What are your experienced opinions on the various deisel offerings that Ford has had? I have been trying to determine which deisel option is best bang for the buck in a used truck. My needs are heavy snow plowing and periodic medium to heavy towing. Alot of people I know have said the 7.3 is the way to go. I know a few guys who have the 6.0 and they say it is sluggish, I don't know anything about the latest models. I have an older ford brochure, 2003, and it lists the 6.0 with higher hp and higher torque. They are measured at different rpm rates and it confuses me. What is for real?

 

I find it hard to belive a 6.0 owner would say it was sluggish unless they are used to driving a vette. If you are thinking about a 6.0 then go to the 6.0 section and read up they are very tempermetal and require a lot of attention . But they run and pull like a MF

 

The guy I know who has one has an F250 extended cab short box. He does heavy snow plowing with a Boss 8'2 v and equipment towing. He said that without some kind of horsepower upgrade he wasn't impressed. He is a truck guy with a valued realistic opinion.

 

Can't tell ya about the newer stuff, my pockets are too light...LOL

The 7.3 is a workhorse. It might not be as snappy as a 6.0, but it's a steady puller and most are extremely reliable. Your looking at an older truck to get into one, so age and condition could be an issue. They have a great reputation and most of us who drove them loved em.

As stated the 6.0 is snappy and will pull like a beast. HOWEVER, they like alot of lovin'. Unless you are serious about maintenance and upkeep, it's not the ride for you. It's a very unforgiving engine. They are maintenance intensive and buying a used 6.0 can be quite a risky adventure if you don't do your homework. There is a TON of information in the 6.0 diesel board and those guys are the best. There are good 6.0 trucks out there if you know what to look for!

If you do decide to go the 6.0 route, drop me a PM and I'll pass along the things to look for and check up on as I learned them, before and after I bought mine! LOL

 

Stock, the 7.3L is more reliable. The 6.0 is better at making power. The 6.0 can also be modified to be reliable if you want to put a little money into the truck.

But, a truck is more than an engine. There are other things to consider. The 2005+ trucks have coil spring front suspension and larger brakes. The 2005+ trucks have better automatic transmissions. The manual transmissions (if you are lucky enough to find one) are equal.

 

What engines did 2005 plus have? Trans. is a big concern of mine for durability. I live in the U.P. of Mich and we get heavy snow and push hard. This past weekend we got 20" on Saturday.

 

2003-2007 6.0L diesels had the 5R110 TorqShift 5 speed auto. The 5.4L and 6.8L gassers didn't get the 5R100 until 2005, they had the 4R100 before that.

Engine lineup in SD's is:
7.3L Diesel -99.5-03
6.0L Diesel - 03-07
6.4L Diesel - 08-10
6.7L diesel- 11+
5.4L/6.8L 2V gas - 99.5-04
5.4L/6.8L 3V gas - 05-10
6.2L gas - 11+ (6.8L in CC 450+ series)

The 7.3 is more reliable with a weaker transmission. The 6.0L is more problematic with a better transmission. Either way you go you're going to sink money into the engine or the trans. Neither the 4R100 or 6.0L are a bad choice and are relatively good for their stock applications, each can each be made to be bullet-proof, they're just the weak links in their respective years of drivetrains.

I'll never call my 6.0L sluggish. It's like hitting a bull with a hot shot, it can be tame and slow and putt around all day until you hit it, then it runs like a raped-ape. Every truck with a 6.0L is newer than every truck with a 7.3L, so engines and transmissions aside, you tend to get more newer/better/less used trucks around a 6.0L. To get the same condition in an 7.3 truck as a 6.0 one you can end up paying a premium for the drivetrain; newer 6.0 trucks can cost less than older in the same condition/mileage because of known/perceived engine problems.