BioDieselNow - Renewable biodiesel fuel

i'm new here but......lol.. if someone hasn't used the new FM2 then why would they criticize it?  Looks like most people here have only used or seen some older one they made. I have the FM2 and i have to say - it rocks....... water wash is nice cuz it has the pressure regulator & auto-shutoff thing and the dry lid thing they have is pretty cool, dries my fuel in about 2 hours most of the time.

 They have it on YouTube > http://youtube.com/watch?v=hTuDUq9akXc

 Very simple, very effective. I've never had a problem with it. Dissolves ALL the lye EVERY time. The tank is 100% drain (no ledge on the bottom for garbage to hang up on) and there's no need for a premix tank!!!!!  How can you NOT like this machine? Plus the Tech Support is pretty good as they do try to help with a problem if you have one (like winter fuel, etc...)

Bumping the sticky.
 

 For what it's worth, I finally sat down and watched a Sci-Fi show called "Invention Nation" that featured biodiesel and WVO. They featured the Fuelmeister and had Josh Tickell there, essentially endorsing the Fuelmeister. They showed the FM2. Is that safer than the regular Fuelmeister?

natescape:

They featured the Fuelmeister and had Josh Tickell there, essentially endorsing the Fuelmeister.

Notably, Josh is the same fellow who endorsed making Biodiesel in an electric blender. While he's been a great promoter for the biodiesel movement, I'm not going to him with safety questions...

natescape:

They showed the FM2. Is that safer than the regular Fuelmeister?

The reactor is still a plastic tank; philosophies differ regarding this issue. What's interesting is, one of the speakers at this biofuel conference (alternate) I attended Tuesday mentioned that Wisconsin is working towards regulating Biodiesel production equipment and plans to require steel/stainless reactor vessels. State papers (linked in one of my other posts) hint that these regulations will be similar to storage tank policies already enacted; the state listed methanol fires as the primary motivator for this prior action.

Restickying again.  

LilTimmy:

Sadly, this system just got huge national exposure on an episode of SpikeTV's "Trucks". Hopefully the cost will make the viewers do a little research before purchasing...

I have known about bio-diesel for some time now but seeing Tracy on Trucks make it look so easy is what got me to start my internet research. Ya, the price had something to do with it as well. Im a commercial plumber and would never pay that kind of money for something so simple! At the very least I think the show has served to broaden the understanding of Bio-fuel despite the unit on display. .o2

I have a Fuelmeister 2 and it works great and makes great fuel it is really easy to use, might be alittle more money then the HOMEMADE machines but by the time you get all your parts and trips to the home depot store for parts.My time is worth more to me then running back and forth to the store to buy parts for my machine to make. Just my 2 cents

Wieckster:

I have a Fuelmeister 2 and it works great and makes great fuel it is really easy to use, might be alittle more money then the HOMEMADE machines but by the time you get all your parts and trips to the home depot store for parts.My time is worth more to me then running back and forth to the store to buy parts for my machine to make. Just my 2 cents

How do you know it makes great fuel?  What tests have you performed to verify this?  Do you process your oil hot?  What temperature do you maintain during processing?

120 degrees is what the oil is when it goes into the machine. The fuel and distilled water test it all seperates and the fuel is clear burns well works for me

Wieckster:

120 degrees is what the oil is when it goes into the machine.

This will lead to poor conversion in colder (or even mild) temperatures. Lower process temps mean longer processing times. Longer processing times lead to cooling of the mix, therefore requiring even longer processing times, and so on... Obviously, this varies by location.

Wieckster:

The fuel and distilled water test it all seperates

I very much hope this isn't the quality test Fuelmeister recommended to you. The results only indicate if you have residual soap in your fuel. They will not indicate whether you have water in your fuel or the level of conversion.

Wieckster:

fuel is clear

I've seen clear fuel that has enough residual water in it to make it off-spec. This test is useful, but not a clear indicator of quality.

Wieckster:

burns well

Testing fuel quality in an engine is not the smartest idea. A "failure" result could be quite expensive. Even vegetable oil and motor oil will burn well in a diesel - for a while.

Try a pHLip test or the knockoff for more clear results on fuel conversion; the 3/27 solubility test is also useful. Also, there are quantitative water testers you purchase to determine the water content of your fuel. At a minimum, you should perform and pass these tests before you can claim to be making quality homebrew.

 

 

 

 Sheesh, I've seen pure vegetable oil that was clear, certainly not a good indication of quality biodiesel.