Doing real work with a 1/2 ton truck?

[uplandnut]

I have a 2017 dodge half ton and have been pleasantly surprised with it's capabilities. Handles my 16 foot stock trailer loaded with 6 cows just fine. I have pulled 13 5x6 bales on a bale wagon without a problem. Cruising on the highway I get 20mpg. Only thing I did was put timberon's on the back to help the coils when hauling the stock trailer.

 

[SBMF 2015]

I used to have a '95 Chevy S10 ZR2. 4.3L, 5speed manual. It was bomb proof! I used to deliver 230 square bales on a hay rack with it. It pulled 350 bu of corn. The engine finally died with 308,000 mi on it. I pulled the guts out of it. I always wanted to put a goose neck hitch in it but never did.

The hoof trimmer ran a Chevy 1500 Hd. Pulled a trimming chute every day. The tranny quit at 250K.

I run only ¾tons now.

 

[Muletrack]

Well, it's time for a new(er) truck. I currently have my 2008 F350 for farm work and a 2002 Rav4 for daily driver. Both of these are on their last leg. I'd like to just drive a 1/2 truck as my daily driver and farm truck.
Here's my typical truck chore list -
1) haul firewood - doesn't matter how much I haul at a time
2) hay - I haul hay on a 16ft utility trailer 8 4x5 rolls at a time. Would guess this load 9K lbs but I can fewer if need be. I'm not hauling hay more than 3 miles so many trips isn't a show stopper.
3) Cows - I have a 20ft trailer now but could see myself downsizing to something like a 12 or 16 ft. I can hire someone to haul my big loads to the salebarn.

So the question is which truck and what year would you be looking at if you were in my boat? Is there such thing as doing work with a 1/2 ton or is that just for rednecks like me?

For what you are talking about doing, there is no reason for a bigger truck at all. I have an F350 with the great old 7.3 for big jobs and my gooseneck, but for everything else I use my no-frills F150. Not sure what motor exactly, but it's less than 5.0 and a 2000 model (got it for $2900 and it is a regular cab long bed with less than 150,000 miles. It's whole purpose in life if to make my 1999 7.3 last forever. In a pinch the smaller truck can all my 6x18 stock trailer.

 

[cfpinz]

Guy I ran into often had an older F150 6 speed manual that he had added an extra leaf spring to the rears made deliveries from his company to coal mines. He said the truck kelp at least 2 ton in the bed at all times and north of 200k miles on it. I saw it with my on eyes.

What year model was that? I haven't paid close attention, but have never seen a 6 speed manual in an F150.

 

[jltrent]

What year model was that? I haven't paid close attention, but have never seen a 6 speed manual in an F150.

My bad, it was a mid-90s F150 as I had one like it at the time (5 speed handshaker)and was amazed the loads he carried. He even had a heavy piece of sheet metal mounted in the floor of the bed to handle the mining equipment. I think I was thinking about my current truck which has a 6 handshaker. Good eye, as this getting old thing can slow the cognitive thinking down.

 

[rodneymaur]

I wouldn't every have a half ton for "work"... my first truck was a 1/2T Chev... put a load of small squares on it and it was swimming all over the road... suspension just isn't meant for weight. And then there's all the rest of the components that also AREN'T meant for weight. Heavier springs, heavier frame, heavier brakes, heavier axles, heavier everything. There's a reason why they're rated for the weight that they are. Get a real truck like you had (tonner), and don't worry about that it's "heavy". When you've got a load to move, you've got a truck that will do it properly. When you don't, it'll still ride comfortably and get you there, with very little extra fuel, unless you're used to running in a very lightweight vehicle, like your Rav4. The difference in fuel isn't all that substantial, if you're considering either a full size half ton to a tonner.

If you're still insisting on going there though............. I'm not a Ford man... but I have heard really good things about the power and fuel economy of the EcoBoost Fords. All of the "big three" have a high efficiency pickup in their lineup now I guess.... but it sounds like the Ford has the edge in "pull" with their small engine.

I used a 2018 F-150 with the 3.5 eco boost and 10 speed automatic as my daily for a little while. No other gas engine in a half ton has the torque of the eco boost, at least not when we bought it. It pulled great - unlike most naturally aspirated gas engines, it makes it's torque at lower rpm's, so it doesn't have to be wound up to pull. I added a superspring in the rear, and it held up a load quite well. My two stock trailers (that are in go anywhere condition anyway) are 6'8" x 20' and 6' x 24' and both weigh in the 5100# range empty, so I was always careful not to load over 6k or so of cattle. It pulled it great, and I'm a stickler about brakes and tires on everything, so that was a non issue. But I pull a stock trailer a bare minimum of 200 miles a week, often more. Plus I knew that before long I'd start stretching that 6k, more and more. I had zero issues, but I just couldn't stop the nagging feeling I was gonna tear something up sooner or later, so when I found a great deal on a 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0 with super low miles, I jumped on it.

All that said though, it sounds like you should be able get along fine with a half ton. The comfort and lower initial cost and operating cost are worth a lot.

The ecoboost in a half ton has been phenomenal for me. Agree with the "farm truck" addition for around farm. Damage the aluminum body and you will pay dearly.

 

[cfpinz]

My bad, it was a mid-90s F150 as I had one like it at the time (5 speed handshaker)and was amazed the loads he carried. He even had a heavy piece of sheet metal mounted in the floor of the bed to handle the mining equipment. I think I was thinking about my current truck which has a 6 handshaker. Good eye, as this getting old thing can slow the cognitive thinking down.

Ha! I had an old '89 F150 with the 300 and a 4 speed, not much get up and go but you couldn't hurt the thing.

 

[RDFF]

Never send a boy to do a man's job......................