I tried one of these trucks before deciding to go with an scab STX.

They come with steel wheels, 5.4 and are very stiff but very rugged. Personally, I would go to a 250 (which I owned, btw) before simply just getting a rugged 150.

The one I tried was a regular cab with an 8 ft bed and I think you can get a scab, but the 8 ft bed is standard. I was told that the extra $90 on plow springs was a good option if you go that route, but I'm not sure why.

I'm sure it's a good truck, but if you need something heavier the F250 will do some serious hauling and probably for little, if any, extra $.