Hi,
I am new to the forum.
I have been looking for a 3/4 ton truck for a few months now. I have zero experience with Diesel engines. I do know there were some issues with the 6.0 PowerStroke, but not sure what the were or what years had them.

Here is the truck I am looking at:
2005 Ford F250 XLT CrewCab Diesel - Hess Family Auto Center

Any thoughts/opinions would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

If you don't need a diesel don't buy one.They are a pita in the cold,more expensive to maintain and diesel isn't as cheap as it once was.I own three 6.0s and two gassers the diesels hands down have more power but the gassers are much cheaper to maintain.

 

Yes, I am having the same personal struggle. I am to the point with my truck I either need to sell it and get a diesel, or be happy with what I have and make the best of it. I only need diesel power maybe 3 -4 times a year when we pull a travel trailer. When we do pull a travel it is so frustrating pulling 7% grades and be in 3rd gear doing a max of 35mph. I have a 460 EFI with MAF and could either rebuild it and build up the internals and have a custom tune made on it, or do a diesel swap. My current 460 has alot of externals added but I have yet to spend the $500 for a custom tune. I hate to spend that $$ with the uncertainty of which engine / truck to use? Building up the 460 EFI I don't know that I would get more than 350 horse out of it. Doing a diesel swap with a 7.3L and build up to get it to kick out over 400hp is very expensive. I have calculated that it would cost more to swap in a 7.3L and build up than to just sell mine and buy a new truck. Like so many of us on this forum I have way more money in my current truck than I could ever get out of it. I have been considering a '05 - '06 Powerstroke and know of the issues with that engine. I am aware it can be a spectactular engine when it is upgraded but what is frustrating is how un-service freindly that truck is if you need to do heavy engine work - IE: Cab Removal. What to do??

 

Moved to the 6.0L Powerstroke Diesel forum.

 

Everything posted is true they are a lot of work to keep them on the road they are made to work they are not a grocery getter.
The truck you are looking at looks great, clean but to me the price is high for a XLT $25000, 3 years ago i got a 06 F350 4x4 PSD Lariat FX4 CC LB with 17K on it for $28000 but if you do go for it get an Oasis Report this will tell you if it was a problem child, i would get a ScanGaugeII to check the ECT-EOT max 15* doing 60mph after 3-5min on flat ground this is the big thing with the 6.0 to see if the cooler are plugged if they are it could cost you some big bucks down the road.
pop

 

I agree with DIESELPOP, looks like a nice truck but price is a lil high IMO. An a 05 with only 44,000 miles on it , could have turbo vane issues b/c it hasnt been drove very much an they could be sticky.these trucks r expensive to upkeep.bought my 05 F250 crewcab lariat FX4 with 140,000 for $19,000 a lil over a year ago. since then i have put about 3000 $ in it for upgraded parts to hopefully make it a good dependable truck for years to come.i did all my work myself , if i had to take it to a shop to get all the work done could have cost me upwards of $7000 to $8000.

just something to think about , i only use mine to pull my 30 foot camper about 5 or 6 times a year.

 

Welcome to FTE Sandman Nice looking low mile truck.

 

I've had mine for a few months now. Haven't 'needed' a diesel, but I wanted one. Never had one before, just wanted to learn what it was all about. Figured I'd use it for my daily commute and get a camper at some point.

So far I'm ecstatic with it. Had been putting ethanol-free in the Ram I traded for it, so the fuel mileage was a few miles per gallon better with the diesel even though it costs more, so I come out about even, a little better on total fuel cost. And the long bed comes with the big tank, I like 500 miles between fillups A LOT.

I bought it before I came here and learned and so I consider I was very lucky with what I ended up with. I did have a clogged oil cooler, I discovered with the help of these forums and getting the ScanGauge to start finding out where I stood. I had to flush and backflush and got my temp delta down to 15° down from 45° which isn't 'good', but since I haven't had to tow anything I think I'm going to make it for another few months til it's comfortable outside and I will have money to buy all the stuff I need to replace.

I think this is how this truck has been used it's whole life probably. According to the OASIS it's never had any engine work, just a couple of trans problems and a horn problem when it was only a year or two old. Looks like I'm the third owner. I figure they found out about the clogged oil cooler and rather than pay somebody over $5k for what the shop would have quoted them, they traded it in. Their loss, my gain.

At this point I could not be happier with my truck.

 

Just as idahoser's experience says, knowing what's going on under the hood is very important with these trucks. One of the gauges that plugs in under the dash and tells you most every sensors reading is a must in my opinion. You don't have to know what all of them mean, but the's a few key ones that will alert you of impending problems before they get REAL expensive. I agree with the other guys about the price being a little high but markets are different in each location and it is low miles and looks well taken care of. I would check current loan value and shoot for at least $5k under. Should be lots of these trucks out there, be sure to look around if for no other reason tha to compare prices.
I did notice this truck does not have the Electronic Shift On the Fly, not a big deal if you don't mind stepping out to lock the hubs in. Also it listed "towing package", but does not have the integrated brake controller. If you plan on towing anything with electric brakes this is a nice option. It includes a digital display and modulates the brake pressure on the trailer, when adjusted properly it the nest best thing to adding anti-lock to your trailer.
If you buy this truck or another 6.0 jump back on here and let us know. Happy to help with info on service and repair tips. Lots more to know.
Good luck, happy shopping, and welcome to FTE!