This may be a little too heavy duty of a question but I thought that I would post it anyway. I am looking at an F-650 Superduty and contemplating on engine power. I am kicking around either the Powerstroke or Caterpillar diesel engine power. Any comments on which way to go? Thanks. Jake.

 

My uncle has a 750 dump truck with the cat engine. He loves it. He says he get 10mpg and it has pleanty of power. In my opinion the powerstroke isn't strong enough for a dump truck. Benjamin

 

The general opinions that I have heard about Cat engines is that you pay a premium price for them,they last considerably longer,and cost more to rebuild.That is what I have heard from operators of large equipment and tractor trailers.

 

Thank's for the input Guy's. From what I'm hearing it sounds like the Cat is the way to go. I have Cat's in my heavier trucks and have had no problems for the most part. My main concirn was how well the Powerstroke would handle in this lighter application. From what everybody is telling me, my best choice looks like Cat power. Another thing that played in choice was the cost factor. The Cat is more money but has more tork and should handle the job application better. Thanks again. Jake.

 

Just curious Jake. If you already own Caterpillar engines, why would you want anything else??? It's a no-brainer.

 

Scott, The trucks that I have with Cat engines are Louisville models. These peticular trucks have a GVW of 60,000 lbs. Two of the have 3208 Cat engines. Another has a 3306 Cat engine. I also have one with the Ford 7.8 Brazillian nightmare engine. I am familiar with these peticular models but not to much so with the model that is offered in the F-650. All of my previous F models have been gassers. My first Cat 3208 had to be modified just one year after purchase of the truck. After we got the bugs out, the updated application was good enough for my type of work and future rigs with the same spec came easy. These are older trucks.
Truck dealers just want to sell trucks. Some don't care about what they sell, reguardless if a truck is underpowered. I was concirned about the Cat handeling my type of application in a medium duty truck. The hauling of drywall and other heavy materials every day. I have gotten over 20 years out of some of my pieces and would like the same out of this truck. The Powerstroke engine that I see is offered in the F650's seems like it would be good but from what everybody is telling me, it is a weak engine to have in a medium duty truck. Many truck shop mechanics say that the Cat would be good but they roll there eye's when it comes to service and repair. I just like to get all of my ducks in a row before I make that expensive investment. Jake.

 

I have a PSD in a 01 F250 pickup truck and can not say enough good things about it. For years my family has used Caterpillar engines in trucks, way back with the 4 and a quarter, 1693. Today, they use the 3406 rated at 550hp. Cats are expensive to work, on but they seem to go the extra mile in my book, with of course, proper maintenance. Ask around a little with fleet managers and owners, not to mention drivers of these trucks. See if any would recommend International/Navistar engines over Caterpillar. The International/Navistar engines are good, (and as I said before) I would not trade it for anything else in a pickup truck. Having said all of that, International/Navistar is not, never has been or never will be in the same league as Caterpillar. It's my opinion and not intended to offend anyone here. Which ever way you go, I hope you have good luck.

 

>The
>International/Navistar engines are good, (and as I said
>before) I would not trade it for anything else in a pickup
>truck. Having said all of that, International/Navistar is
>not, never has been or never will be in the same league as
>Caterpillar. It's my opinion and not intended to offend
>anyone here. Which ever way you go, I hope you have good
>luck.

No offense taken here.

When buying Heavy Trucks, you need to spec them like you are going to trade them the next day. The Heavy Truck market is bad right now. The 3126 in Ford medum duty trucks is the best option. You won't be overworking it. But in addition, a Cat is going to bring a higher resale when you get rid of it.(sadly, it's a name recognition thing) Cats break just like anything does, but they have been proven for that application. I own two Cat engines, and had one before that, that had 930K on it when traded. I can't say enough about Caterpillar
longevity. Not that the PowerStroke is a slouch, but get an engine that is right for the job. I don't know what else Ford offers for engines in those medium duty trucks(Cummins M11,Detroit series 40,and 50,etc) but I've always had Cat.
I've also had a few warranty claims for my Cats. Just minor things like oil leaks, broken exhaust manifold studs, and what not. Cat has been excellent in terms of standing behind their product!

BTW,a PowerStroke is not cheap to repair either. What is the warranty for a PSD in a medium duty truck? You need to compare warranty coverage between the PSD and Cat. Put a pencil to it, and GOOD LUCK!

 

No offense taken here either

Thanks Guy's for the reply's. :-).

Scott, I feel the same way about the Cat engine as you. I have always associated the Powerstroke engine with heavy pick-up trucks where as the Cat more so with big trucks and equipement. I didn't even realize that a Powerstroke was offered in a Med-duty truck until I started shopping. Plus, I never owned a truck with a Powerstroke under the hood. It does look like that I am going with the Cat on this truck. Thanks. Jake.

BigDeezil58, I agree with you on the cost of engine maint/repair. It can become considerable reguardless of the make and model of the engine. I am going to look into the warranty's that are available when I talk to my Truck Salesman later on. The extra cost is a concirn but the Cat looks like the way to go. Thanks. Jake.

 

Well Guy's, I ordered an F-650 with the CAT. It wound up only being a $900.00 option after a thorough research and I was able to get a 2003 model instead of the 2002. The salesman I delt with was able to hook me up with a FIN, (fleet identification Number), thus bringing the cost of the entire chassis cab down cheaper than the original quote with the Powerstroke. It's crazy. I was just at the point of being priced out of budget because of engine options. Go figure. Jake.

 

>Well Guy's, I ordered an F-650 with the CAT. It wound up
>only being a $900.00 option after a thorough research and I
>was able to get a 2003 model instead of the 2002. The
>salesman I delt with was able to hook me up with a FIN,
>(fleet identification Number), thus bringing the cost of the
>entire chassis cab down cheaper than the original quote with
>the Powerstroke. It's crazy. I was just at the point of
>being priced out of budget because of engine options. Go
>figure. Jake.

Hey cool Jake!

BTW...Cat sometimes has rebate money available too, but you have to ask for it. When I ordered my Cat powered trucks, I saved $2500 per engine, but my salesman had the guts to call the factory and ask what incentives the engine manufacturers were offering at the time. I don't know what the case may be for midrange engines though.

Anyway, I think you will be happier with your choice in engines. I love the PowerStroke too, but it can't do everything!