Any help would be great, I have a F150 4.6 and a Econline 350 7.3. I love both trucks for different reasons. I need another truck either a 150 or 250. In this economy I like 1/2 tons even though they are a joke they are economical and the old 4.6's are real good.

All my trucks are old 1999 F150 and 1990 Econo. I am just curious as to which trucks have been known to be the most bullet proof. My brother inlaw bought a almost new 6.0 and it has not been very good. He has like 180,000 thousand miles on it now but it has had a lot of issues. It is no 7.3 for sure.

Sometimes I pull 5000 pounds and a 1/2 ton seems like it can be overwhelmed in braking. I really like the newer cab design on the 97 up, opinions would be great.

Thanks!

 

How much money do you have? Is 5000 lbs your "heavy" tow?

Brian

 

What are you towing your load on, does it have brakes??

 

Thanks for the quick reply, I will spend money for the right rig but I think the older pre 2003 were better? in diesel.

I do not want to spend more than 8 or 10, I found a Econoline 7.3 1998 with only 147000 miles for 2 grand but the electronics on the motor are fried and I think it is 2 much truck. Nice 14 foot box rig, I was thinking I could use it and not use a trailer as much.

I tow up to 6 grand but only about 5 thousand miles a year with that load on a tandem trailer. The 150 is ok with it but it can be dangerous and my electric brakes are not working at the moment so it can be a problem when slick.

 

There were not any particular run with a drivetrain motor combo that were better than others? I am curious as to 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton owners on how much better they feel the 3/4 ton is to half on work loads.

 

Electric trailer brakes are real cheap and really easy to fix. I'd fix those either way.

 

Yaa I will do that but they seem to be hard to keep working right for any long period of time, a 3/4 ton truck has quit a bit stronger brakes. I like 1/2 tons but for work they pail compared to a 3/4 ton.

You have the old 7.3 power, do you like it better than the new trucks? my brother inlaw bought the 6.0 and has allot of money in it and it does not have a lot of miles on it.

 

My old truck was a '92 f150 with the 300 I6, the f250 is better in every way including fuel mileage especially when towing. Better brakes too heh heh.

 

I agree but I bought a 1999 F150 and really liked the newer cab design over pre 97 and always had the older 300 6 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. I like the 1/2 because tires are cheaper and parts are cheaper. A 3/4 ton is a much better truck but in this economy a 1/2 is welcome unless you need a 3/4.

Just look at the prices of tires as one example compared to say 10 or 20 years ago.

In my younger days I would never consider a 1/2 but now I can appreciate some of their girly qualities for certain apps!

 

IMHO, 99 to 03 7.3, reliable, will pull what you need.
My 01 Excursion is currently filling in as my tow rig, it has a softer suspension then the F250 series and does ok pulling 10k but could use helpers, air bags or spring upgrade.

 

IMO, all Fords from nearly all generations are good trucks. Iv owned em all:
1989 F-250
1992 F-250
1994 F-350
1996 F-350
2002 F-150
2004 F-250
2011 Ranger
(not in that order)

I loved all of them. All had their goods and bads. Reliability wise, its hard to beat nearly all of Fords motors (minus the 6.0 of course). When it comes to trannys, only one stands out for being problematic and that's the E4OD found in nearly all 1980-97 Fords with a 351W or bigger motor. That leaves a TON of very reliable trucks out there for the pickin. If you want cheap, keep what ya got. If your wanting good power and reliability, get the 7.3 with a manual tranny (all autos are not a good choice with a 7.3) but of course this is going to be at the very top end of your budget. If you want newer, STAY AWAY FROM THE 6.0! I got a 2004 F-250 with a V10 for this reason. Poor fuel economy but its a great motor, not to mention cheap!

The exact truck your looking for is out there and with $8-10,000 youll definitely find it.

 

Thanks, yaa I just looked at one. Not the right truck but the guy selling it was a Mechanic and knows trucks. He said the old 7.3 or Cummins in the Dodge.

 

Old 7.3 or new 7.3 are both good motors but of course the new ones are a bit more desirable, thus costs more.

For any generation of Cummins, your going to be pushing your budget pretty good. Even a 1st gen in good shape will be $8k

 

The guy I talked with today is a serious mechanic and he did not like the newer Ford diesels, he said they were a pain to work on and cost to much money to service.

He had a 7.3 he ran for over 500000 miles with no major issues and lead me to believe the newer ones forget it. My brother inlaw bought a 6.0 and will never buy another. He has thousands in BS repairs but said he finally found a good diesel mechanic which helps alot.

 

The 6.0s are probably the worst engines ever produced. As far as the newer 6.4s and 6.7s go, I haven't a doubt they will be just as reliable as any other new diesel on the road. You can buy what ya want but If I was offered a 6.4 or 6.7 at a reasonable price, Id pounce on it. On the other hand, if someone wanted to give me a 6.0, Id be happy to take it to the scrap yard and make some cash on it