Cat or Cummins

[certherfbeef]

Factory life is getting the best of hubby. He's going back to driving. Sold his truck 5 years ago I think it was and is starting from scratch again. Nothing newer than a 90 model long hood. He has his eye on 2 trucks near identical but different engines.
My question...
Cat 400 or Big Cam 4? Which would ya'll suggest????
He has always run KW's with a 475 cummins for a heart. Parts are easy to come by for either engine here and pretty close. He has no preference wether the fiberglass says pete or kenworth. He was wanting an outside opinion on the 2 engines. Seeing more cats on the road nowadays it seems than cummins.

He'll be pulling a coal bucket most of the time but there will be a few months in the fall he plans to hook to a pot.

 

[rwtherefords]

I drove a Gravel Train for several years, 16 - 18 years ago. The company I drove for used Cat. 425 engines almost exclusively. They held up very well hauling 50 ton payloads on a daily basis. I don't know why they chose Cat. over Cummins. I know Cummins has a great reputation too. Good luck.

 

[semen demon]

The only real difference between the cat and the cummins is fuel economy. I ran a 435 cat in a frieghtliner for a while, and I couldn't manage to over 4.5 or 5 miles to the gallon, but I don't remember what the axle ratio was on that truck. Noth are excellent motors, it will probably come down to which truck he likes the most for other reasons other than the engine.

 

[ollie']

I don't know a thing about either but hear the cummins are a cheaper rebuild should the need arise.

 

[dj]

Cats,Cummins,Detriots, or single stack macks with windows in the back. I want the one that gets me home every night.

 

[buckaroo_bif]

I was in auto truck repair a number of years so I have seen all three disels at their best and more often their worse. For all around economy you can't beat a Cummins. If I were going to buy it would be Cummins. Everybody wants a Cat cause of the name. They have the best pulling power too. But when they break down they are very expensive to repair. I would not even consider a Detroit. But then that is just my opinion.
Oh , the fiberglass, make it Kenworth.
Everybody wants a Pete, with a Cat. Make mine Kenworth with a Cummins. !

 

[bigbull338]

thats a personal choice as to cummins or cat.they say the cats are hard to get used to running.the cummins are good motors.had a 350 cummins in a 90 pete with a dumpbed on it.but 1 thing is for sure make sure the motor is in great shape as well as the tranny an rearends.scott