So it looks like I am in the market for a new truck. I currently own a 2020 F-250 XLT that I bought in May of ‘21. It had 5k miles and currently has approx. 196k miles on it - 90% Highway 10% City usage. I work in the Road and Bridge construction industry and run jobs in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. Most of the time I’m unloaded aside from a full crossover tool box and some items in the bed and the occasional need to pull a mini x/skid steer or trailer loaded down with materials.

As you can tell I put roughly 55k miles a year in my truck. The company I work for covers fuel and most maintenance including DEF, fuel filters, oil changes, brakes etc.. Change fuel filters at every oil change every 5-7k miles. Do coolant changes and service the diffs and transmission when the book calls for it.

Unfortunately, as most diesel owners have experienced before, I had the CP4 explode on me at around 180k and had it replaced at the dealer. I also had to put in a new 10R140 at around 160k (both of these the company did not help sadly..) Bought a new transmission through the dealer because I couldn’t not have my truck for a week as I need it for work so they swapped the new transmission in one day and it came with a 3yr/unlimited mile warranty on it.

With the CP4 gone it made me realize that as the miles continue to go up I’m out of warranty on everything and realize it’s probably best the get a new truck to be in warranty. This truck hasn’t had any issues besides the two listed above. Love the diesel - average 16-18mpg leveled on 35’s going 75-85 mph on the highway.

My question is - with the 7.3L being significantly cheaper, can it hold up with that kind of usage? I know highway miles are the easiest on the motor so I assume I would probably be alright. I’ve read hundreds of posts on 6.7 vs 7.3 but I could be find anyone hitting the miles I’m doing. Break even between maintenance and fuel seems to be 5 years or 200k miles from other threads I have read. Is it worth dealing with the potential high dollar repairs or go with the more simple 7.3 and hope it handles it? I am looking at 2024’s at the moment as it’s given the 7.3 some time to get figured out.

Thank y’all for any input! I apologize for the book I wrote..

 

Based on your described usage a 7.3 should fit the bill no problem pulling a mini skid steer. Seams the 10 speeds have been hit or miss as for reliability.

 

How many hours on the 6.7? And how many of those are idle hours?

 

If so, would you opt for 3.73 or 4.30 rear end? I would probably end up running the same set up being leveled on 35’s.

 

Off the top of my head I believe it has approx. 5000 hours and believe 1500 are idle.

Edited - 6000 hours total with 2000 idle

 

50k mi a year and you have to make the payments ? i would probly find new job

 

The company provides a stipend that covers a majority of my payment. There’s some other perks as well so I’m willing to cover the rest. Had the option for a company truck but with how much I’m on the road I needed some comforts the company truck didn’t have.

 

Just my humble opinion. I have a 7.3 and love it. The simplicity of the gas motor is why I purchased it. For your use, I would purchase the diesel and never look back.

 

Love my 2023. Best Superduty I’ve owned. As for longevity can’t be much help as I only have 10,000 trouble free miles. Only complaint is all the electronics, no issues, just some annoyances.

 

My question is do you do extended warranty? It sure seems like the miles racked up in a relatively short span would burn through the standard 3/36k bumper to bumper and the 5/60k miles powertrain on the gasser or 5 year/100k miles diesel pretty quickly.
I only ask because you mention being out of warranty. With your usage it seems that warranty is going to expire quickly even on a new truck.

 

The best choice based on overall costs for OP needs is the 7.3/6.8. I dont even think this is rationally debatable.

Reliability too is improved over the 6.7.

You've lived the CP4 downside and all the added maintenance of the 6.7.

IMO you need to be pulling very heavy most of the to even begin to justify a 6.7.

Many foks, for various reasons, just have to have the most torque available whether they need it or not, no matter the added cost or downsides.

 

You're not going to wear the 7.3 out if that's your concern. I would get the 3.73.

 

The 7.3 will do what you want minus a few points on the MPG, but the 8k savings buys a lot of fuel.

I have 3.73 in my F350 with 7.3 and I dont think I would want the 4.30's, but I have never driven a truck with them. F350 with 3.73 is rated at 17.8k lbs conventional and goose so plenty of weight available. Im on my second 7.3 truck. Nothing wrong with the 1st, but it was bought as an interim truck when I was pretty sure my ordered 22 wasnt going to get built. It never got built and I re-ordered the 23 i have now.

The long term reliability of 7.3 vs. 6.7 debate will go on forever IMO. Both are stout platforms IMO. The 6.7 has a few insanely expensive parts to replace if they implode(CP4/fuel system, exhaust system, etc...). The biggest issue so far in the 7.3's has shown to be the lifters which then take out the cam. Johnson is making a replacement 7.3 lifter that if mine ever needs them thats what will go in. The trans between the two seems to be equally "meh"... so there is that!

I would likely get the longest warranty that you can get from a place like Flood or Granger.

 

IMO the 4.30 gears only helps getting heavy loads moving from a stop as the 10 speed has plenty of overdrive gears to compensate. Having said that, coming from a diesel and it's massive torque, you may want to consider 4.30 gears (for the record I've never driven one), but really depends how much weight your towing. We have a 7.3 with 3.73 gears that tows a 12 row corn header ~9k lbs and does fine, but we tow at relatively low speeds, and only tows about a dozen times during a 1 month period.

As for the 3.73 vs 4.30 gears, there's a reason the 4.30 gears are offered in the 7.3 and not the 6.7PSD. If I towed all the time, probably would go with the 4.30, if I towed infrequently, I would go 3.73

 

I like my 2022 7.3 4.30 34.5 tire truck, didn’t like my identical 2022 7.3 3.55 33.2” tire truck. If you’re going to run 35s and they are paying for your fuel get the 4.30s.

There’s only about 1 mpg difference between the two anyway.

Coming from a diesel you’re probably not gonna like the 3.73s as much as the 4.30s especially with 35s.