Eight Tips for Improving Your Equipment’s Fuel Efficiency
June 29, 2021
Written By Adam Buckallew
People generally don’t like to leave money on the table. But that’s precisely what happens when equipment is operated inefficiently. If you want to improve the fuel efficiency of your operation and save on your fuel bill, follow these eight tips.
- Keep Idling to a Minimum – Any time your equipment is idling, it costs you. Besides wasting fuel, idling can add non-productive hours to your machinery, accelerate engine wear and lower your resale value.
- Maintain Your Machinery – A preventative maintenance schedule can help you save on fuel, avoid repairs and prevent downtime. Scheduling routine replacement of lubricants and fuel, oil and air filters can boost horsepower while reducing fuel usage. Check your owner’s manual for recommended maintenance intervals.
- Keep Tires Properly Inflated – Check the inflation of your tires before starting a job. Tires that are low on air make your engine work harder and burn more fuel. When tires are underinflated by just 6 psi the engine may be consuming as much as 3 percent more fuel. But the correct pressure depends on the job. In muddy environments, low pressure can improve traction and reduce slippage.
- Use the Right Machine for the Job –Too much or too little horsepower can drastically affect fuel efficiency. Use your smallest equipment for lighter loads and jobs to maximize your fuel efficiency. For heavy-duty jobs, use your bigger equipment with more horsepower. Overloading small equipment can rob fuel efficiency.
- Gear Up, Throttle Down –Studies have shown shifting to a higher gear while reducing engine speed can provide considerable fuel efficiency savings. This practice works best with light to moderate loads that require less than 75 percent of full engine power. Gearing up and throttling down works well with PTO-driven implements that do not require full tractor power.
- Replace Lost or Faulty Fuel Caps – Vehicles and equipment come with a fuel cap for a couple of important reasons. The caps prevent fuel loss from evaporation and keep dirt and other contaminants out of your fuel tank.
- Store Fuel Correctly – To minimize fuel loss from evaporation, place bulk storage tanks in well-shaded outdoor areas that are away from buildings when possible. Painting tanks with a reflective color like white or silver can reduce evaporative losses by up to 40 percent.
- Select Quality Products – Choosing high-quality fuel, oils and lubricants can help boost engine performance, improve fuel efficiency and extend engine life. BOSS Performance Diesel can increase horsepower and fuel economy by as much as 4.5% over untreated #2 diesel fuel. Work Horse lubricants are formulated using advanced additives and the latest technology to provide engine oils, tractor, transmission and torque fluids, and greases that can stand up to brutal workloads in a wide range of challenging conditions.