An engine running on clean and high quality fuel generally does not need a fuel additive, however, a diesel fuel additive can help when fuel quality may be lacking or when temperatures turn cold. The right type of fuel additive can enhance your fuel and it can become part of your maintenance routine. On the other hand, some additives on the market provide little to no benefit. In this article, we’ll recommend a few different types of fuel additives that are proven to enhance your machines.
Before getting started regardless of which option you go with, a few general reminders when using additives include:
Bobcat’s very own, the All-Tier Winter Diesel Fuel Additive is a proprietary blend chosen by Bobcat engineers after testing other additives on the market. Bobcat has designed this additive to be used for multi-use including cleaning and cold temperatures. Considering that it’s made by Bobcat, we placed this as one of our favorite options and of course, it's the only additive that Bobcat has their label of approval on. You can purchase this additive directly on the Bobcat website and expect to pay around $200.
One type of fuel additive option that we highly recommend you to consider based on years of testing and proper regulation around this type of treatment is a biofuel or biocide-based additive. Biodiesel is great for lubricity, and even a small amount does wonders. One thing to note is when it comes to biocide treatments, it’s best to use this for maintenance and not when you’re experiencing issues due to contaminated fuel.
Any additive that claims to be biofuel-based must be registered and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which means it goes through a series of testing and regulations. With this in mind, there are limited options for biocide/biofuel-based additives, but luckily the EPA has a list of registered and approved biodiesel additives which you can find here.
Power Service DFA is a trusted and well-known manufacturer of diesel fuel additives. Most of their products are EPA-approved so they’re a safe and reliable option to choose from. From their wide selection of fuel additives, one of our favorites is the Bio Kleen Diesel Fuel Biocide because it contains biocide and is also EPA-approved. Although this product is not marketed for cold weather conditions, it’s a great option for diesel fuel maintenance and to use as soon as you start to see gelling. You can purchase 1 gal for around $150 online.
Although they don’t have a bio-based additive, another great fuel additive brand to check out is Hot Shot’s Secret. They carry some winter anti-gel additives that have received a lot of praise online and also a selection of additives that are used for regular maintenance and build-up. Their additives are used by many who work with machines such as Bobcat’s, Kubota’s and more.
For an additive made by Power Service that works for both cleaning/maintenance and cold weather conditions, we recommend Diesel Fuel Supplement Cetane Boost. You can purchase 1 gal of this for approximately $50.
For a fun video that tests and compares several fuel additives including a few that we included in our article, check out Project Farm. We hope you find this list of our favorite fuel additives helpful. If you are in the market for new parts for your Bobcat vehicle, check out our selection of parts ranging from injectors, pumps, common rails, complete fuel systems and more.
