Diesel fuel in Kerosene lamp EXPERIMENT 

You really should light the wick at a very low setting, then gradually raise it to the desired level that doesn't soot. You get virtually no soot on your globe when you do it that way. Would also recommend a few tablespoons of 90% or higher Rubbing Alcohol...this will prevent gumming and clogging, and a somewhat cleaner flame. Squaring the Wick is fine, and there's no need to cut it into a point. A completely squared wick will give you a wider and brighter flame surface as well. Otherwise, a pretty good experiment and if diesel is cheaper and less annoying...by all mean Use It! My next experiment I will be trying Home Heating Oil and see how that goes?

you can burn pretty much anything in these lanterns, i've used kerosene, diesel, charcoal lighting fluid, paint thinner/mineral spirits, veg oil mixed with diesel or gasoline, mineral oil and automatic transmission fluid mixed with diesel or gasoline. of course some of these fuels burn pretty smelly, but they do work in an emergency.

Here it is a year later and I just let my Dietz 100 burn Klean Heat fuel for 2 hours. I smelled the slightest smell of burnt fuel more like Barbeque lighter fluid burning. Very tolerable indoors. $10 a gallon from Home Depot. But I later went out and found the Dietz No. 8 Air Pilot fueled with diesel about 2 years ago. It was my experiment. It has been sitting all summer untouched in a plastic deck box in the sun. It has been burning for 2 hours hanging from the rafters in my upstairs bedroom. I do not smell anything. This was the same road diesel that I bought for my Onan generator set. $3.50 a gallon in Calif. I am really impressed.The flame is a lighter yellow, almost white compared to Klean Heat or K-1 kerosene. I did not mix alcohol in it like others suggest. There is no soot or smoke. The wick is trimmed straight across with the ends slightly nipped off. It has a 1-3/8'' tall D shaped flame so its burning strongly tonight. This lantern was my experiment in burning diesel. That's all it was ever fueled with since new. Recently I mixed fuels in another lantern, a Deitz Little Wizard. It was kerosene mixed with citronella oil to get rid of mosquitoes. I plugged the wick by mixing fuels. The wick needs adjustment every 20 minutes and has a spikey flame, pops, sputters, then goes out. Mixing fuels can cause burn problems. When its out of fuel, it will get a fuel font flushing with choke and carb cleaner spray and a new wick goes in. After all of this writing and a fresh brewski, I still smell nothing in my room burning diesel fuel in that lantern. BTW.... the best glass cleaner is Weiman Glass Cooktop cleaner for stoves. It leaves no residue, haze or streaks when the globe gets hot. A little goes a very long way and the glass gets really shiny.

Tiki torch oil with citronella works well in them I use them when I camp for lighting around camp and also Mosquito control, two birds with one stone.

Here's my tip: Tilt out the globe, take the burner out of the lantern, and put in the new wick. Play out about 4'' of the wick sticking upwards out of the burner. Trim the end the way you like it. Dip that end of the wick into the fuel tank in the hole where the burner was, then screw the wick back down to normal position. Install the burner and now you have a fully soaked wick. It takes about 30 seconds of work and then you can light the lantern immediately.

A wick can last forever and never burn out if it's used properly if there's soot in your globe, you're burning it far too highly.

So funny. Did like the amount of soot that came off it. The glass is so black 😭😭😂

First person I have seen that actually knows how to trim a wick on these lanterns.

I have an old lanteren from wally world. It started to leak around the base so i cleaned and dryed it out really well and used por25 fuel tank sealer in it. It hasent leaked in 8 yrs. Just be sure to follow the Por25 instructions.😊

Good tips. I recently tried burning California #2 diesel in a Dietz No.8 Air Pilot. There was very little odor and no smoking. That surprised me. The other fuels that I used are Kleen Heat and pump Kerosene. The diesel had the least objectionable smell followed by Kleen Heat.

My friend you're lighting the lantern the wrong way you should use the side lever on the lantern to light it

iv used diesal in mine when i ran out of kerosene for my no 50 comet it gets it done for sure great video

The wick needs to sit in the oil for about 10 -15 minutes at least before lighting. You are consistently running the wick WAY TOO high. Any fuel would give you the same results.

Diesel fuel today ACROSS THE ENTIRE USA is now 97 percent cleaner starting in the 90's. soot is not an issue anymore so people who are nay sayers are ignorant and mis informed! Some (the older guys) did have issues back in day but no longer today you can Google it and or watch you tube videos diesel is a very good fuel to use and common practice among collectors. I have experimented on rayo lamps,perfection heaters,old dietz lanterns and they all run flawlessly. If you try what this guy did you will be pleasantly surprised, and save quite a bit of money. I have also used the 97 percent alcohol (an ounce per gallon or so added to the diesel fuel)and my testing has not showed a benefit except for MAYBE the wicks light a bit faster/better.

i have purchased a bottle of citronella but was very surprised of the composition when i looked at it because i was thinking it was burning a bit clear. it was mostly isopropyl alcohol with butanol. and butanol is basically biodiesel.

That wick that was already in it would have lasted a while, it doesn't need to be touching the bottom (just a tip), but also great to know

I would do what others are doing by putting rubbing alcohol in it 2-3 ounces per gallon.

I burn kerosene lamps all the time, love the light. Costs 25 to 30 dollars (Canadian) for 9.46 litres. Like the idea of cheaper diesel.

Im using some Diesel with white-spirit of refined petrol. 2 Us Gallons with 17 Oz white-spirit of refined petrol. We call it here (wasbenzine) in NLD. It seems to burn good in my Dietz air pilot#8 with 7/8 wick. The viscosity is perfect now. 5.2 gallons of kerosene cost me $57 usd in the Netherlands. 1 gallon of diesel cost 5 usd. Farm light Lamp oil cost 2.5 usd per liter, but its not good for the wick. Fuel is very expensive here in the Netherlands. Some people Mixing Diesel with Alcohol , but alcohol is hygroscopic. I don't want water in my fuel.

you're supposed to push the lever down to light the wick without having to move the glass out of the way..

I actually collect old lanterns esp. indoor ones. I have a new German Feurer Hand outdoor lantern, I'm going to try this in it. Thanks for the post. Kerosene is 12.99 in MA, I'm not paying that. Also, the good thing about Diesel is it's less flammable!

Great video... I burn diesel in my outside lamps, kerosene for my inside lamps... now 2022 it’s cheaper to burn kerosene, diesel cost $5.67 a gallon now, kerosene cost $5.28

I found a gas station in my little town that sells 1k kerosene at the pump. about 3 bucks a gallon. Only down side is ya got to get it durning the cold months cause if you get it in march or so it might be skunky

I'll add my 2 cents. I've worked for nearly 40 years as first, a marine (incl. diesel) mechanic & later, a commercial (diesel) truck driver. I've also owned & used oil lamps like yours for even longer. On the point about changing your wick, it's easiest to cut &/ trim it prior to inserting it into the holder, & the wick you removed as "old" still has adequate life in that all a wick needs is to be able to reach the bottom of the reservoir. Although it wasn't clear in your video, it looks like you cut & trimmed the wrong end - the soft fluffy end should be the one down in the oil; that picks up the fuel. The trimming is a matter of personal taste & different trimming styles will produce different flame shapes. When lighting your lamp, don't lift & swing the globe away - use the bail to simply raise it to insert your lighter. Same with extinguishing your flame; don't simply retract your wick down too low or you'll end up coking your wick end & guide, which can jam your wick & require cleaning. You'll find that lots easier, cleaner, quicker & greatly reduce soot on the inside of your globe, requiring cleaning. It also reduces the smoke into your room's air. Now, as for the fuel, diesel is best; it has the highest heat (BTU) thus light per unit of fuel, than any other commonly available choice. It's also LOTS cheaper, particularly if you get AG (off-road) diesel, dyed (at least here in the U.S.) red. #2 Diesel will provide you with the greatest economy of operation, as it costs less than anything else. Provided that your ambient temperature remains higher than ~18'F or -8'C, you won't have to be worried about it gelling. As to additives such as alcohol, don't use 91% isopropyl; that other 9% is water, which can cause all sorts of problems, such as sputtering, popping & corrosion inside your lantern. It can also lead to the growth of algae in stored diesel fuel. If you must use alcohol, use a pure form such as boat stove fuel (methanol) or even better, a similar grade of ethanol. Even grain alcohol is better than that 91% isopropyl. FYI: www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/diesel-fuel & www.dieselhub.com/tech/diesel-fuel-grades.html

You don't have to wait that long, just dipped the other end and wolla you are good to go

I don’t know why people don’t turn the wick upside down and dip it into the fuel before screwing it into the base. You don’t need to wait for the wick to draw up the fuel. I’ve been doing this for years, because when the electricity goes out you need light NOW. You don’t have 20 minutes to wait for the wick to get wet. Why am I the only person who knows this trick?

Switch to carbon felt as your wick. Never have to replace it again. No trimming either. Diesel fuel has a flash point between 52 and 96 °C (126 and 205 °F) Kerosene has a flash point of 100°F Kerosene has about 135,000 BTU per gallon vs. 139,000 BTU for a gallon of #2. Best flame height is the same as the width of the wick.

You can get a wider and higher flame without soot if you cut your wick straight across. Lamps with a wider wick are brighter so would you want to make your wick more narrow? This is basic science, the easier a flame can find its Centerpoint the faster it will soot. Introducing a wider flame to the amount of draft being produced in the lamp will result in the ability of a higher flame without soot and produce more lumens.

I bought some medallion oil and my lantern decided to act like an old torch. It started flickering and the fumes made it burn brighter, I turned the wick down into the tube and it was still burning super high like fumes were being released. I thought the lamp was going to explode

Thanks for confirming my choice to store diesel rather than kerosine. I am going to have to try it myself and see what my mileage is.

Has I said in my previous comment if you use the side lever on the lantern to light it up the lantern globe will not get sorted up and give you a good light

Number 2 diesel is filtered diesel ( kerosene) with road tax on it. They use in in the winter in semi trucks like the one I’m in right now. They remove all junk that make it gel at cold temperatures and it becomes kerosene. And jet fuel and diesel is about the same you can run both in a semi or a jet plane but in a jet diesel fuel will gel. And the octane is deferent as well

After several years of using diesel in place of kerosene have you noticed any problems?

Can you light with lower wick setting? Less soot

Here is a tip, add 3oz of 91 percent alcohol to 1 gallon of Diesel.

What i burn in my oil lanterns and kerosene, Some time i used scents and a heavier oil mix in the diesel to burn slower ~ Price of diesel is $ 4.24 a gallon vs 16 bucks a gallon of Paraffin oil ~ The wick needs to be cut in a point

If you would have adjusted it from making black smoke the black stuff would not have got onto the glass it would be brighter

You messed up when you cut that wick, that's why you have the uneven flame.

Cool video, thanks for sharing. PS Tripods are super cheap.

This good to know...Here in California, although diesel is expensive, it's still cheaper than kerosene... I will give this a try... My only concern is... I am noticing lots of soot.

I would imagine that it smells nice.

A lot of soot and doesn’t give off as good a light as Kerosene.

Where are you getting your kerosene?! Most I pay at a pump is $4 and thats the clear stuff!

you put diesel fuel in a red gas can,in my state you need a diesel container at the gas station

What's with all the mean comments?

Very smokey lamp.

Now you need a cow to knock it over into a Barnyard.

I use diesel in my lamps too..has smell, but ok for outdoor use..plus I modified the wire bail so it uses a square piece instead of rounded top. It fits a titanium snow peak pot, can cook about 4 eggs in a hour or so. (also have some aluminum foil around the pot, the top of the lantern has the cap removed)

Cool video You should repost it Under “Prep 2024” Because we are heading for a shit storm in the USA

I would have to travel pretty far to buy kerosine but just a few miles to buy deisel. Ty for the info

K1 Kerosene may be the cheapest thing to burn.

Just be mindful that diesel when burnt gives off carcinogenic fumes. Big lawsuit by train drivers in the UK years ago and now gaining some attention in cities that have a lot of diesel cars. I would suggest to not burn inside and try to stay upwind.

amazing what a differance a tri pod makes to many visdeos with a one hand filming bloody annoying

You need to clean you're glass for a better view. ..... Next time.

Does kerosene burn brighter than diesel or about the same in these

to much soot from diesel and fumes because it doesn't burn clean like kerosene

hey - get a chest mount so you can use both hands !!!

Muy bueno el vídeo

Diesel bound to burn with more soot and dirty the glass it has more additives in it for your engine. What about jet fuel it works better and cheaper surely.

huh... mine blew up when i just tried it.

Does diesel fuel have a very strong smell or mild odour

Get a tripod

how do you store a lantern like this to get the maximum life out of it ? Do you just take the remaining fuel out?

at least get a cheap tripod ! better than missing sections out of frame of what you are trying to teach people.

No lo sabes encender tenes que poner la mecha que salga 2mm antes poner la ampolla y luego levanyar con la palanca y encender luego liberar la palanca

Well diesel is 385 a gallon and kerosene is only 349 a gallon why would you use diesel kerosene is way cheaper

Your not going to get CO with that little lantern. You can even run diesel in a heater all day and not get CO just so you know.

Looks very sooty comparing to paraffin

Can you try Coleman Camping Fuel, White gas or Gasoline?

The price is the clear choice here. The cheapest I can get Keri is 8 per gal, diesel is 3. There used to be Keri pumps at every station, now hardly anywhere.

Have someone else hold the camera while you are working the lamp. You made a mess of thr video.

hey - great topic but poor presentation.

No carbon monoxide issues?

5 years later... that’s $2.00 of diesel fuel. 😢😂

Diesel has to be put in a yellow jerry can, shite though burning petrol, ok got it, I burn Kero but am saving to try a little diesel as have an road signal, would you know the fuel this boys used, a 1900 lamp.

Clear diesel / highway grade burns cleaner than red diesel . Its the sulfur additive .

The red dyed diesel has sulfer in it. It sold to railroads and off road vehicles sutch as farm machinery . You might want to try #2 heating oil

waaaay to long wick...lower it

I am commenting before watching the video, I think it’s gonna smoke like heck. Now le’t see if I was right. LATER EDIT: it doesn’t smoke anywhere near what I was expecting it to smoke and you said it doesn’t even smell, so it’s ok.

Very unscientific, honey

paraffin lamp oil is the cleanest...your buying perfumed...

Can not take advice from a Guy who uses the hood of his truck for a work bench !!!!!!!

Good idea but dizl not good black and carbon kerosene better

THE GUY DIE FROM CARBON MONOXIDE FROM USING DIESEL FUEL IN THE LANTERN 😉

No me gusta no podes aumentar la llama humea mucho el gasoil

Coconut oil is better than kerosene and coconut biodiesel is even better

You need to clean you're glass for a better view. ..... Next time.