On Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:58:04 -0600, wrote:

On Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:50:55 -0500, wrote:

On Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:18:45 -0600, wrote:

On Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:21:58 -0500, wrote:

Your perrogative. The Tundra is a good truck - but pricey. The Tacoma
is a decent truck too - but also pricey. Comparable to a Ranger but a
higher snack bracket.
A base F150 is a rock solid basic truck - better value than the Toyota
in many ways - particularly if you are not worried about resale -
drive the wheels off of it. The GM pickup likewize - a bit pricier
than the f150.

Buy either one 3 years old and drive it till it drops - maintaining it
properly that can be half a million miles on either of them - and the
parts are readilly available everywhere - new or used.

I'm a great fan of Toyota - was a Toyota service manager for 10 years
- they make great stuff - but dollar for dollar a good 3 year old GM
or Ford is better VALUE for a truck. If you want a fancy truck - the
Tundra takes it.

I'm a farmer. I want a truck that can work, and the body can hold up to
the abuse farm trucks get. And I want reliability. I dont want fancy,
and I cant afford to buy new. I also want and need 4wd, and FULL 4wd,
not what they call 4wd on those "city trucks", where only half of tires
grip (something about the differentials). I have not had very good luck
with the F-150s. They all seem to break down way too often, compared to
GM. And I've had two of them, 88 and a 90, both had the rearend
bearings go to hell. One actually started on fire inside the brake
drum. I wont buy another Ford truck. GM is my preference, but I have
been looking at the Dodge Ram too.

At the same time, the most depenable truck I ever had was a 78 F-150
with 400 engine 4wd automatic. That thing was built like an army tank.
WhenI finally quit driving it, the tranny was dying, the lockouts were
screwed up, the box had literally fallen off the frame on one side,
crushing the gas filler hose so I could not get gas in it. Yet, that
rear end never had bearing problems, and when I quit driving it, that
400 engine ran like the day it was new. However, that engine drank gas
faster than a drunk can drink a beer. 7mpg normal, down to 3mpg when it
was hauling a load of hay. A friend of mine still has the engine from
it in his garage.
And whst is going to give you better service for the money??

You need an F250 or 350 for the work you want to do. Or a "super
duty". The GMC is built a bit heavier (as well as the Chevy - which is
genereally a bit cheaper) You should have the 3/4 ton GMC too - not
the half ton.

The big Toyota is a good choice too, but buying them used is more
difficult - and more expensive - and when something DOES go wrong - it
will cost you more.

A 3500 Dodge Diesel dually will do the job too - but too much torque
for the rest of the truck if you get "RAMMY" with it.

For heavy farm use I wouldn't have a gasoline engine. The early
powerstrokes were a bit fragile for my tastes - and the Duramax had
reliability problems too. Nothing is perfect, but you'd likely have
better luch engine-wize with a Cummins Ram.

I sort of agree with the need for a heavier duty truck. This F-150 I
have now came with overload springs, so it can easily handle the normal
loads I haul. My most common loading, and normally the heaviest loads I
haul are loads of hay, with the average load being one ton maximum.
Everything else is normally pulled behind the truck such as hay and
grain wagons, and implement machinery.


So you are overloading it by 100% on a GOOD day - and the wagons are
generally also exceding the GCVW by 100% or more.
That old 78 F-150 used to sag, till a friend sold me some leaf springs
from a very heavy duty truck. I put them in and nothing would push that
frame down, but it rode like a concrete truck. I wish I would have kept
those springs when I junked the body, after selling the engine and a few
other parts.

Still overloading the axles and axle bearings - and quite possibly the
tires and wheels as well. Not to mention the poor frame!.

While I know diesels are more durable and a little better on fuel, I'd
not want one because in this climate where we get well below zero in
winter, all I hear from other farmers are problems with the fuel gelling
up, even with the additives made to prevent it. They're good in warm
weather but a pain in the ass in the cold. I'll stick with gasoline.


Up here in Ontario they are just fine. Much better torque for slugging
around the farm - and who uses gasoline tractors any more????
Sure not around here. The winter diesel doesn't have any trouble
flowing here. Even a ****ty B414 International will start in
Huntsville / Parry Sound Ontario if you plug it in for half an hour.
(or feed it ether) Friend's Toyota Hilux Diesel was even starting on
one glow-plug if he cycled it twice - ran like crap and smoked like a
fiend - starts and runs beautifully now since he put in new glowplugs.

Just don't get caught with off-road fuel in your road truck!!!!!