• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Advice or Ideas...

nonothing

Well-known member
well I guess we can blame who ever we want about the high cost of gas but it rerally does'nt matter the price right now is high...

So I have decided to make a thread asking folks what advice do you all have to save fuel?....is your life affected by the fuel costs?

So if anyone has some tips to save fuel or just ideas on how they plan to work around it,I would like to read your comments...thank-you
 

burnt

Well-known member
I am to blame as much as the next guy. Even though the gas now costs more than the coffee, I still like to drive to the coffee shop for the morning cuppa with the guys and gals from the 'hood. It's great social time.

The point that I am making is that our habits of indulgence are so deeply ingrained that we adamantly refuse to change our ways no matter how much it costs. And the fuel companies know it.

I have no idea what percentage of our fuel consumption is superfluous, but I would guess that if we (the North American consumer like myself) would cut even half of our extra driving out, we could easily shave 5 - 10 % off of total consumption.

Would that not have to make a positive difference?

When I was a kid, Dad would only us to go to town once a week - all of an 8 mile drive. Now it might be three or four trips, sometimes daily.

On the other hand, I have had to think that no matter how much we reduce our consumption in the West, it will only be offset by the increasingly voracious appetite for petroleum products in the awakening economic superpowers in Asia.

In either case, I doubt that the fuel companies will ever see the need to reduce their prices, because a) they have come to enjoy their obscene profits as much as we love our cars, trucks and SUV's, and b) it will be next to impossible to reduce the global requirement for fuel by any significant amount.

So, either we tighten our belts or suck it up, no pun intended.
 

mrj

Well-known member
We are making an effort to cut non-essential travel, and to use the most fuel efficient vehicle we have......when it will work out.

Unfortunately and despite all th hype and blame and finger pointing.....it does make sense that the 'blame' belongs first to dramatically increased demand for fuel world-wide, then our own liberal politicians who refused to allow drilling KNOWN oil sources in Anwar and under water off our shores, AND those who have 'protected' us from 'dirty' refinery construction.

We simply cannot 'conserve' ourselves out of fuel shortages. Tooling up alternative sources takes time, and making vehicles to operate on significantly less fuel also takes more time, so change won't come quickly unless politically influenced with resulting increased taxes, IMO.

Increased supplies and refinery capacity MAY improve the situation, and as in other commodities, high prices often does cure high prices....eventually!

We have an opportunity to have a new refinery built in SD, but I won't bet the election to allow it passes, even in our fuel driven, agriculture dependent state! The NIMBY syndrome is alive and well in SD!

Add the fact that fossil fuels are the driving force behind capitalism and there are way too many people who oppose capitalism, favoring what effectively requires socialism to accomplish 'for' people......I wouldn't bet much on production of much more fossil fuel in the USA until more people in this country get more hungry than they are now.

mrj
 

burnt

Well-known member
mrj, are you saying that the refinery is not a "go" at this time? I thought I read that is is underway as we speak.

One of the greatest causes for the steep fuel prices is refinery capacity, we have been told. But why would the oil companies add production capacity if it would decrease their profits?

If only we could get that idea through our heads in agriculture! But it is pretty hard to develop the necessary monopoly at the production level in most ag. commodities.
 

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
One of the greatest causes for the steep fuel prices is refinery capacity, we have been told. But why would the oil companies add production capacity if it would decrease their profits?


Maybe buying the oil to put through these refineries by the time they are built would be the thing to hurt their profits.

Here's a very pessimistic, although interesting, site on Peak oil. Lots of reading, and not for the weak. He does sound like a crackpot, but makes some very good points, with some predictions that were made back in 1956, and have materialzed within the time frame that was predicted.

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/
 

nr

Well-known member
We're trying to drive at the speed that is most fuel efficient (55 mph).
We drove to Michigan recently to see my dad and found it very difficult to go at that slow speed especially when everyone else was doing 80.
 

Cal

Well-known member
I agree totally with mrj. We've also been driving cars on most trips, when it's practicle, when we used to drive pickups.

Something else that's saved a good bit of fuel over the years has been to go no-till. There's alot expense going into it....air drill, sprayer, chemicals, etc... but the tractors aren't pulled hard as in a tillage situation, with the exception of drilling, also saving money on tractor repairs and longer life before need for replacement.

Here in the last leg of calving we purchased a Kabota rtv, with a little 3 cylinder diesel, 2 seat cab with heat/AC, and a box. Since getting this, the hours and amount of gas being used by the pickups have gone way down, while this little thing has been running almost nonstop. About every 10 hours it takes about 6 gal. of fuel, which is a geuss because the meter on the diesel tank quit working, but it gets around in the mud very well which will most likely cut down on pickup repairs, and the cab makes it a little more of a likely choice to use during crappy weather than a 4 wheeler. We were in the middle of a pretty bad storm yesterday and was glad to have it....opening and closing gates for the feeding tractor in wind gusts up to app. 60mph, trying to get calves back to the windbreak, got a couple late calvers to the barn through some pretty bad mud......now I'm rambling. :)

When handed lemons, sometimes you can make some pretty fair lemonade.
 

Cal

Well-known member
nonrancher said:
We're trying to drive at the speed that is most fuel efficient (55 mph).
We drove to Michigan recently to see my dad and found it very difficult to go at that slow speed especially when everyone else was doing 80.
Did alot of people wave at you....with the middle finger. :lol: :lol:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I've been driving the old Olds 98 a lot more rather than the pickups when I can--but not sure if I'm saving much with that 455 "Rocket V8" engine :???: But it sure is more comfortable to cruise down the road in....
 

nr

Well-known member
Cal said:
nonrancher said:
We're trying to drive at the speed that is most fuel efficient (55 mph).
We drove to Michigan recently to see my dad and found it very difficult to go at that slow speed especially when everyone else was doing 80.
Did alot of people wave at you....with the middle finger. :lol: :lol:
We figured we made many feel good as they successfully zoomed past us. :wink: but as I said, it was hard maintaining a slow speed we're so used to being the zoomers.
 

I Luv Herfrds

Well-known member
Cal we still til our farm land and do summer fallow. My husband penciled out and we are spending 49% LESS then the guys around us who no til. That is doing one spray job and 3 trips over it with the plow. That was last year, going to pencil it for this year. Besides we have the biggest fire breaks in out area anymore.
Now with the high price of fertilizer we are going to put to good use the piles we get out of our corrals.

Trips to town are cut as far back as possible. Been driving a 1960's Plymouth Belvedere into town, just until I get my '71 Nova back. Tuned up that car gets 22-23 mpg going 70 mph. Yes we checked it.
 

Kato

Well-known member
Geo Metro 8) 8) But everyone here already knows that! :D :D :D We also drive a little slower, but that's got a lot to do with what we're driving. LOL :wink:

Besides that, we graze our corn instead of putting up silage, and use as much manure on it as we can to cut fertilizer useage. Bought a bigger hay trailer last year, and it cut trips to the field by a third. We also use the quad whenever there's a job it can do instead of the truck. Dirty job, but someone has to do it. :D :D :D I just love that quad!

Try and stay away from town as much as possible by doing as much business as possible in one trip. This requires planning though, so it's kind of a work in progress. :roll: :roll: :roll:
 

Cal

Well-known member
I Luv Herfrds said:
Cal we still til our farm land and do summer fallow. My husband penciled out and we are spending 49% LESS then the guys around us who no til. That is doing one spray job and 3 trips over it with the plow. That was last year, going to pencil it for this year. Besides we have the biggest fire breaks in out area anymore.
Now with the high price of fertilizer we are going to put to good use the piles we get out of our corrals.

Trips to town are cut as far back as possible. Been driving a 1960's Plymouth Belvedere into town, just until I get my '71 Nova back. Tuned up that car gets 22-23 mpg going 70 mph. Yes we checked it.
It costs alot to hire a custom sprayer, but other than that maybe your husband could tutor some of us in math. :wink:
 

nr

Well-known member
Hubby added more insulation in the attic which helped the heating bill and also should make a difference this summer in the electric bill.
 
Top