fertilizer prices will be a deal by next spring. That can be hundreds of dollars per acre. Price increase here adds up. I’m much more in tune with watching what happens here.

Fuel, I run about 3 gallons an acre, if it goes up to ten bucks a gallon I’m out 30 bucks, it’s not really a big deal on a $1000 corn crop. Other than my whining and gnashing of teeth, doesn’t affect the bottom line all that much. :)

Paul
 
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