Should I get a diesel

I'm making my huskey into a mudder I'm getting a new engine should i get a diesel or gas and what one

this should be in general or engine talk but Id suggest gas if you are going hydraulic

I'd go with diesel

Well diesels are expensive so if you can afford it the do it.

moved to diesels by me- 11:50 1/29/14

oh, diesels are cool, but they arent cheap, and theyre really heavy. not to mention the fuel is expensive

I would NOT look for a diesel for a lightweight garden tractor. A diesels strength is it's torque... which IS needed for moving heavy tractors, but is wasted on a light one. Big Bolens, a big sears suburban, yeah... An lt1000 or a smaller sears, you have added extra weight to bog you down with little or no gain. I wouldn't recommend an Onan twin for the same reason (I'm using the onan in the Red Fox because it will weigh nearly 1000 lbs complete)

It's a simple power to weight ratio. Light vehicles need hp, heavy ones need torque. An argument about it solves nothing, and doesn't belong here.

Lawren Wimberly wrote:

I would NOT look for a diesel for a lightweight garden tractor. A diesels strength is it's torque... which IS needed for moving heavy tractors, but is wasted on a light one. Big Bolens, a big sears suburban, yeah... An lt1000 or a smaller sears, you have added extra weight to bog you down with little or no gain. I wouldn't recommend an Onan twin for the same reason (I'm using the onan in the Red Fox because it will weigh nearly 100 lbs complete)

It's a simple power to weight ratio. Light vehicles need hp, heavy ones need torque. An argument about it solves nothing, and doesn't belong here.

completely agree. And there is no cheap diesel

Well for people that are curious, ill tell you up front, for a VERTICAL shaft diesel you probably cant afford one. I was unable to locate a single cyl, witch only leaves you with a V-twin diesel. According to a guy on mytractorforum its about $950 to your door from china. Heres the catch, you have to order 50 of them at a time. (aka you gotta be a small business) So, if you wanna spend over $47,500, and have 49 spare engines, go for it.

http://www.makepolo.com/products/22hp16kw-vertical-shaft-diesel-engine-p52814872.html

If you are asking if you should get a Diesel, you probably dont need one.

Agreed Doc, and yeah, in the world of modding lawn tractors, a diesel is a last resort kinda thing. UNLESS you had planned to make a diesel machine from the beginning in which case you wouldn't be asking. RIGHT? I'd go with an OHV Briggs or an oppy. Vanguard twins are the best [if you can afford], but nothing's wrong with any briggs really for a light [typical AYP, Murray, or MTD] tractor. Just go gas.

I'll say get whatever you want or can afford   

jack9102 wrote:

Agreed Doc,

I haven't said anything yet!!!  

Doc Sprocket wrote:

jack9102 wrote:

Agreed Doc,

I haven't said anything yet!!!  

think he meant doug

Im Doc #2.

Right - yeah that's what I meat, OF COURSE! shutup. lol

Heheheheh.

well, now that we have hijacked this poor kid's thread... LOL

Fine- back on topic-

A diesel has it's purposes, and there's good reasons to want one. There's bad reasons too, like wanting one, just because. The biggest drawbacks (as stated already) is the fact that they are heavy and quite expensive. If you are new to all of this (and I suspect you are- just a feeling mind you) you're far better off to just start with a good old fashioned Briggs gasoline engine.

Parts for gas are a lot easier to find and a lot easier to work on too. I dont have much hands on diesel experience but I do know that they are NOTHING like a gasoline engine.

I could tell you - working on diesel stuff from small 6hp generators to 750cuin Cummins CR engines.

The diesels I've got atm are a 10hp Yanmar l100 china clone, a Yanmar 3TN 3 cyl OHV in the Deere front deck, and the 750 Cummins in the grader. There were the two 3-71 Detroits in the skidders but those are gone now

Lawn tractors have no need for diesels except in the case of unique builds that are just for sh!ts and giggles, like Fearlessfront's SS/16, or for competition [pulling]. There's no reason to have one in an everyday tractor - whether you can afford it or not.