Customer Reviews

From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you want to do something like this for your own amusement, this is a good book. It explains the what, how, and why of making old burger grease into biodiesel fuel, and I suppose it would be a fun project for some people. I know of two people who have, with results just as described: yes, Virginia, it runs.

Is it cost-effective as a source of fuel? Probably no. If you figure only your own time on a per-gallon basis, it's probably cheaper to pull up to the truck stop-before you fabricate any equipment, set aside the real estate, buy the wood alcohol and lye and the needed safety equipment to safely handle the incredibly caustic sodium methoxide, and set about getting the local burger joints to give you their used grease-a bigger challenge than the author expplains in many areas!

My only other proviso is I wouldn't put the stuff in my only go-to-work vehicle. Until you have got the process down there's the danger of taking out expensive injection pumps and injectors with water, debris, and sodium methoxide. Biodiesel may also be incompatible with seals and bearings in some diesel systems, so I would buy a second hobby vehicle to tinker with, one that you are comfortable working on yourself. No diesel manufacturer will cover problems induced by homemade biofuel under warranty.

Tickell's groundbreaking work is filled with great information on the economics and potential of vegetable oil-based fuels, as well as detailed information on how to make biodiesel (suitable for any diesel engine), as well as how to modify a diesel car to run on free, recycled waste vegetable oil. I got a kit to do it myself, and drove my car from Colorado to Missouri and back, all for FREE on waste vegetable oil. It really works, folks. These simple ideas will change the petroleum economics that run our country and the world. Imagine, growing own own oil domestically. Bush family look out!

What can I say! Anyone who is tired of being ripped off by the big petroleum companies and tired of supporting all those middle east wars should buy this book now.
If you are worried about what your car is doing to the planet but don't know what to do about it, this book is for you also.

An easy to read step-by-step guide to multiple ways to run your diesel car on alternative, cleaner fuel.

Buy this book, implement the fuels as described and feel good about yourself.

The information in this book is invaluable to the experimenting alternative fuel enthusiast... It really is...an inspiration

If you going to run biodiesel (or straight veggie oil) people are going to have lots of questions for you, because most people are still unaware of biodiesel and those that have heard of it may not know a lot. I always figure that to be ready to field questions on a complex subject such as biodiesel, you need to know the facts in quite a bit of detail so you can boil them down to simple responses without distorting the truth. This is the book that covers all these bases for anyone remotely interested in biodiesel: pros/cons, sustainability, pollution info, vehicle warranties, how biodiesel is made, veggie oil conversions, etc., it's all here. You must buy this book if you are even considering running biodiesel!

Want to save money, the environment, and tinker at the same time, then buy this book! The book gives a general overview of the diesel engine and explains things in simple terms. It then goes on to explain how you can power your diesel on processed veg oil, kerosine/veg oil mix, and straight veg oil, all in simple terms and with instructions on how to make all the bits you need. I think anyone with an adventurous nature could get their diesel running on veg oil without much hassle using this book. There are also extensive references to more books and companies towards the back which are really useful, thanks Josh!!

Joshua Tickell's splendid book gives detailed information about actually making your own biodiesel fuel - and it works!
On the other hand, if you are thinking of buying a used diesel car and want to buy biodiesel fuel to run it, but don't feel you have the time or know-how to make it yourself over time - there are now a few places where you can actually buy it - one on Maui, and one in New England - western Massachusetts - and perhaps more. If you search the Web for biodiesel, you'll find it! Good luck - and tell them we sent you!

There is no doubt that we need to find safer fuels, but vegetable oil fuels are not safe for people with food allergies. Corn based ethanol causes me to have severe allergic reactions, because I'm allergic to corn. Canola oil would be a hazard for me, too. Other people are severely allergic to soy and peanut oils, and fuel made from them would cause serious reactions. Petroleum fuels cause many health problems, but lets not dump the frying pan into the tank, without considering the health risks to people with allergies. No commonly eaten food should be used for fuel, that does put the food fumes directly into allergy victims respiratory systems. This is a serious hazard. I'm sure there are plant materials that could be used for biodiesel fuel, that wouldn't risk the health, and lives, of millions of people. It is claimed that people with allergies don't react to the oils, but nothing could be further from the truth. Most of us do react to our allergens, in the form of oil. We need to make our fuels safer for everyone, but not replace one hazardous fuel, with another equally hazardous version.