Who's smarter?

[asmith]

Thanks. It’s for sure a labor of love. We run angus Brahma cross. I work a 40hr real job then change clothes and go out and work the cows, train horses and riders, train bird dogs, build pre 1975 4x4s. it’s a fun life. We don’t pay for tv of any kind since the day starts at 4am and ends at 10pm no time. Kids and grand kids are all involved. It’s the Cowboy way California. Love every minute of it. And yea quads just don’t do the same job. But my 75yr old dad rides one when he helps out.

Where in California are you?

 

[Cant Write]

27 years without TV for me. Most all my adult life

 

[IDIBRONCO]

27 years without TV for me. Most all my adult life

Again, not on the original topic, but I think this can be associated with the title.

 

[IDIBOBS]

Where in California are you?

In the high dessert out side of hesperia area off the 15

 

[IDIBOBS]

Again, not on the original topic, but I think this can be associated with the title.

Yes I think we are off topic and I’m partial to blame. Sorry all. It’s just fun to share with other old truck guys that actually use their truck as trucks and spend time working on them as well.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Yes I think we are off topic and I’m partial to blame. Sorry all. It’s just fun to share with other old truck guys that actually use their truck as trucks and spend time working on them as well.

It's ok. It's my thread and I helped pull it off track.

 

[KansasIDI]

I’ve got something to say that is closer to back on track…

Last week, hit a pheasant and broke the headlight out of a 2019 Ram 3500 work truck, replaced it over the weekend at work. $900 for the new headlight assembly from the stealership, and it took me and the boss (my dad) five hours to replace one headlight. Had to remove the ranch hand bumper, but if it had a factory bumper on it, it still would’ve had to have been removed. Had to take the grille off, loosen the bolts on the fender, and take off all the trim. Everything is attached with dozens upon dozens of little bolts and tabs that are hard to get to… air intake runs over and into the top half if the grille…

I can change out a headlight assembly on my 91 truck in 20 minutes.

Makes me wonder what the stealership would’ve charged to do it… oh and the boss said that he doesn’t care, next time a headlight gets broken it goes to the dealership.

How ridiculous…

 

[KansasIDI]

Well, quite a lot has changed since I stated my spiel a year ago… I’m now working further away from home, working more, and getting paid pretty much double what I was a year ago.

There are many things about modern vehicles that really get me riled, like all the “safety” equipment, it seems too complicated and distracting. I won’t delve too deep into this, it makes me madder than all hell…

This hasn’t changed much, although unfortunately, I’m getting used to it with our work trucks…

My dad always told me that I wasn’t very smart to drive old Fords, saying that I could easily handle a truck payment on a newer, or brand new truck. And he’s right, financially, it’s something I could pull off with moderate ease. For sure less time spent working on trucks… But as I said, I don’t like the screens and all the buffering that takes away from your focus. I’d rather drive something basic that keeps me focused on driving, than something designed, “with safety in mind” that makes the driving so dull and effortless that my focus falls off. And I like to be in control of the vehicle, when I’m driving. Hence I prefer manual. There are times in heavy traffic situations where automatic would be enough to handle, but then again it really isn’t that much of a pain for me to row my own gears, even in thick traffic.

Some aspects of this have changed. I still prefer manuals, and I certainly still like older trucks. But now, it would be so easy to afford a newer one, I could make a big down payment, and easily stomach the monthly payments.

And my need has arisen higher than before, for something more capable. The problem is, it needs to be capable in too many things, which is why I’ve been considering a newer truck recently…

I would still keep my IDI trucks, but they would probably be… retired, decommissioned, for farm use. The distance, people, necessary equipment, speed, and weight that I have to move around is just a little much for the old 91…

I was hoping to upgrade my 94 into something with a broader spectrum of capabilities, but it’s still a regular cab, and, quite frankly, the upgrades aren’t the sort of thing you can get off the shelf at a parts store.

3k mile oil change intervals aren’t getting me very far, 10k or 15k mile intervals, with not much higher cost, would suit better.

I don’t want to think of IDIs as a phase for me, but they might not work so well for what I’m doing now.

My 91 doesn’t have the right gearing for sustained interstate highway use either.

I don’t know…

Another thing is, even though I dump thousands of dollars into these Fords, it is still less than a 5 year old Dodge with a Cummins would be in payments… on a 5 year note… much less a new truck…

This is becoming less true. But, here I might add that interest is too high, although it’s come down some, certainly from a year ago…

My dad stopped talking about it when turbos failed on 4 trucks, all at ~130k miles, $10,000 repair bill EACH, and the EGR cooler failed at 110k miles, on 3 trucks, at $2000 each… which certainly didn’t help me be any more interested in a newer truck…

This scares me into wanting to get a 3 year note and trade in before the warranty expires. Which, doesn’t seem too bad considering I’d be able to make up the difference on trade ins with cash, and only ever have the one payment on the first new truck, if I did go new…

Low mileage one owner late model used trucks command so much that I might as well buy a new one, since that would be a quicker route into trading in. But trading trucks all the time just seems kind of wasteful…

I don’t want a high mileage newer truck… high maintenance cost…

I have looked into getting a newer truck, free to look, but the big power and fancy screens don’t do it for me… especially at their price!

This has become less true for me. I would be perfectly fine with the derated version of pretty much any engine on the market, and unfortunately, I’ve gotten used to the screens. That doesn’t mean I like them.

But the fact that I could safely pull, and stop, pretty much any weight, haul people, and not have to worry about finding rare parts if something breaks, is a pretty good incentive. Still kind of undecided, but I might go with a newer cab and chassis truck, gas or diesel, crew cab dually, in an attempt to fill my needs a little better.

 

[MadMac]

But the fact that I could safely pull, and stop, pretty much any weight, haul people, and not have to worry about finding rare parts if something breaks, is a pretty good incentive. Still kind of undecided, but I might go with a newer cab and chassis truck, gas or diesel, crew cab dually, in an attempt to fill my needs a little better.

Without going... existential. There is just the practical part of living, which time changes. I started out needing a project and a truck - so I rescued a an '85 IDI stdcab - it now lives in the mountains hauling gravel, logs, lumber.. Time progressed needs increased - particularly for space, but not my willingness to part with $$ - so came the '97 ExtCab 2WD. Snow, and a remote mountain property - changed everything yet agin. Nessessitating a '16 CCSB and a trailer. For an F250 like the others, it is a completely different class of truck, having literally 2x the power. Everything about that beauty queen is picky. So what.

My life changed over 20 years. Favorite truck - that old '85 rescue - last projects was hauling bed fulls of 3/4 minus gravel. Favorite engine - no doubt the '97 - it has become my wife's "project truck". But the daily driver which gets 95% of miles - the newest of the lot - is the CCSB. It hauls 3000 lbs of living in the covered bed, while I tow 10K of trailer, tools, projects into/out of the northern california mountains. All while my family is blissfully unaware. I don't worry about climbing grades, or slowing down, or much of anything. I despise the insurance, maintaince, and nothing is simple to wrench.

So what - as in: well... Life is short - I best get on with it...

 

[31 AA]

how come the older guys have the nice cars,trucks…because it took that long to get there.Figure out what you need your truck to do/be.Then go for it. Me personally there ain’t no pick-up worth what they’re asking nowadays. And a diesel should klack klack klack. After a few trucks trailer’s this is what I came up with for work

 

[asmith]

Well, quite a lot has changed since I stated my spiel a year ago… I’m now working further away from home, working more, and getting paid pretty much double what I was a year ago.

This hasn’t changed much, although unfortunately, I’m getting used to it with our work trucks…

Some aspects of this have changed. I still prefer manuals, and I certainly still like older trucks. But now, it would be so easy to afford a newer one, I could make a big down payment, and easily stomach the monthly payments.

And my need has arisen higher than before, for something more capable. The problem is, it needs to be capable in too many things, which is why I’ve been considering a newer truck recently…

I would still keep my IDI trucks, but they would probably be… retired, decommissioned, for farm use. The distance, people, necessary equipment, speed, and weight that I have to move around is just a little much for the old 91…

I was hoping to upgrade my 94 into something with a broader spectrum of capabilities, but it’s still a regular cab, and, quite frankly, the upgrades aren’t the sort of thing you can get off the shelf at a parts store.

3k mile oil change intervals aren’t getting me very far, 10k or 15k mile intervals, with not much higher cost, would suit better.

I don’t want to think of IDIs as a phase for me, but they might not work so well for what I’m doing now.

My 91 doesn’t have the right gearing for sustained interstate highway use either.

I don’t know…

This is becoming less true. But, here I might add that interest is too high, although it’s come down some, certainly from a year ago…

This scares me into wanting to get a 3 year note and trade in before the warranty expires. Which, doesn’t seem too bad considering I’d be able to make up the difference on trade ins with cash, and only ever have the one payment on the first new truck, if I did go new…

Low mileage one owner late model used trucks command so much that I might as well buy a new one, since that would be a quicker route into trading in. But trading trucks all the time just seems kind of wasteful…

I don’t want a high mileage newer truck… high maintenance cost…

This has become less true for me. I would be perfectly fine with the derated version of pretty much any engine on the market, and unfortunately, I’ve gotten used to the screens. That doesn’t mean I like them.

But the fact that I could safely pull, and stop, pretty much any weight, haul people, and not have to worry about finding rare parts if something breaks, is a pretty good incentive. Still kind of undecided, but I might go with a newer cab and chassis truck, gas or diesel, crew cab dually, in an attempt to fill my needs a little better.

I understand the need for a newer truck the towing is light years ahead of what our trucks can do. But it sounds like the company provides a work truck for you? Does it not? why do you need to go out and buy one for yourself?

 

[KansasIDI]

But it sounds like the company provides a work truck for you? Does it not? why do you need to go out and buy one for yourself?

I understand how this could be confusing. It’s complicated.

Dad has a farm, and builds feedlots. I work for him, but… the farm and construction business aren’t really tied together. I would say I’m technically more than an employee but not a partner, he owns the whole thing. But I’m more involved than a normal employee.

There are plenty of times when I use a company truck, but not necessarily all day. If I’m with a crew, and won’t be sent elsewhere, then just using a company truck works. But, if not, then taking the crew’s truck doesn’t work, then what are they gonna move around in?

It can go the other way as well. Sometimes I get left at a jobsite to finish a one man task, but still need tools and wheels. Sometimes I get left to farm, sometimes Dad farms all day, sometimes we both farm for part of the day, it just varies.

Our typical method is to maximize efficiency with small crews, and lots of equipment and resources. It works very well.

So, having something that can be used as a ‘company’ truck, or as a personal/farm truck, makes for more options. Does this make sense?