Used 3/4 Ton Farm Truck

[Stocker Steve]

What would be a recommended make and year for a reliable heavy duty farm truck?

I would like to spend less than $10,000 and only put 3 to 5 thousand miles a year on it.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

Ford F350 Super Duty Diesel 7.3 Litre. ;-)

 

[Crowderfarms]

I'd try to opt for a One Ton, the mid-90's F350 4x4's and the Dodge 3500's can be bought reasonable. I like those Dana 60 front axles.

 

[flaboy]

The powerstroke newer 7.3 liters are pretty good but the old ones aint. The cummins has been good all the time as long as you don't get a automatic.

Pardon me cowboy but just where did you get your information. Don't want to start a Dodge/Ford battle here but the 7.3 has always been good. You thinking 6L ?

My recommendation is 96 or newer Ford 250 or 350 with the 7.3L Diesel, manual 5 speed with 4.10 gears instead of auto. I have pulled large stock trailers with both and the manual will walk the dog on the auto's. 4x4 wouldn't hurt but don't try to off-road too much as they are just too heavy.

I am not too familiar with Dodge but the Cummins is a good motor also. I think one of the newer engines is better but maybe someone with Cummins experience can help out there.

Whatever you get don't do a GM! I just got rid of a 96 long bed, 7.3L Powerstroke, 4x4, 4.10 gears, 5-speed, A/C and cruise with 80,000 miles, no rust no dents, for $9600.

 

[flaboy]

Sorry. It is the 6 that I was talkin about. I really don't want to start a dodge/ford battle

No problem. I thought maybe it was the 6 you were thinking about.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Are there major reliability issues with the mid 90s GM heavy duty trucks?

 

[bigjohn513]

I have an 86 f-350 with the 460 in it and the rear main is shot...bought it 4 years ago with 86k on it ...was a great truck untill the rear main went...4 door with an 8 foot bed...its yours for 2 k if you want to fix it

 

[flaboy]

Are there major reliability issues with the mid 90s GM heavy duty trucks?

Steve, all I know is from what I have heard and been told. I don't have any personal experience with the GM. What I have been told is the GM diesel trucks before the Isuzu (DuraMax) had no real pulling power. I have heard more complaints about this from guys hooking trailers on them and crying over no power. I knew one guy who had one (96?) and he said pulling a trailer with it was like towing a car with a VW. He had his in the shop many times and finally bought a Ford 7.3L diesel that he still has.

So yeah GM had a diesel in the 90's but it sure wasn't heavy duty. I understand their gas trucks were ok but only got about 4-5MPG towing.

 

[Subsoil]

If you only putting 5000 miles per year on it, I'd go with a big gas engine rather than the diesel. Diesels are heavier fronted and get stuck much easier.

As far as the chevy gassers getting 5 mpg - that's crazy. My 98 heavy 3/4 ton got 13 empty and 8 - 9 towing heavy. The 454 should get you around 9 - 10 empty and 7 - 8 towing even bigger loads.

I say get a 454 GM or a 460 Ford.

For price comparison, I sold my 98 K2500 for 7500 back in the spring. It just had a 350 engine, but it would handle a load.

 

[nathanm]

I have found my IH to take a heck of a beatin'. 'Course thats just me.

 

[flaboy]

Dang, now I wish I had taken a picture of our load two weeks ago. 40foot flatbed goose with 14 - 5x6 rolls on it. It lifted the front on my MF 285 with a goosneck hitch on the 3-point. Went and got my dad's 2000 7.3L 4x4, hooked it up and pulled it back to the barn maybe 2 miles. Lets see, conservatively that would be 18,000-19,000 pounds plus the trailer. Can you say over loaded? We took it easy bringing the rest out of the field. We only put 9 or 10 on each load after that.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Flaboy, you ought to be loaded out heavier than that w/ a 40 footer. I haul 14 5x6's on my 25' gooseneck. 10 rolls on the bottom, and 4 on the top. Figure right close to 20,000 lbs. of hay. We're going to finish hauling some more tomorrow, I'll post a picture of TN. style haulin. And even pull it with a Dodge 3500 4x4. :shock:

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

If you only putting 5000 miles per year on it, I'd go with a big gas engine rather than the diesel. Diesels are heavier fronted and get stuck much easier.

As far as the chevy gassers getting 5 mpg - that's crazy. My 98 heavy 3/4 ton got 13 empty and 8 - 9 towing heavy. The 454 should get you around 9 - 10 empty and 7 - 8 towing even bigger loads.

I say get a 454 GM or a 460 Ford.

For price comparison, I sold my 98 K2500 for 7500 back in the spring. It just had a 350 engine, but it would handle a load.

That 350 chevy might pull that load but not for long. The diesels are your best bet for heavy haulin no matter how many miles a year you use it. ;-)

 

[SF]

I'd recommend Dodge with the Cummins diesel. 3/4 ton or 1 ton will work fine. I prefer the automatic transmission myself. I don't have any problems with them.

 

[flaboy]

Flaboy, you ought to be loaded out heavier than that w/ a 40 footer. I haul 14 5x6's on my 25' gooseneck. 10 rolls on the bottom, and 4 on the top. Figure right close to 20,000 lbs. of hay. We're going to finish hauling some more tomorrow, I'll post a picture of TN. style haulin. And even pull it with a Dodge 3500 4x4. :shock:

Well ya got me there. You see the problem with a 40 footer is the axles are so far back that about 2/3 the weight gets put on the gooseneck hitch itself. It mashed the the overloads down on that truck flat.

Now you got me to thinking. How in the world you get 10 rolls on the bottom? I can't wait to see the picture. 10 rolls x 5 feet is 50 feet by my calculations. I bet it is one of those pictures with a caption that says "men do the darnest things". :lol:

 

[flaboy]

Flaboy, you ought to be loaded out heavier than that w/ a 40 footer. I haul 14 5x6's on my 25' gooseneck. 10 rolls on the bottom, and 4 on the top. Figure right close to 20,000 lbs. of hay. We're going to finish hauling some more tomorrow, I'll post a picture of TN. style haulin. And even pull it with a Dodge 3500 4x4. :shock:

Ah ha, I think I got it. Two wide on the bottom huh? Still early my mind isn't in gear yet. :lol:

 

[Crowderfarms]

Flaboy, you ought to be loaded out heavier than that w/ a 40 footer. I haul 14 5x6's on my 25' gooseneck. 10 rolls on the bottom, and 4 on the top. Figure right close to 20,000 lbs. of hay. We're going to finish hauling some more tomorrow, I'll post a picture of TN. style haulin. And even pull it with a Dodge 3500 4x4. :shock:

Ah ha, I think I got it. Two wide on the bottom huh? Still early my mind isn't in gear yet. :lol:

That's exactly how I do it.Hey don't worry about your mind not being in gear yet.I can't even find 1st or reverse, in the middle of the day...

 

[El_Putzo]

Flaboy, you ought to be loaded out heavier than that w/ a 40 footer. I haul 14 5x6's on my 25' gooseneck. 10 rolls on the bottom, and 4 on the top. Figure right close to 20,000 lbs. of hay. We're going to finish hauling some more tomorrow, I'll post a picture of TN. style haulin. And even pull it with a Dodge 3500 4x4. :shock:

Ah ha, I think I got it. Two wide on the bottom huh? Still early my mind isn't in gear yet. :lol:

That's exactly how I do it.Hey don't worry about your mind not being in gear yet.I can't even find 1st or reverse, in the middle of the day...

I was wondering the same thing first, only I knew you were stacking 2 rows. I was just wondering how you got 5 bales that are 6 ft in diameter on a 25 ft trailer. That would be 30 ft of hay on a 25 ft flatbed. Obviously I assumed wrong, you must have bales that are 6 ft wide and 5 ft in diameter, right?

 

[Crowderfarms]

That's it James. ;-)

 

[Crowderfarms]

This was the last load headed to my hay lot from the field.Usually haul 14 rolls. Lucky 13 this trip.