Hey guys,
Im looking to get a truck in the near future and am still undecided as to if I should go diesel or gas...
Diesel has the appeal to me solely because of their durability. Ive come across a beautiful king ranch f250 for around 25k. That sounds a but steep to me, but regardless of price, what can I expect of the engine in terms of "needs to be fixed pronto"?
Im more than happy to fix anything in my garage, but dont want to have to deal with blown headgaskets right off the bat...
My question to you guys is... Will the diesel be worth my time if I get it for the right price? Or should I stay away from 6.0's and look for newer model f150's?
Thanks guys

 

The real question is, do you need a 3/4 or 1 ton truck? Everything is more expensive on these trucks compared to the 1/2 ton models; Parts, Labor, Taxes, Tags, etc.

Diesels are built to work or if you have lots of cash, play.

If you tow occasionally and are just looking primarily for transportation, a F150 will serve you fine.

 

Take it for a nice long test drive with hills if possible. If you don't fall in love with the diesel then pass on it and get a gasoline truck. I bought my '05 Lariat 6.0 with approx. 70 k on it about 8 yrs ago. It has 290+ k on it now and replaced several EGR coolers, a couple of oil coolers, one turbo and at 268+ lost a lifter that damaged the cam so I threw a long block in it. To be fair, I didn't exactly keep up with proper maintenance, if I had maybe it would have cost me less in repairs.

If you tow the same 5th wheel with a gas SD and then with a diesel SD you'll see a big difference. The gas engine will consistently run at a higher RPM, downshifting freaquently especialy on hills. The diesel allows you to run at higher MPH at lower RPMs and that is a great feeling.

Get a real Powerstroke mechanic to inspect it for you.

 

That's the real question right there, do you need it? I ran an F150 for 4 years before buying the bullet and the F250 really is an order of magnitude more complex and more expensive. If you want to tow big or haul 30cwt (my reason) then go ahead. If not, you best have a spare vehicle and not hurt whenever something goes wrong. I would probably still be better off with an F150 plus trailer, but on those few occasions I save so much time and effort...
Plus, over here it's the extrovert's dream

 

X3 on above.

Diesels may last s long time, but it takes serious cash to make it so.

I've had to learn more about this 6.0 in a year than I learned about the 5.4 over 13 years.

That said, towing is significantly easier than with my old half ton.

I've also got a spare vehicle that is basically my daily driver.

 

If everything on it checks out good the bottom line is it's still a 12 year old vehicle which when new would have been somewhere in the low to mid 40,000 dollars. Other things go out. Is there a maintenance log and what services were done. Sight unseen in great condition I wouldn't give over 20,000 and for that it'd have to be pretty cherry. At 25,000, a few more bucks can get you into a 6.7. Do your homework and don't get star struck. What it's worth to the owner vrs. reality usually don't match.

 

For that price you should be able to find an 07' with similar miles. And as far as what should be done pronto would be standpipes, dummy plugs, STC fitting and fuel pressure regulator blue spring upgrade. Also oil and filter change making sure you have an OEM oil filter and OEM oil filter cap. It's also a good idea to change other fluids as well and fuel filters too. Make sure all filters are OEM.

 

Ok thank you guys for all the advice!
I know I dont need the towing power of a diesel, nonetheless a 250 yet, but I just love the size of them, along with that sweet sweet turbo
Ill have to do some digging around to see if I can find a 6.7 within my budget, since those seem to be pretty alright.
On the gasser side of things, ive narrowed it down to just the 5.0 if I were to get a 150.

Side note, anyone in the SW Florida region that wants to get rid of their diesel!?
Thanks again guys

 

You might consider doing one of those background checks like Carfax. Seems like pretty low mileage

 

Ok, definitely will do!
Probably the next most important question, how would I go about telling if its already bulletproofed? Im going to take a wild guess that the dealer doesnt have a clue about what its previous life has been.

 

They are a lot of maintenance to keep running. loved mine but got rid of it!

Ernieford

 

Now I don't really disagree that the cost sometimes out weights the need for a Power stroke 6.0 but overall I have been very happy with my truck. Perhaps I know what it takes to own a Diesel 6.0. I also don't use my truck hard like it should be used such as towing heavy etc.


I have done some work over the past couple years but I would Oil changes have broken the bank on mine more than anything else. I guess I got lucky. 125k when I bought it 193k miles broke just this morning.


I would buy another Diesel regardless of the need I just prefer to have more than I need than to need and not have it! Plus I just love that smell of Diesel FUEL!


I agree with others here though that even at that mileage you can find a newer truck for less.