Non enthanal gas prices for Wheelhorse

[ri702bill 9,160]

The best "bargain" here on ethanol free gas is the 2.1 gallon of Tru Fuel at HD - $45 bucks, so it's about $22 & change a gallon.....

[Wayne0 1,081]

13 hours ago, ML3 said:

I have to buy my boat fuel at the dock also. It's always at least $1.50 more per gallon. My boat is 39ft & weighs 18,000lbs so it's obviously not getting trailered to a fuel station. I'm feeding 2 big block Chevrolet engines. Fuel consumption is 1.6-2.0 gallons per mile! Not miles per gallon! Fuel capacity is 325 gallons. Typically an afternoon out on the water costs about $125-200. 

 

Jet A is almost $5/gallon presently at my local airport. My Beechcraft Bonanza consumes approximately 12gallons per hour at cruse speed of 185mph & fuel capacity is 75gallons. My girlfriends family lives in southern Ohio.  It's a 3hr drive by car or about 45min-1hr flight. That's about $150 in fuel costs. 

 

I need less expensive hobbies. 🙄

Between boat & plane fuel a few gallons of ethanol free is nothing. I use it in all yard equipment,  motorcycles,  snowmobiles, & of course Wheel Horses. 

As an owner of a 34" Searay with twin big blocks, I can sympathize. Fuel on the Merrimack in Newburyport is crazy.

[Ed Kennell 41,167]

Todays price in Red Lion, Pa.

Diesel                    $4.20

E free  90 octane  $4.20

E-15   89 octane    $3.30

E-10   87 octane   $3.40 

E-10  89 octane    $3.80

E-10  90 octane     $4.20

[Beap52 1,303]

On 5/6/2025 at 2:39 PM, lynnmor said:

I believ

That needs to be considered whenever comparing gas prices.  Ethanol laced fuel will give less gas mileage and more taxes for the states to waste.

Our gas tax here in Missouri will be 29.5 cents per gallon soon.  In 2021 it was 21 cents per gallon.  The voters of Missouri voted a higher tax down but the elected officials found a loop hole whereas they could increase our tax by 74% by raising it incremental steps over a period of five years.  We should be seeing much better roads and bridges.

 

I have to give our elected officials credit.  They did make a provision that a person could request the new tax increases be refunded if so desired.  My understanding the paperwork and documentation required pretty much nullifies the average Missourian from getting it. 

 

In my household if it has a carburetor, it get non-ethanol. 

[lynnmor 7,673]

8 minutes ago, Beap52 said:

Our gas tax here in Missouri will be 29.5 cents per gallon soon.  In 2021 it was 21 cents per gallon.  The voters of Missouri voted a higher tax down but the elected officials found a loop hole whereas they could increase our tax by 74% by raising it incremental steps over a period of five years.  We should be seeing much better roads and bridges.

 

 

PA gas tax is .576 per gallon and diesel is .741.  Only California has higher taxes.  For many years we had automatic increases based on the wholesale price of fuel, very few knew that was going on, that may have been stopped if the bill to stop it was passed.  Our tax dollars are wasted on the big cities because that is where the votes are.

[adsm08 2,862]

11 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

Our tax dollars are wasted

 

 

This is really all the farther that thought needed to go.

 

Philly, Pittsburgh, and Erie are the three biggest cities in PA and sway most of our elections. I've been to all three, the roads there aren't any better than out here in the boonies, sometimes they are worse. There are stretches of US 15  between Harrisburg and Selinsgrove that are almost literally the middle of no-where that are better than the best streets in Erie. I'd use parts of I-80 out in The Wilds as an example, but that's part of the Eisenhower system, so it gets federal dollars for upkeep.

Edited May 10 by adsm08

[EB-80/8inPA 1,808]

21 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

There are stretches of US 15  between Harrisburg and Selinsgrove that are almost literally the middle of no-where that are better than the best streets in Erie.

Once off the highway though the smaller local roads (tarred and chipped, or “seal coated”) are frequently rutted from the steel wagon wheels - not gas powered nor taxed.  But then, perhaps the buggy drivers would be fine with dirt roads anyway, so I can’t really gripe about them not paying the gas tex.  It can get a bit “exciting” on a motorcycle though, between the ruts, leftover winter anti-skid traction remover, potholes, and the occasional fresh seal coating.

Anyhoo, pure gas is $4.199 locally @ Sheetz these days.

[EB-80/8inPA 1,808]

On 5/6/2025 at 7:18 PM, ML3 said:

I need less expensive hobbies. 🙄

Don’t they say that it’s cheaper to rent if it flies, floats, or #%¥€s?

[adsm08 2,862]

10 hours ago, EB-80/8inPA said:

Once off the highway though the smaller local roads (tarred and chipped, or “seal coated”) are frequently rutted from the steel wagon wheels - not gas powered nor taxed.  But then, perhaps the buggy drivers would be fine with dirt roads anyway, so I can’t really gripe about them not paying the gas tex.  It can get a bit “exciting” on a motorcycle though, between the ruts, leftover winter anti-skid traction remover, potholes, and the occasional fresh seal coating.

Anyhoo, pure gas is $4.199 locally @ Sheetz these days.

 

Yeah, the Amish do a number on the roads with their buggies. The ones near Lewisburg/Mifflinburg aren't so bad, but I think it's because the horses stay on the farm most of the year and they either ride their bikes or get the Mennonites to drive them places if they need to go anywhere.

[wh500special 2,256]

On 5/6/2025 at 5:34 PM, lynnmor said:

…Filling hot tires with air is not recommended by anyone.

I’ve never heard this.   What’s the explanation?  Pressure will be lower when the tires cool of course, but nobody is normalizing to standard conditions anyway when they check tire pressure - hot or cold.  

 

On 5/6/2025 at 6:18 PM, ML3 said:

…

 

Jet A is almost $5/gallon presently at my local airport. My Beechcraft Bonanza consumes approximately 12gallons per hour at cruse speed of 185mph…

interesting post.
 

15 mpg (185mph/12gph) seems great  for an airplane and way better than any car would get at 185 mph.   Impressive!  I’m betting getting the thing off the ground and up to speed drinks a lot, but still.

 

What’s the slowest you can fly such a thing and does the economy get even better if you slow down?

Also didn’t know they ran on jet A.  
 

Fascinating. 
 

Steve

[wh500special 2,256]

double post...  

 

Edited May 10 by wh500special

[wh500special 2,256]

oops.  Triple post 

Edited May 10 by wh500special

[ML3 1,542]

19 hours ago, EB-80/8inPA said:

Don’t they say that it’s cheaper to rent if it flies, floats, or #%¥€s?

True. Honestly,  the plane was my grandfather's & I inherited it. Considered selling it when I originally acquired it. Most my girlfriends family have planes so I got talked into keeping it. No regrets. 

[ML3 1,542]

4 hours ago, wh500special said:

I’ve never heard this.   What’s the explanation?  Pressure will be lower when the tires cool of course, but nobody is normalizing to standard conditions anyway when they check tire pressure - hot or cold.  

 

interesting post.
 

15 mpg (185mph/12gph) seems great  for an airplane and way better than any car would get at 185 mph.   Impressive!  I’m betting getting the thing off the ground and up to speed drinks a lot, but still.

 

What’s the slowest you can fly such a thing and does the economy get even better if you slow down?

Also didn’t know they ran on jet A.  
 

Fascinating. 
 

Steve

Belive it or not 150-180 is cruise speed for optimal fuel consumption. It's a low wing aircraft & the landing gear retracts so it's very slick thru the air. Also it's a "V" tail rear wing which helps with speed & effencicy. The "V" tail Bonanzas were called the "Dr killers" due to their unique handling characteristics. Its not a plane for a beginner pilot. High wing aircraft like a Cessna 172 (I initially learned to fly on one) fly slow at about 60-80mph.  It only takes bout 2/3 throttle to take off & climb in my plane. Take off speed is bout 80mph, touch down is the same. Anything less than 100mph while in flight is a risk for a stall for my aircraft. Air fuel mixture is adjusted manually based on flying conditions. 

Edited May 10 by ML3

[lynnmor 7,673]

3 hours ago, wh500special said:

I’ve never heard this.   What’s the explanation?  Pressure will be lower when the tires cool of course, but nobody is normalizing to standard conditions anyway when they check tire pressure - hot or cold.  

 

 

I'm sure that you are right about people not checking the tire pressure properly, but you can do it right if you want to.  Tire pressure is set when the tire is cold meaning that it was not used for a significant amount of time to cause it to built up heat.  Your owners manual will give you the information, of course that too is never used.

[EB-80/8inPA 1,808]

3 hours ago, ML3 said:

No regrets

That’s great.  Thanks for responding.

[wh500special 2,256]

4 hours ago, lynnmor said:

 

I'm sure that you are right about people not checking the tire pressure properly, but you can do it right if you want to.  Tire pressure is set when the tire is cold meaning that it was not used for a significant amount of time to cause it to built up heat.  Your owners manual will give you the information, of course that too is never used.

I read all manuals when I get something new.  I’ve written dozens of them through the years for military equipment we’ve manufactured, so thankfully I find it enjoyable reading (seriously). 
 

I inferred from your initial post that there was more to it than just a discrepancy in accuracy when the tires are hot.   Now I see that was your main point and I wasn’t missing anything. Thanks!

Steve

 

[rjg854 11,992]

I've never had a problem adding air to a soft tire when warmed up. I just set it's pressure to agree with what the other 3 tires pressure reading is. Once they've cooled the pressure then is pretty close to what it should be.