We all know that modern tractors require more than a single fuel source to keep operating. And according to this article, “Now tractors are judged by not only the “fuel” they consume, but also the “fluid” required to get emissions down to near-zero levels as required by the EPA’s Tier 4 emissions standards. It’s no small task, as tractor manufacturers have had to devote a large portion of their R&D dollars over the last decade to design engines that don’t smoke.”
The Nebraska Tractor Test Lab has revised its evaluation procedures to account for the added fuel and DEF used in the tractors. Follow the link, and you can find reports that take those fluids into account, and gives you the fluid efficiency ratings of the high-horsepower, or HHP, tractors (150 hp and up) that have been officially tested in the last five years, from 2009 to 2013.
Here’s a great quote: from NTTL Director Roger Hoy: “I really cannot make a general statement, except to say that DEF and fuel consumed during regenerations need to be considered along with fuel economy.”
Do you look at total fluid efficiency?