I'm looking at a used '07 F250 that has done some plowing. WHat areas do I need to be concerned with ? Tansmission? Bent Frame?

 

Unless it's a screamin' deal, the general consensus is to never buy a used plow truck. That's not to say this one is junk, it may have been very well taken care of. Main areas to look at are front end components, particularly ball joints and wheel bearings. It would be tough to bend a frame unless the driver was an idiot, it's uncommon for Fords (chevys are a different story). Fords are the best trucks for plowing, but plowing still accellerates wear. Plowing is hard on trucks, drivetrains wear out faster, bodies rust sooner, they develop more squeeks and rattles, etc. I'll never sell a used plow truck to someone I know, they always get traded or wholesaled via auction. All this said, an 07 is only a few years old, so unless the guy driving it was an idiot, or it got used hard in commercial plowing, it may be just fine. I guess maybe we should better define "some plowing"...

 

He said he only supervised the plowing with this truck. Stated that he only plowed his own driveway, and a park down the street from his home.

 

I agree with wizardsr, I have a BOSS on mine that I installed, I am the only one besides my wife who has plowed with it on my driveway. I am very careful and keep the maintenance done on my truck. I don't go more than 5 miles away from home with the plow attached. so I would not be concerned selling my truck(which i would not do). Is this a private sale or a dealer? Ask to talk to the old owner and get a feel for it. a lot people who own plow trucks take care of them so I would not be to worried about it, good luck.

 

May want to find out why the owner is selling it (or traded it in?). It may be that it has bad ball joints and whatnot, and rather than fix it he traded it in on something else.

Whenever someone says 'I'm looking at a used truck that had/has a plow,' my butthole puckers right up. I recommend getting it inspected at an INDEPENDENT mechanic from where you are buying it. You can at least get some semblance of the truth of it's condition that way.

 

I'd just look for signs of general abuse, there's no reason a truck that has done some plowing won't treat you well, just price it according to apparent use. Worst case is not the the ball joints need replacing - they're replaceable. Sometimes that's good thing - if you buy it right and allow for some repairs in the price, then when *you* replace the ball joints you know you're good for awhile. I'd rather have the money on my pocket and pay for my own repairs than have someone else fix it for resale.

Plowing *can* be brutal on a truck (as can a lot of uses), but it doesn't *have* to be...

What's got more wear on it, a transmission that has spent a good part of it it's life going from slow speed forward to reverse in a parking lot, or one with lots of "easy" highway (read: high speed, high temp) miles?

 

I have plowed with my 05 since new, however you couldn't tell by looking at it. I too have taken very good care of mine, mostly because I rely so much on it. Honestly if it was taken good care of and you can prove it with records, the only thing to watch for is RUST. Find out if there was a salter on the truck as well. Hopefully the bed was Rhino Lined otherwise it wont stand a chance.. Good Luck