I am not sure how to phrase this question, but here goes.

First a couple of things

I have owned both manual and automatic transmissions

I enjoy shifting gears - and take pride is doing a reasonable job with the RPM for the engine.

Having said that here is my delima

I have ordered a new 2003 4x4 F-250 with Diesel. I have told the folks to make it the 6-speed manual trans. Ford does have it's new 5-speed auto out as well.

Here is the driving that I do.

Some city - very little downtown
Around the local area - freeway, standard roads
Freeway - quite a bit
Search and Rescue on all kinds of roads - including 4x4

I also use the vehicle off road {2x4 and 4x4 modes} for not only the search and rescue, but for my own use as well - am very much the outdoor type.

Is the 6-speed manual smooth and quick shifting {and are there dependabality issues with it} ?.

Although not nearly as modern and totally computer controller, my current automatic does not suit my needs very well.

This is a major purchase that I plan to keep 10 years - so want to make the best choice for my use {and dependability} and with much more modern automatics out there I am interested to hear what folks have to say.

 

In my opinion, get whichever transmission YOU feel comfortable with.

That being said, I dont know what type of Search and Rescue you do, but I am involved in S@R's and I would find it difficult, at best, to try to traverse terrain with one hand on the radio mike, the other on the steering wheel and a third?? one on the shifter.

I have driven the 6 speeds and they seem pretty darn smooth to me. I dont know anything about the new 5-auto.

Good luck..... and when you get your new truck, remember to post some pics of it....

 

I like a manual but if you are driving in town the auto is nice.

 

That's a tough decision to make. I like my 6-spd and it shift fairly fast and smooth (only about 5300 miles). I mostly like the 6 spd for towing, and would much rather have a 5-spd for just daily driving, even though I usually don't use low and often skip 4th with the 6spd. I can see how an automatic would suit your needs well though. A manual is a pain in city traffic, unless you can get used to people being upset with you for not accelerating as fast. Also, an automatic is great for emergency service type of work, for the reasons stated above. The newer automatics are improved I believe and if you maintain it I'm sure it'd treat you well. The only problem I see is the 5 spd auto is new and may have bugs to be worked out. I was talking to a guy the other day with the @llison auto and he said he loved it and could do 100 in the 1/4 with it. But that's besides the point. I guess nobody can make the decision for you except you. I don't think you'd be dissappointed with either one, just get what you feel more comfortable with and maybe take one of each for a test drive so you get a little better idea.

 

id go with the manual fer this simple reason....you want to be a guinee pig fer a brand new tranny??? just my $.02.


-nathan

 

We have a 2002 F550 w/6sp man. at work that I am the primary driver for. It's a flatbed with boxes, and has a knuckle boom. Weighs in empty at about 14500. We build mountain top communication towers and it's not unusual for me to drive 500 miles highway, then 50 miles or more gravel, dirt or rock. Some of these roads might go up 1500 feet in one mile. 7000 to 8000 foot elevation to the top is pretty common.
The 6 speed has worked great so far. The shifter seems kind of wide spaced and clunky at times and it's had to tell if you've shifted into reverse or first sometimes when you take off. But when I've encountered really steep roads or come on to big rocks and had to downshift fast, maybe skipping a gear or two, it's done it smoothly. Coming down the hill same thing. I've been in danger of redline lots of times and have been able to slam it down without any problem.
The Powerstroke is such a torquey motor that I can keep it in 2nd or 3rd most of the time and still idle though the rough spots without downshifting.
Low range doesn't shift quite as smooth, but I usually take off in 2nd and shift directly to 4th or OD.
We looked at the automatic when we bought the truck, but after talking around with people that drove as hard as we do it came down to replacing the clutch at 60k or replacing the auto at 60k. Wasn't much of a choice.

Scott

 

as for the trany go manual

1500 feet in a mile is about 30% climb that is a 53% grade ????????????

 

>id go with the manual fer this simple reason....you want to
>be a guinee pig fer a brand new tranny??? just my
>$.02.
>
>
>-nathan

I too would prefer the manual shift. But as far as guinea pigs go somebody has got to be that way or we would never have new innovations to move towards. I see a lot of guinea pigs on the road with those Dura-Mess diesels. The more I see of those the more I don't like them.

Fordy

 

>as for the trany go manual
>
>1500 feet in a mile is about 30% climb that is a 53% grade
>????????????

How do you calculate the grade? I note that a 1500 foot vertical rise in a mile is about a 1 (vertical) on 3.5 (horizontal) grade. This translates to approximately 16.5 degrees from horizontal. What is a 100% grade?



INLINE SIX POWER! '95 F150 XL
300 Cubic Inches of Low RPM Truck Torque! And twin-I-beams too!
"Drive a stick young man! There'll be time for automatics when you're old and unable."

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 01-Oct-02 AT 10:12 PM (EST)]>>as for the trany go manual
>>
>>1500 feet in a mile is about 30% climb that is a 53% grade
>>????????????
>
>How do you calculate the grade? I note that a 1500 foot
>vertical rise in a mile is about a 1 (vertical) on 3.5
>(horizontal) grade. This translates to approximately 16.5
>degrees from horizontal. What is a 100% grade?

I stand corrected


1500ft V / 5280ft H =16 degree slope OR 1:3.5 gradient

45 Degrees is 100% grade

%Grade is 100 x Tan [Slope]

OR

100 x Vertical Rise Divided by
Horizontal Distance

 

Thanks Gus. That is useful information to me. A lot easier to picture as 1 on 3.5 than 28%, though the 28 percent gives it some perspective as most highways don't get much beyond 10%. I sure would love to get my 300 straight six headed up one of thos 28% slopes, but coming down has got to be a bit spooky, expecially after I blew a rusty brake line in Wyoming two years ago and lost all my brakes (I was on flat land, but between Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Park visits)

 

Yes, some of these roads get kind of hairy at times. A few are old horse trails that don't have switch backs and just follow the ridge line up. It's hard enough getting the F550 up there, but to think that the fences were put up in the early 20's - don't know if I'd want to drive a model T pick-up there. Someone did.

Our "fleet" of company rigs are all chebbys with "my" F550 being the only Ford, (thanks boss!)

We have three new 3/4t chebby 4x4 Duramax w/Allison autos. If the Allison would have been offered on the F550 when we ordered, we would have got it. So far they've been bullet proof. A switch on the shifter puts it into trailer mod and changes the shift pattern. Lets the revs build up a bit on the way up, helps with engine braking on the way down.

Scott