I would say for you to find a gasser as well. The learning cure on a diesel can be steep and the parts when something does go wrong can empty your wallet pretty quick. You could do and F250 in a 5.4 or a 6.8 and they would work fine for you and you should be able to get one at a good price, I would think you may be able to score one up to even the 2008 to 2010 range which would mean you would get a lot of the newer style of dash and front end.

the 6.0 can be a good truck if it was maintained well but you would have to look at an 2005 to 2007. Your parts costs will be higher than they will with a gas engine along with your oil changers , fuel filters, oil filters etc. So you will save some money right there. Believe me you do NOT want to use anything but Ford filters on a diesel, the 2004 to 2010 6.0 and 6.4 trucks do not like aftermarket filters, lots of people have used after market filters which only led to big repair bills later. A ford oil filter for a gasser is way way cheaper.

There are a lot of good 2008 to 2010 5.4 and 6.8 trucks out there for a your fella like your self, that will be easier on your maintenance budget and that have a lot of life left in the engine. There are a ton of the 6.8 and 5.4 trucks that have upwards of 500,000+ miles on them and are still going strong.

I would advise you to get a gasser, and down the road you can always look at a diesel if the need arises for you to have one

 

Great TJ !! Definitely my favorite ..