Thread: Price of kerosine

Simply. Demand....

Yep, very few people use Kero these days compared with 20 years ago. Used to get it down the local servo from one of the pumps years ago in the town I grew up in - It was dirt cheap back then.

Around 1970 in PNG I used to drive to the fuel depot in my 80" to pick up a 44gal (200L)drum of kero for the fridge, for $9.50 and a drum of diesel for the generator, for $9.80. Two drums wouldn't quite fit in the back of the 80" and one was standing partly on the open tailgate. I think a carton of beer was about $4.30. The other day I bought some kero from the pump at the local depot, it was expensive, but cheaper than from the hardware store.These days kero is mainly only used to wash parts, according to the lady at the depot.
.W.

The 'quality' of Kero dropped significantly in the late 90's early 2000's in that it became less volatile. Probably didn't matter much if used for parts washing or any die hards with a hurricane lamp but I was using Tilley (Kerro pressure) lamps for camping at the time as these gave a much brighter light and were significantly cheaper to run than gas lamps.

It became really hit and miss to obtain 'good' Kerro that would vapourise correctly to run the Tilley lamps so I became a very early adopter of 12 volt flouro lights, now LED lights ................. and the rest is history

The Tilleys are still hanging in the shed and the LED lights work great. What's Kerro used for today ?

Deano

As suggested, the main issue is that where kerosine used to be handled and retailed in bulk, it is now only retailed in small packages. Also, I suspect that all kerosine today is actually Avtur, with colour added, and because of the small quantities, it may even be charged excise along with the rest of the avtur. (I know most of it was avtur thirty years ago when I had closer links to the oil industry.

if you know someone in RAAF or Army Aviation avtur is readily available.

it used to be bring your own container , as whenever a defuel on an aeroplane is done the fuel cannot be reused.

the usual warnings about FS11 apply but I know a few on the darling downs use it in their heaters and some still have Fordson tractors which run perfectly on it.

there are rules as to its disposal but many a blind eye is turned.

Avtur?

aviation turbine fuel.

I dont know about gen aviation avtur but milspec avtur has additives to prevent algae growths and something else which is why I said usual warnings apply. and it stinks like **** when youre up to your elbows in it.