NapaBavarian
Dually driver 6.9
Typically I'd shun the 6.9/c6 combo, the gear spread isn't wide enough to do anyone any good, but if all you ever do is around town then C6/6.9 with 4.11s should be fine
Best work truck?
- Thread starter mdrohman
- Start date
2wd has lots less to break and 4wd, especially if you aren't going to use it offroad, not to mention fuel mileage.
I say that, but I have a 4x4
! I do lock the hubs in quite a bit, but I do really like driving a diesel 2wd dually as they really do the job.
BTW, I also vote for regular cab longbox as the best work truck.
I say that, but I have a 4x4
! I do lock the hubs in quite a bit, but I do really like driving a diesel 2wd dually as they really do the job.BTW, I also vote for regular cab longbox as the best work truck.
DeepRoots
Tug Engineer
I ran a landscaping company for 7-8 years with two trucks.
lemme look back through the books.....
89 F250 7.3idi, c6 3.55 gears. I put a turbo on and generally updated it. I'd say over that period (7-8 years) I spent $3500 buying the truck, and about $4500 on repairs that I did myself, plus a hair more for maintainance. This includes the turbo. total milage at the end of this period 170,000miles
Total cost over the years I was in business +initial cost.
about $9200.
the other truck was a 1988 F150 with a c6, 2.73 gears and a 300/6 inline 6.
I bought the truck for $1800. I changed the oil a few times. Locked up a wheel bearing once... got a new spindle at the junkyard for $20. Replaced the $14 TFI module maybe 2-3 times.
Total amount spent on this truck including initial cost:
$2200
I sold the truck when I went out of business as it had rust in a few bad areas, plus I just decided to keep the diesel as I liked driving it more after I put the zf5 in it.
I sold the F150 for $1500 8years after I bought it for $1800..... It had a hair over 475,000 miles on the original engine/transmission.
I REALLY enjoy my diesel truck. I had fun making my own fuel (which is alot harder to do now). If I could go back I'd buy two crappy F150's as it made more economical sense.
I would advise strongly to have two trucks tho. Many many many days one truck would die in the morning and I was looking at loosing $2000 if I didn't work that day. It was nice to fire off another rig, grab the trailer and go to work.
Drew
lemme look back through the books.....
89 F250 7.3idi, c6 3.55 gears. I put a turbo on and generally updated it. I'd say over that period (7-8 years) I spent $3500 buying the truck, and about $4500 on repairs that I did myself, plus a hair more for maintainance. This includes the turbo. total milage at the end of this period 170,000miles
Total cost over the years I was in business +initial cost.
about $9200.
the other truck was a 1988 F150 with a c6, 2.73 gears and a 300/6 inline 6.
I bought the truck for $1800. I changed the oil a few times. Locked up a wheel bearing once... got a new spindle at the junkyard for $20. Replaced the $14 TFI module maybe 2-3 times.
Total amount spent on this truck including initial cost:
$2200
I sold the truck when I went out of business as it had rust in a few bad areas, plus I just decided to keep the diesel as I liked driving it more after I put the zf5 in it.
I sold the F150 for $1500 8years after I bought it for $1800..... It had a hair over 475,000 miles on the original engine/transmission.
I REALLY enjoy my diesel truck. I had fun making my own fuel (which is alot harder to do now). If I could go back I'd buy two crappy F150's as it made more economical sense.
I would advise strongly to have two trucks tho. Many many many days one truck would die in the morning and I was looking at loosing $2000 if I didn't work that day. It was nice to fire off another rig, grab the trailer and go to work.
Drew
fx4wannabe
Full Access Member
Deeproots brought up a good point. Gas trucks will make you more money for sure from a business stand point. They are generally cheaper to buy, cheaper on fuel and way cheaper to fix when they break. I am a contractor and I have had 8 different trucks. Looking back the Chevy 2500HD with the 6.0 gas motor was the truck of choice. It would pull anything and never gave me any problems. Fuel mileage was only 12 but it also had a service body and weighed 9000lbs without a trailer. Right now I am working out of an 89 ranger and just use the IDI when I need to pull a trailer or haul material. From a business stand point you have to do whatever is going to make you the most money which sometimes isn't what you really want to do.
I would not go so far as to make that statement. A "Work" truck, by definition means a "business" truck. Businesses are in the business of making money, so finances dictate what is best. For a lawn care company, one out of pocket repair on a high tech diesel could turn your ink red for months. Maximum repair cost on an IDI, is going to be about $1000 or less... basically what a running replacement engine is going to be. That's about the same price as opening the hood on a Powerstroke.
Goofyexponent
Mentally Unstable..
And that is my point, along with MANY others. The IDI would be the way to go. If I had good GP's and the controller working right in my truck, it wouldn't have cost me SFA to run the past year and a half.
My 1996 F150, with half the miles, ate a transmission, clutch slave twice, tranny mount, engine mount, brakes twice, u joints at LEAST once and a complete front end rebuild.
The diesel truck I have now gets better milage, will pull ANYTHING I could possibly want to tow and thanks to this site and the info posted, nothing has gone wrong with it that I can't fix for dirt cheap.
My 1996 F150, with half the miles, ate a transmission, clutch slave twice, tranny mount, engine mount, brakes twice, u joints at LEAST once and a complete front end rebuild.
The diesel truck I have now gets better milage, will pull ANYTHING I could possibly want to tow and thanks to this site and the info posted, nothing has gone wrong with it that I can't fix for dirt cheap.
NapaBavarian
Dually driver 6.9
I would not go so far as to make that statement. A "Work" truck, by definition means a "business" truck. Businesses are in the business of making money, so finances dictate what is best. For a lawn care company, one out of pocket repair on a high tech diesel could turn your ink red for months. Maximum repair cost on an IDI, is going to be about $1000 or less... basically what a running replacement engine is going to be. That's about the same price as opening the hood on a Powerstroke.
To add to this, I've found the best work truck is old and well kept, no one wants to hire someone who drives a nicer vehicle than they own!
gatorman21218
Registered User
Arent all trucks "work trucks"? Am I missing something here? Sure some kids use daddy's credit card to jack up their brand new superduty and put chrome rims and a stereo system in. Man in Florida there are Crew Cab Short Beds all over the place that have never hauled anything bigger than a cooler of beer.
But in all seriousness its all in the setup. If you have a 5er you would want a dually. If you have a farm/land you will most likely want 4x4. Me I work construction/oddjobs/painting etc and therefore the utility bed is great I can store all my tools and a ladder rack is nice for 34 foot ladders or 20 foot 2x8s. So it sounds like you understand what you need. I will never get another slush box- just plain dont like them. 4.10s will pull a house down but the mileage lacks obviously. I rarely use 4x4 but when I need it its really nice to have! As far as 6.9vs7.3 goes they are pretty much the same with minor (and correctable) cons. Instead I would look for one that was better maintained and let that be the deciding factor.
But in all seriousness its all in the setup. If you have a 5er you would want a dually. If you have a farm/land you will most likely want 4x4. Me I work construction/oddjobs/painting etc and therefore the utility bed is great I can store all my tools and a ladder rack is nice for 34 foot ladders or 20 foot 2x8s. So it sounds like you understand what you need. I will never get another slush box- just plain dont like them. 4.10s will pull a house down but the mileage lacks obviously. I rarely use 4x4 but when I need it its really nice to have! As far as 6.9vs7.3 goes they are pretty much the same with minor (and correctable) cons. Instead I would look for one that was better maintained and let that be the deciding factor.
I own a farm, and i work on a ranch on the side thats actually how i got my F250 but before that i had th ef150 2wd also and a slush box (#3 btw) ive never need 4wd, but ive always have really good tires, since its 2wd i run a set of deep lug MTs and a heavy foot and i was out. Ive heard that since the engines are so heavy in these trucks that even with 4wd the front sinks way to much.
With that said, i do mechanic work out of my pickup, since ive been laid off, and id kill for a utility bed, but working living on a farm and working on a ranch to, i need the full size bed to. So i just use a bed box (did have one of those contractor boxes at one time, broke the front of my bed down on the f150 so i took it out) and a bunch of small hand boxes.
oldmisterbill
Grumpy Old Man
My first deisel PU was an 84 F250 ,6.9,4x4,C6.3;55 rears.Purchased in 1994 W/ high milege ( it was used for hauling a goosenek live stock trailer) the odometer had flipped a few times and the truck showed it. I got it when I was in need of a snow plow truck (like I needed it that day), One of my smarter moves -if I ever made a smart move 
. I had 4 chebys with 350 auto plowing at the time. I always used automatics for plowing (I did driveways ) because if properly cooled a good auto will last especially with different drivers. My trucks were out fo at a minimum of 30 hours per storm (non stop).
My observations
I loved the Ford -pushed harder -a bit slower but more deliberate then the gasser. Yet it got the job done fine & had to often go pull out the gassers & open drives up that the gassers couldn't open in heavy snow.
I used the ford for towing my tractor all over year round (5,000 lb unit + trailer. I did custom tractor work -bush hoging- lawn prep-spreading loam -rototilling etc.Lots of short moves 1 to 30 miles.The 3:55 were fine for that kind of work (remember that was in rural hilly Massachusetts). I moved the tractor in snow and ice when moving high snow banks back.
I hauled a sander with it to sand driveways.A couple times I moved the tractor with a loaded sander and a tractor in tow.
During that time I did a makeover after it was hit by a sliding car in a snowstorm.Repainted it,put on a flatbed dump.& reapolstered the seats.
In 2000 I quit plowing snow -hooked a shiny new 30ft gooseneck and went over the road hauling antique farm equipments ,tractors,trucks,cars -whatever I could.Yup it was over loaded a few times.With the 30 gooseneck I found the first real weakness -when hauling 2 med size tractors the 3:55 were hard in the trans first gear (I learned to use the transfer case when starting on a slight incline) The tranny started chattering in first after a year .
Other wise I have no complaints at all about its ability to do what I needed. one of the biggest problems i had was when i was too busy to work on it myself -like when I had major repairs.I hate to have outside work done on anything. I had ny van lubed -asked them to lube the door hinges the sprayed WD40 on it,when I went to pick it up in Ark the fuel tank leaked when I filled it (vent hose PO had it fixed when I picked it up I got home a month later the tank fell half way out ,I had to replece a stripped bolt on a strap).
Major repairs -a couple front axles-2 tran rebuilds (one when pulling 3 cars up a gravel hill on the 30ft gooseneck -snapped tha output shaft) The other time it over heated the trans pushing heavy wet snow that was over the blade & blocked the trans cooler. 1 Engine -blew head gasket (hydro locked)and bent a rod , I had it repaired and it lasted a week .Then I put in a 7.3 that lasted till I put it n my F350 dually and two years later it over heated a piston, and **** the bed (clogged oil spray line to one of the piston cooling jets after 150,000 miles and a switch to royal purple.) After $4000 in a shop in a strange area where I knew no one it was running again (over hauled I guess).it never ran right untill the engine blew in late 2004 when I put in a low mileage Jasper (10,000 miles).
I wish I had that truck now - being off the road and missing the dump,I got to hire someone to shoverl a load of compost out of my F350 next week (health stope me from doing it)
IT WAS A HECK OF A GOOD TRUCK !!!!!!
. I had 4 chebys with 350 auto plowing at the time. I always used automatics for plowing (I did driveways ) because if properly cooled a good auto will last especially with different drivers. My trucks were out fo at a minimum of 30 hours per storm (non stop).My observations
I loved the Ford -pushed harder -a bit slower but more deliberate then the gasser. Yet it got the job done fine & had to often go pull out the gassers & open drives up that the gassers couldn't open in heavy snow.
I used the ford for towing my tractor all over year round (5,000 lb unit + trailer. I did custom tractor work -bush hoging- lawn prep-spreading loam -rototilling etc.Lots of short moves 1 to 30 miles.The 3:55 were fine for that kind of work (remember that was in rural hilly Massachusetts). I moved the tractor in snow and ice when moving high snow banks back.
I hauled a sander with it to sand driveways.A couple times I moved the tractor with a loaded sander and a tractor in tow.
During that time I did a makeover after it was hit by a sliding car in a snowstorm.Repainted it,put on a flatbed dump.& reapolstered the seats.
In 2000 I quit plowing snow -hooked a shiny new 30ft gooseneck and went over the road hauling antique farm equipments ,tractors,trucks,cars -whatever I could.Yup it was over loaded a few times.With the 30 gooseneck I found the first real weakness -when hauling 2 med size tractors the 3:55 were hard in the trans first gear (I learned to use the transfer case when starting on a slight incline) The tranny started chattering in first after a year .
Other wise I have no complaints at all about its ability to do what I needed. one of the biggest problems i had was when i was too busy to work on it myself -like when I had major repairs.I hate to have outside work done on anything. I had ny van lubed -asked them to lube the door hinges the sprayed WD40 on it,when I went to pick it up in Ark the fuel tank leaked when I filled it (vent hose PO had it fixed when I picked it up I got home a month later the tank fell half way out ,I had to replece a stripped bolt on a strap).
Major repairs -a couple front axles-2 tran rebuilds (one when pulling 3 cars up a gravel hill on the 30ft gooseneck -snapped tha output shaft) The other time it over heated the trans pushing heavy wet snow that was over the blade & blocked the trans cooler. 1 Engine -blew head gasket (hydro locked)and bent a rod , I had it repaired and it lasted a week .Then I put in a 7.3 that lasted till I put it n my F350 dually and two years later it over heated a piston, and **** the bed (clogged oil spray line to one of the piston cooling jets after 150,000 miles and a switch to royal purple.) After $4000 in a shop in a strange area where I knew no one it was running again (over hauled I guess).it never ran right untill the engine blew in late 2004 when I put in a low mileage Jasper (10,000 miles).
I wish I had that truck now - being off the road and missing the dump,I got to hire someone to shoverl a load of compost out of my F350 next week (health stope me from doing it)
IT WAS A HECK OF A GOOD TRUCK !!!!!!
Last edited:
texasnative46
Registered User
mdrohman,
fyi, i believe that you are definitely on the RIGHT track. - though i like the E4OD transmission, over the C6.
(that's what makes horseraces.)
fwiw, our family has farms & i have had excellent success with 2x4 IDI & 1st generation Dodge/Cummins for 2 decades. - BOTH just seem to run forever- it's the bodies that eventually "give up".
btw, i just bought myself (as opposed to the farm corp. owning it) a 1991 Ford XLT, 7.3 & i really like it.= it's my "town pickup".
as for 4x4, i don't see much use for it, unless you are going to "OFF ROAD" a great deal - they are complex, expensive/hard to repair, get poor mileage & in about 20 years i've been "stuck" on the farm exactly ONCE. - it took a large CASE tractor to get me "UNstuck" = while "dodging a calf", i ran off into a bar-ditch.
just my opinion, TN
fyi, i believe that you are definitely on the RIGHT track. - though i like the E4OD transmission, over the C6.
(that's what makes horseraces.)
fwiw, our family has farms & i have had excellent success with 2x4 IDI & 1st generation Dodge/Cummins for 2 decades. - BOTH just seem to run forever- it's the bodies that eventually "give up".
btw, i just bought myself (as opposed to the farm corp. owning it) a 1991 Ford XLT, 7.3 & i really like it.= it's my "town pickup".
as for 4x4, i don't see much use for it, unless you are going to "OFF ROAD" a great deal - they are complex, expensive/hard to repair, get poor mileage & in about 20 years i've been "stuck" on the farm exactly ONCE. - it took a large CASE tractor to get me "UNstuck" = while "dodging a calf", i ran off into a bar-ditch.
just my opinion, TN
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