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Poll: fuel & driving

Started by Ron Wenrich, March 27, 2005, 08:40:58 PM

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Ron Wenrich

Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Roxie

I don't do any driving just for fun anymore.  I do have a 38 mile (one way) commute to work every day.  These prices are really hurting financially. 
Say when

sandmar

will concentrate making the most of one trip rather than going at my convenience

Sandmar

Furby

Yep, put stuff off and try to do everything need on a given side of town, on the same day.
May mean it takes a couple days or more to get something done, but I'm not wasting as much time and a lot less gas.

Tom

all of my driving is in my truck, pulling the sawmill or going to the sawsite.  It'll effect my driving only in that my bottom line gets diminished.  I can't stop and have already hit my customers enough to have them back off.  It's not just my cost, they have to pay for fuel too and their available cash is afffected.   It's a double whammy.

Ed_K

 I just purchased a 60 hp 4x4 Landini farm tractor to replace a lot of the logging I do with the skidder. 7gals a day instead of 20 helps.
Ed K

Faron

Being a little "frugal" by nature, I don't do too much unnecessary driving.  I am now having to look into the possibility of buying a semi and hopper bottom trailer to haul my crop out of the bins.   $2.20 gas + 300 bu. truck + record crop = Yikes!!!!!! when paying the fuel bill.
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

DanG

I've already curtailed my driving as far as is practical.  Now I'm on the look for an economical vehicle to do the runabout duty, and have my eye on a 5.9 Dodge to replace the F-350 with a 460.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Fla._Deadheader


  We drive 160 miles, one way, and then use 2 outboards to run 10+ miles each way, under a good load. Then we haul heavy loads home. Haven't raised the price of product much since we started. Gonna give up the logging gig, and go on Welfare. ::) ::) ;D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Bro. Noble

I have a short drive between the dairybarn and the sawmill.  Outside of going to town to  church and ocassionally to get a haircut,  I rarely go anywhere. >:(

If I get a chance to go somewhere,  I'm gone-------don't care what gas costs :D :D
milking and logging and sawing and milking

pigman

About half of my truck driving in the last 6 months has been hauling for the local Amish. If fuel keeps going up I might start hiring then to haul my stuff instead . ;)
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

etat

I do lots of driving, to and from jobs and running estimates.  I never charge for estimates and don't plan to. It has gotten, however, where I pretty much don't do estimates on minor repair work.  I'll either go out and fix the leak, or not.  To me it's a waste of time to go out and write a estimate in the less than 200 dollar price range.  If prices on fuel go much higher  I'll have to raise the pride of roofing to help cover it.  Pretty much the only increases I've added in 3 or 4 years have been only to cover the increase in cost of materials.
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

etat

QuoteGonna give up the logging gig, and go on Welfare.


:D :D :D :D :D :D 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

Quartlow

Gas prices won't effect the mill much since most of my sawing is for myself, My running habits won't change much since I've always tried to get everything I need on the fewest trips, since I HATE going to town >:( >:(

It will effect the big truck when it goes to work soon but thats just a fact of life. Thats one reason I only haul local close to home. no getting trapped out somewhere with no freight going my way for decent rate.
Breezewood 24 inch mill
Have a wooderful day!!

Buzz-sawyer

Well, its starting to have an effect on my life and business.......I burn LOTS of fuel diesel for mill, tractors trucks family car generators...etc.
I have seen my net visibly effected....And inflated prices on steel and other goods and materials seem to be hitting as a result...I dont believe I have, NOTICED an overall gouge this big in my profitability since  I started out in 1984???????????????
:-[ :-[ :-[
    HEAR THAT BLADE SING!

pigman

   Charles wrote  "  I'll have to raise the pride of roofing "
Now just how high can you raise the pride of roofing. I bet it is as high as the roof now. ;)
Things turn out best for people who make the best of how things turn out.

etat

Typing error! ;D  Shoulda said PRICE, the pride part don't change regardless! :)   8) 8)
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

iain

Over here we been watching the price for years, its about $7.23 a gallon now, and due to rise to about $7.74 in the next cauple of weeks.
When you say economical, what do you mean?  my small van loads out at one and a half tons, and averages 38 to the gal loaded, or pulling the lt40hd, the engine is only 2ltr but i still chuff along at 50/60mph
cutting with the kolher command pro 25 use's about 4 gal a day, on big dryish oak, 5.9 seems huge there are a few (Big) yank trucks here, but they dont fit down the roads to well :D :D



     iain

sawguy21

$7.23 a gallon!!! >:( YIKES. The Dodge 5.9L  is a diesel, much better on fuel than the Ford 460 cubic inch gas hog he wants to replace. Still, it is a large vehicle, not very useful on narrow British roads.
Carriers here are adding a fuel surtax to their invoices. When I quote on non-stocked items, I have to pass it on.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

OneWithWood

The ever increasing cost of fuel hurts but the only effect it will have on my driving habits will be which vehicle I drive.  If I need the truck, I need the truck.  One car gets better fuel mileage than the other but it runs on premium so it can be a tossup as to which is least expensive to drive.   ::)
My time has always been more valuable than the price of fuel and I try to be very efficient with trips to anywhere.  It is rare I will drive to town for anything today that I can get when I am in town tomorrow.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

DanG

What Sawguy said!  The 460 is 7.5 litres and gets less than 10 miles per gallon.  I'd like to find a little Isuzu P'up for a runabout.  The deisel version of  that would be great.  The Dodge I'm looking at is a '92, 3/4ton with 4 wheel drive.  Need something that will drag a pretty good load of logs.  Can't putter along at 50mph on the Interstates over here, I'd get run over or stopped for impeding traffic. :o :D :D
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

OneWithWood

My beater truck is a '86 F250 with that same honkin' 460 gas guzzler.  I wish my new 6L F-350 would get here.  The mileage on that is much better.  Unfortunately the dealer tells me the factory is all backed up and I won't see it until early May.  Bummer :(

On the bright side, I saw a program about muscle cars last night.  They were going on an on about the largest engines of the time being the 442.  I just went out and patted that big ole' 460 with the Edelbrock carb, head, headers and other goodies.  Too bad it is in the truck and not the car!!
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

redpowerd

this year with the price of diesel and the threat of soybean rust in the southern states we will be no tilling much more beans than previous years. with corn we need to make two more passes with the steiger and disks than no tilling beans.
NO FARMERS -- NO FOOD
northern adirondak yankee farmer

DanG

I know whatcha mean, OWW.  I love that ol' 460.  It's been a super-dependable truck and will move whatever I ask it to move.  At least mine is an 88 and has the electronic fuel injection.  I think that helps the mileage a little bit.  It would help more if I'd spiff up the emissions systems and give it a good tune-up.

I've thought about changing the rear-end to a higher ratio.  I don't know what mine is, but it's pretty low.  1st gear is so low it's unusable, and the engine is spinning pretty good in 5th at highway speeds.  A higher ratio would give me 1st gear back, and I could use 4th on the road when loaded heavy.  Whadda y'all think?
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Larry

Even before the current round of gas price escalation the Saturn was getting the call if the trip didn't require the F-350.  Keep a note pad on the dash which has helped to reduce some of the trips to town for just 1 or 2 items (if only I remember to write it down).

Gonna take a hard look at small diesel powered cars when it is time to replace the Saturn.  Some of them have a impression record of both fuel economy and longevity.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.