Almost everyone's initial instinct is to buy the Kubota Diesel powered Ventrac 4520Y over the Gasoline powered 4520Z. But after some research and information gathering, almost all decide against the diesel model. And it it is not because of the price, because the price is about the same. So why then?
Why Choose Ventrac’s Gas Engines?
EPA regulations stipulate that some expensive bulky components be present on diesel engines having 25+ horse power. These bulky components simply can't be fit inside the very limited space under the hood of a small tractor like the Ventrac. This is why Ventrac has selected the 24.8 HP Kubota for their diesel engine. For gasoline engines similar regulations begin when the engine displacement reaches 1000cc. This allows Ventrac to put more power under the hood of the gas tractors than the diesel.
Low end torque
Having good torque at low RPM's, as diesel engines are known for, can be nice for working equipment with the engine at low and mid throttle, particularly with a gear drive machine not using the PTO. But with a hydro drive machine you pretty much need to get the engine up to 2/3 to 3/4 throttle to get the hydros flowing well enough to get much work done. And if you are using a mowing deck or some other PTO driven attachment you are probably going to need the engine running at full throttle. What good is low end torque if you seldom have an application where you can use it.
RPM
In addition, the torque is higher at any RPM for the Kubota 32.5 HP gasoline WG972GL engine than on the Kubota 24.8 HP diesel D902 engine. Click the model # links to compare Kubota engine spec sheets.
Longevity
The gasoline and diesel Kubota engines are both build on the same footprint, are water cooled, share many of the same parts and should have a similar life expectancy.
Fuel Cost
Diesel fuel costs more than gasoline, and the Kubota diesel engine burns only slightly less fuel than the Kubota EFI gas engine. 1.1 gallons per hour on average vs 1.2 for the gas.
Application
Where you tend to need more power is when you are climbing steep hills and or have a heavy load on the PTO as would be the case for a big mowing in heavy grass. These more demanding situations make the more powerful gasoline engines the way to go.
On the other hand the diesel Ventrac may have plenty of power for lesser demanding applications and may be a good choice.
Learn more at https://www.btsouth.com/ventrac
