3/4 ton diesel trucks poll

[edman87k5]

New? Slightly used? Older? Want a manual trans?
Supposedly the newer ford 6.7 is turning out to be a good engine, the old 7.3 is proven. Ford 6.x are rather undesireable, just look at the values.
Some of the duramax were trouble prone, but overall a aged, proven engine.
Of course the cummins is very proven and desired, but in stock form make the least power. Dodge is the only thing you can get with a stick shift.
All 3 are rough on front end parts, that's part of the game with an 8000 pound truck.
Personal opinions:
Chevy has the best comfort ride but least robust front end. Probably the best auto trans of the lot.
Ford has the highest buy in cost, nicest available interior and the body and axles will outlast the others.
Dodge will literally fall apart around the engine, weaker auto trans and interior and body don't hold up well.
Having said all that, I was considering replacing my 2000 f250 4x4 crew cab 7.3/6 speed. I like the duramax Denali but damn the price. Ford is nice but I still don't consider the engine proven and buy in cost is high. I ultimately "chose" the dodge because of available 6 speed Manual, mega can, solid front axle and it's just a fine looking machine with a cummins under the hood!
Then I came to my senses and realized I don't want to give up a truck that is paid for with nothing wrong to have a not on a truck sitting in the yard that I will not drive very often. I think I am going to replace my daily driver car in the near future instead since I drive it 90% of the time.

 

[Mr Manouche]

This.

I refuse to give my money to Guvment Motors.

Amen!

 

[hudson]

Loved my 90 model Dodge Le 12 valve

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[madppcs]

As a work truck they are great but some purchase a one ton four wheel drive diesel and add a programmer, lift kit, vertical exhausts behind the cab and 50# nuts on the rear and use them as every day transportation and never use the truck as a work truck. I can see the newer light duty diesel trucks becoming more popular for general transportation as most pickups are used today.

So would this be like someone buying a factory Rem700 and installing an aftermarket stock, nightforce scope, atlas bipod, and shooting match ammo? Or buying a factory AR and rigging it with rails, lights, lasers, optics, stock and single point sling? Or a Glock and installing a trigger, sights, and every other aftermarket part/mod?

How many of us do this to our guns, and not see a single second on any battlefield? Or ever fire a single round in defense or anger?

 

[Magdump]

I had planned to go diesel with the next truck I buy, but with this "exhaust coolant" thing they got going on now, and the way it's looking for the consumer vs EPA and whoever else likes to make it as difficult as possible to own one, I'm having second thoughts. Just this morning I saw a big empty exaust coolant container in the parking lot of a walmart I frequent. I looked at the 2.5 gallon container, appearing to have just been emptied into some guy's truck right there in the parking lot and it reminded me of how I struggled through college with a POS car that I had to add oil and other fluids to on a every other day basis to keep it going....usually in a parking lot. I don't wanna revisit those days.

 

[dk.easterly]

I had planned to go diesel with the next truck I buy, but with this "exhaust coolant" thing they got going on now, and the way it's looking for the consumer vs EPA and whoever else likes to make it as difficult as possible to own one, I'm having second thoughts. Just this morning I saw a big empty exaust coolant container in the parking lot of a walmart I frequent. I looked at the 2.5 gallon container, appearing to have just been emptied into some guy's truck right there in the parking lot and it reminded me of how I struggled through college with a POS car that I had to add oil and other fluids to on a every other day basis to keep it going....usually in a parking lot. I don't wanna revisit those days.

Its not coolant. It's DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid). Depending on the truck/engine/use will determine how much is used per mile/hour.

Basically it's urea made from propane that converts NOx into N and O. Acts the same as the catalytic converter on your gas burners.

 

[Magdump]

Its not coolant. It's DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid). Depending on the truck/engine/use will determine how much is used per mile/hour.

Basically it's urea made from propane that converts NOx into N and O. Acts the same as the catalytic converter on your gas burners.

Yeah, that stuff.
Whatever it is, it would suck (my original point) to have to have to add that all the time just to drive. I'm assuming it's injected into the exhaust at some point?

 

[JHenley17]

Has anyone looked into the environmental impact of production and transport of that stuff? Are we left with any real environmental benefit?

 

[stag0608]

Most people in the diesel world just delete all the emissions crap.

 

[sandman7925]

So would this be like someone buying a factory Rem700 and installing an aftermarket stock, nightforce scope, atlas bipod, and shooting match ammo? Or buying a factory AR and rigging it with rails, lights, lasers, optics, stock and single point sling? Or a Glock and installing a trigger, sights, and every other aftermarket part/mod?

How many of us do this to our guns, and not see a single second on any battlefield? Or ever fire a single round in defense or anger?

Or buying an expensive sports car we don't need. No difference.

 

[dk.easterly]

Yeah, that stuff.
Whatever it is, it would suck (my original point) to have to have to add that all the time just to drive. I'm assuming it's injected into the exhaust at some point?

Yes it's injected into the exhaust stream. For over the road trucks and light duty it's really not so bad. Anything that sits and idles for long periods gets destroyed.

Most people in the diesel world just delete all the emissions crap.

Just hope DOT doesn't pull you over. That's a hefty fine.

 

[edman87k5]

Most people in the diesel world just delete all the emissions crap.

Its hard to tear into a $60k+ truck when new and void the warranty, but people do it all the time.

 

[TecheTitan]

I voted Ford too, because that is what I drive currently. I have a 2014 F250 with the 6.7 that I have had since February last year. So far, so good, no complaints yet.
I liked the Dodge as well when I was shopping around, that would have been my second choice. I didn't consider Chevy or GM for the same reason as others stated before, I just could not bring myself to support a company that took a bailout on my dime.

 

[edman87k5]

Hard to use that logic if you considered dodge. They took a bailout and skipped the country after paying it back, at least gm kind of stayed here.

 

[CBlack]

Don't buy a diesel unless you need one

Or don't buy a car unless you need one.

I bought one for reliability, efficiency and longevity. I get better mileage than most gassers that I know, and I have a 3/4 ton.

Icurrently have a f250 crew cab diesel with the 7.3 diesel. I pull a 30' camper around the USA. I personally have taken a survey of trucks around the country that are pulling RV's and have concluded that about 80% of rv'ers use Ford diesel Super Duties. Have talked to 100's of R
v'ers about their experiences and all like their trucks. If u get to Camp grounds around the country all u have to do is look around especially if u get up in the mountains.

And I'm part of a community with 30k+ owners who tow 5vers all over the country and only own Rams. Go to Fourchon and tell me how many Furds you see towing heavy loads...

love my 08 Dodge Mega Cab 6.7 6 speed stick on the floor 4x4 it has the Cat Delete and I get around 21 mpg back and forth to work 13 pulling on weekend. I have a 30 ft toy hauler and a 8x20x7.5 toy box for my Jeep have pulled all over the south up I the blue ridge and out west to Ca. up and over the Continental dived over the Rockies and back. If I had to get a auto transmission I would go chevy.

The Dodge transmissions are good as well as long as you don't throw tons of power on them. Leave them stock and tow, they're great. Especially the Aisin.

Completely depends on year and model/engine.

Ask a Ford Tech why they love 6.0/6.7 so much...

I work on diesel every day and would recommend a Cummins all day long.

Yep! Although the Duramax has been trouble free since 2005/06.

New? Slightly used? Older? Want a manual trans?
Supposedly the newer ford 6.7 is turning out to be a good engine, the old 7.3 is proven. Ford 6.x are rather undesireable, just look at the values.
Some of the duramax were trouble prone, but overall a aged, proven engine.
Of course the cummins is very proven and desired, but in stock form make the least power. Dodge is the only thing you can get with a stick shift.
All 3 are rough on front end parts, that's part of the game with an 8000 pound truck.
Personal opinions:
Chevy has the best comfort ride but least robust front end. Probably the best auto trans of the lot.
Ford has the highest buy in cost, nicest available interior and the body and axles will outlast the others.
Dodge will literally fall apart around the engine, weaker auto trans and interior and body don't hold up well.
Having said all that, I was considering replacing my 2000 f250 4x4 crew cab 7.3/6 speed. I like the duramax Denali but damn the price. Ford is nice but I still don't consider the engine proven and buy in cost is high. I ultimately "chose" the dodge because of available 6 speed Manual, mega can, solid front axle and it's just a fine looking machine with a cummins under the hood!
Then I came to my senses and realized I don't want to give up a truck that is paid for with nothing wrong to have a not on a truck sitting in the yard that I will not drive very often. I think I am going to replace my daily driver car in the near future instead since I drive it 90% of the time.

The older 7.3 was proven but had serious problems that weren't widely known. Injectors, oil pumps among other things were notorious for going out. Overall a stout engine.

The only Duramaxes that were trouble prone were 2004 and earlier models. 2005/06 and up are nearly flawless.

Prove to me that a Ram in stock form is the least powerful. They have class leading torque. HP means squat in a diesel. Anyone who uses it for towing/daily driving will never see that HP level anyway. Who the hell is going to get to 3000rpms in a diesel unless you're drag racing or sled pulling? And FYI, the only reason that the Cummins is ever "behind" in the power ratings is because of the torque management built in. If the Cummins ISB were allowed all the power it can produce to flow through the power train, it would shred any of the Big 3's transmissions or transfer cases.

Apparently you haven't driven a newer Ram if you say Chevy's have the most comfortable ride. My FIL owns a 2015 Chevry 3500 and it rides like crap. I've driven a new Ram and it's night and day from the Chevy. Beginning with the 2010MY, Ram has THE most comfortable ride.
And I disagree completely with "nicest interior" for the Ford. Ram and Ford are neck and neck. And the AAM axles are as stout as any others out there on the Ram. The IFS on the Chevys have proven to be nice and reliable, but for towing heavy or offroading, you'd be hard pressed to beat the solid axles of the Ford or Ram.
Dodge used to "fall apart around the engine" but don't any longer. And their transmissions are just fine as long as you don't abuse them. The Allison will sh*t itself if any power over stock is thrown at it. The new 6r100 Trans from Ford is supposed to be pretty stout.

Hard to use that logic if you considered dodge. They took a bailout and skipped the country after paying it back, at least gm kind of stayed here.

How did they skip the country when they were bought out? Ford, GM and Ram all have tons of trucks built in Mexico. Kind of defeats the purpose of "skipped the country", don't ya think?


And yes, I am a diesel performance nut who drives a 2008 Ram 2500 4x4. If I had to buy another one, I'd buy a new Ram in a heart beat or a Chevy/GMC. You couldn't pay me to buy a Ford.

 

[charlie12]

I drove my friend's 2014 Ram 4x4 off the lot home for him. Didn't like it them and didn't like it when I had to sit at the dealership to have repairs done after a few months.

Like I said if you don't need one don't buy one. Of course everybody needs a vehicle. If the new owner has the money and knows what they cost to operate and what future cost me be then go for it.
I've seen a lot that didn't do their homework and were sorry later.

 

[madppcs]

Love my cummins. Fully deleted, programmer, transmission tuning and a few other mods



And still gets 20mpg (highway)

 

[sandman7925]

Love my cummins. Fully deleted, programmer, transmission tuning and a few other mods



And still gets 20mpg (highway)

Looked at those pics and you're profile pic and thought I bet that guy works offshore. Clicked on you're profile and yup I was right

 

[sandman7925]

And that's what I'm looking at right now. The ram 2500. I'd leave it stock though to protect my warranty

 

[JHenley17]

I know a couple of diesel mechanics who love Dodge, but that's far from universal. The Cummins in my FIL's RV seems to be holding up very well and it's getting up there in age. I won't buy any more Dodge gas burners, but I would look very seriously at a Ram 2500 with the Cummins.