Looking for an f250 diesel 4x4 and 5 speed in the form of a regular cab or extended cab for $4000 or less.

I am not sure if certain years are better then others but i would like to stay between 87 and 97 years.

I check craigslist each day but prices are all over the board ranging from $1800-9000

I am in minnesota but staying in wisconsin for another month. I have the money to get one but seeking advice first

 

1992 f250 with 7.3 and less then 100k for $3600 with a little rust plus contractors box over the truck box

 

Nobody has any input?

Seeking help, never owned a diesel. Will be used for transporting antique john deere row crop tractors and a backhoe in the future.

Must be stick 4x4 and manual trans

 

the 6.9/7.3l IDI engines will work good for you and fit your budget well.However,you'll want to make sure to get one with a turbo.either a factory '93 or '94 or one with an aftermarket turbo for the loads you plan on towing.she'd be pretty slow as n/a trying to tow around large equipment like that.
very good first diesels.you can learn all the basics.
most common issues are fuel leaks,and or fuel seals leaking resulting in fuel drain back causing start,then stall,then hard start conditions.but it's pretty cheap,if not free and easy to resolve.
injection pumps and injectors are medium ware items and often neglected by owners due to cost.so you pretty much need to plan on fuel system replacement for them,if you test drive it,and it feels like a worthless dog.
all mechanical,but this also means all manual tuning too.if you've been around older gas cars,you'll pick it up no problem.


you might find a half decent 94-97 power stroke truck for this money,but she'd be a bit higher on the miles and or just a 2wd.
bit more pep in her step over the turbo idi's in stock form.bit more complicated to work on than an idi,but then again what isn't? lol.
like the old IDI this ones also legendary.known not just for it's reliability but also for it's performance and good aftermarket support.

either of those will be your main options for 4k or less in a 4wd truck.you'll have more options to pick from in this price range with the older idi than you will psd's.
just remember,for what you want to do,you want these for sure,with either engine:
4.10 gearing
turbo (all the '94.5 and up diesels come with turbos.)

 

Thanks for the tips. So basically i need to be looking for a 94.5+ truck if i want to do any sort of hauling?

How about 3/4 vs. 1 ton?

The truck will also be my winter vehicle and ocasionally haul a piece of machinery but most of the time will not be towing

Does a turbo really make that much difference? I drive like a granny in the right lane

 

no.for your budget,you'll mostly only find a late 80's - 94 diesel 4wd trucks.it will be the older IDI.most came without turbo's.you will not want one without the turbo for what you want to do.so you'll want to find a truck with one already,or plan on installing one yourself.yes it's a drastic difference.for the weight you'll be towing,you'd be down to a crawl on the hills without a turbo.
an f250 or an f350 will fit the bill either way.don't worry about this in your price range.if the truck is decent for the $,either way works.

 

dad is looking at a 97 tomorrow priced at $3900. 214,000 miles 5 speed 4X4 minimal rust.

the guy sounds motivated to get money for a ATV so we'll see how it goes.

I really don't want dad to pass on this. he is my set of eyes while I am in wisconsin so i will not be able to go see it.

and pointers I can tell dad to look for other then the obvious leaking and smoke colors and noises?

he says it needs tires other then that its turn key and go. looks nice in the pictures even when I invert the colors (photo trick to show up things you can't see because the picture is too dark or to bright)

i wasn't sure 5 speed was an option for the 1997 year. clarify for me? maybe thats late 97 f250 gas trucks.

97 is a turbo correct...?

 

that's a sweet deal.i forgot to look around again.truck prices always fall hard when fuel prices keep going way up.yeah the zf5 was the standard option when selecting a manual trans.good transmissions.
the 94.5-97 7.3l's are electronically controlled,turbocharged and directly injected.
at 200k,it's likely the legendary engine will be the least of your worries with that truck.
if you want to make sure of anything obvious,skip over here for pointers:
1994.5 - 1997 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

good luck.