What's The Smallest Diesel Engine You Can Buy & Which Brands Currently Make Them?

When thinking about diesel engines, it's easy to associate them with heavy-duty applications. Diesel engines are more durable than gasoline ones, often delivering higher torque while being made of stronger components. Despite this, you can find smaller diesel engines for a range of applications, including industrial pumps, marine vessels, tractors, and generators. But what type of diesel engine is the smallest, and what brands can you pick one up from?  

Known for their lightweight design and simple manufacturing process, single-cylinder engines have many advantages over their multi-cylinder counterparts, including their small architecture. With fewer components required, single-cylinder engines are typically cheaper than multi-cylinder ones as well as being more fuel-efficient — something that adds to diesel engines' better efficiency than gasoline engines. 

Although they make use of heavier internal components, single-cylinder engines are overall smaller and lighter than multi-cylinder ones due to the absence of multiple cylinder components. With their ample low-end torque, single-cylinder engines are well suited for vehicles such as dirt bikes and ADVs, and they're capable of producing impressive power given their size.

While you can find some small diesel engines on Amazon, it's best to choose a trusted brand if you want to prioritize quality and durability. Besides, single-cylinder diesel engines are notably cheaper than their gasoline counterparts. Let's look at what brands you might consider when picking a small diesel engine.   

There are plenty of choices when it comes to picking a small diesel engine to fit your needs. Bison offers a range of single-cylinder, two- and four-stroke engines with power outputs ranging from 3−15 horsepower. One of Bison's smallest engines is its 211cc BS170F diesel engine. The four-stroke engine measures approximately 18 x 14.7 x 19.2 inches, with a net weight of only 55 pounds.

Another notable brand is Kubota, which began its journey as a foundry in Osaka, Japan, in 1890. The company offers a range of high-quality, single-cylinder engines for multiple applications, including agriculture and construction. The OC60-E4 engine is one of the company's smallest diesel engines with dimensions of 15.9 x 18.1 x 18 inches and a weight of 84 pounds.

Yanmar is another reputable Japanese company offering small, air-cooled diesel engines. This comes as quite a surprise given the company builds many multi-cylinder engines for large applications like recreational and commercial vessels. But models like the Yanmar L48N demonstrate the company's proficiency in building compact, single-cylinder diesel engines.

Many of the company's smaller engines feature an easy one-pull recoil starter while minimizing noise and vibration. As one of its compact options, the L48N measures approximately 13 x 15 x 16.5 inches with a weight of 60 pounds. Overall, there are plenty of lightweight diesel engines on the market that offer good fuel efficiency and low-end performance that are suited for industrial work, agricultural equipment, or motorized vehicles.