Curious why you bought the truck you did? I wanted a diesel and I felt that the 7.3s were overall the best deal for what you get...there are many more powerstrokes to choose from compared to cummins and duramax and much more reasonably priced. It either came down to a 5.9 cummins or a 7.3, and I think a lot of the Ford's are nicer looking and hold up better than the Dodge truck (minus the engine).

 

When I bought my truck the Duramax wasn't offered yet so since I wanted a diesel my only two choices were Dodge and Ford. I test drove both. Dodge only offered an extended cab...Ford offered a real crew cab with 4 real doors. I liked the engine in both trucks.....have had good luck with the 5.9 Cummins as well as the 7.3 liter IH in our fleet trucks so it was a toss up in my mind between the two. The V8 version seemed more streetable since it's power band was a bit wider (which works better for a 4 speed transmission).

The build quality of the Dodge was pretty bad....the radio fell out of the dash during my test drive (brand new truck). The instrumentation was poorly illuminated at night and there was a bunch of light leaks around the dash bezel. The whole cab vibrated when the engine idles. I just didn't like the Dodge.

By contrast, the Ford was a brand new design (Super Duty) and looked very capable. Build quality was excellent....quite possibly the best designed pickup truck that I had ever seen. I purchased it primarily for that reason.....the 7.3 Power Stroke was a nice bonus. The full benefit of the 7.3 engine became apparent as the years passed. Now the truck/engine combo is legendary in the industry. Every fleet manager that I know talks quite highly of their 7.3 liter Power Stroke trucks. Very profitable work truck. We are lucky to have quite a few in our work fleet that still earn the bacon every single day.

 

I went down to trade my 99 V-10 in on a V-8 gas in 01. The one I liked on the lot only came in a 7.3 and while I liked it, my wife complained at the dealership and the whole way home about how she does not like diesel trucks (loud and smell bad). To this day she keeps telling me to get rid of this truck and go get a new one but I still have it.....for now.

 

I gave my gas superduty yo my ex so she could move away.

 

I bought mine because some female dog of a driver ran a red light and totaled my 99. That had been a great truck, and the insurance gave me so much money for the totaled truck, I just went out and bought a new one just like the old one.

 

I bought my first one because I needed a mason dump quick and that's what was for sale 3 years ago. After driving it for a year and plowing snow with it, I realized what a workhorse it is. I bought another and am now working on getting a 3rd going for snow removal this winter.

 

Got tired of getting passed by bicyclists when towing the horse trailer with the old gasser.

 

Bought our 99 for a tow/haul rig. In April of 04 when we bought it, there was no other used diesel available in a ford. And since were a ford family, it had to be a ford.

At the time, we were really trying to find a new 6.0. But they were all priced above what we wanted to spend. (Good thing, or else we would have ended up with a early sick.O)

 

I'll add that I originally bought a 1993 7.3 IDI 5 speed (my first truck) for 3 grand off ebay..it ended up being a really nice truck w/ no rust and had a plow, but my buddy got tboned in it. I loved that truck but figured I would upgrade so I sort of handpicked the 2000 7.3 because of the forged rods and has all the other upgrades from the OBS trucks. I was a little in over my head at first with the powerstroke and trying to trouble shoot it with electrical problems and boost/exhaust leaks. I always kept my eye out for the old IDI's and I found a killer deal on an 1992 IDI and flew out to CA and drove it back, and now I have two really nice trucks that run well

 

Because I cartwheeled an F150. I've been Ford since birth and that instilled it in me.

I got a 7.3 because, 7.3.

Do I use the power of the diesel (anymore), nope. But it sure is nice.
I hope to get settled soon and pick up a trailer, and some ATVs. For now thought, the diesel just pushes itself along on trails.

 

4 years ago my wife got back into horses after a 10 year break and I didn't want to tow a horse with our 2001 Tundra (which we still have and is a wonderful truck for what it is.....including the new frame Yota bought me :-) ). Not because the Tundra couldn't tow it, but because I wanted a heavier truck and frankly I just wanted a diesel.

My friends have had good luck with the 7.3s having 3 with up to 400K+ on them, parts were available, prices were reasonable etc.

I shopped specifically for a lower miles rig (bought with 79K) in good condition, Lariat with manual transfer case.......when one came into a dealer on trade I was on it at 7am the next morning.

It has been a good truck for me for the 4.5 years I have had it.....

 

We are into RZR riding and I built a toy hauler recently out of a 7x14 enclosed trailer. Calculating the weight our Durango had the capacity to pull it but after one trip I decided we needed something with more power. I started looking and found what I think was a great truck for a fair price.

 

My first diesel was a 1997 F-Superduty with a utility bed. I liked how it drove, so when I decided to buy a pickup, I went looking for a 7.3 as well. I went into a dealership and sitting at the front door was the 02 I now have. It turned over 80,000 on the test drive. I was tired of driving cars for years, none that I liked. Buy now I could afford to spend a little money for what I wanted, so I bought it. It being a crew cab, I have plenty of room for the wife and kids. 8' bed makes for a huge trunk! After spending time and money making it a little quieter, the wife likes it. I have since bought a E99 work truck, sold the 97, and recently bought an 08 work truck.

 

My friend owns a water well drilling business and has a fleet of diesel trucks. He has owned just about one of every variety offered except the Cummins equipped version. I started doing his truck repair work back in 1982 and started learning more about diesels in the process. I liked the Powerstrokes and decided if I was going to work on them, I'd just have one of my own, too. I purchased my '01 Crew Cab 4x4 in 2002 and recently sold it last Thursday with almost 218,000 miles. The truck and I grew over the years and was one of the best Fords I've owned.

 

It started out simple enough - my wife and I envisioned getting a bigger trailerable sail boat. Well, anybody who's been following along with the "Adventures of Stinky" can surmise that the sailing hobby got ran over by the 7.3L hobby - like Santa's reindeer running over Grandma. I logged on to "Powerstroke Mod Syndrome central" to learn I needed to fix the exhaust leaks, then I bought a tuner and AE - and we were quite literally off to the races. I don't mean racing other trucks, I mean I was racing to keep Stinky running smooth and Stinky was racing to burn me out with Buck$Zooka blasts.


The question I face is "Why do I keep my truck". This question might really be the one the OP intended. Everybody buys a vehicle for a reason, but sometimes they change their mind after they acquire said vehicle - for various reasons.


While many people have experienced the "legendary reliability" of the 7.3L, I unwittingly bought one of those company vehicles that was bumped in power and thoroughly trashed by every employee that was on the receiving end of tossed keys. I fix complex devices for a living, and Stinky threw the gauntlet at my right foot. In my professional life, I have never had a "fail" - so I picked up the gauntlet in one hand and my Buck$Zooka in the other. My twisted need to solve puzzles and win every battle with a machine has kept me going - and the PMS is chronic now.


Stinky is finally showing signs of yielding to my overwhelming efforts, but like stomping on Jello with bare feet - something is always slipping between my toes. Even with that, there's nothing quite like climbing into a stock-height behemoth, turning the key in a luxuriously-sized cab, and waking up about 30 pounds of injectors in a 444 cubic inch diesel. The beast covering all that real estate in the driveway lets the whole neighborhood the senior Alpha male has awakened. While there may be younger and more powerful dogs, this one has a deep bark, plenty of bite, and the respect of the pack.


Out on the road, Stinky (with the PMS "kit") clearly has no "boss", other than the guy with his hands on the harness. Truck in the way on a grade? Not really. Pokey in front of him on a two-lane? Not for long. Trailer tugging on the hitch? So what. Slick roads? Tell that to the 4 tires with 8000 pounds driving them into the road like claws. In the unlikely event of a collision? Pity the other vehicle. Road construction and other delays? I'm in a cabin with a reclining couch, surround sound - and an unblocked view of the progress.


I have other vehicles that get better economy and ride smoother, but when it comes to long hauls to distant adventures - the wife and I look forward to loading The Beast.